While a large part of the world is in quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic, parents are struggling to keep their kids busy. From additional screen time to made-up games, parents are running out of ideas. So to keep the fun going, we’ve listed here some of the fun kid experiments to do at home. Don’t worry because these experiments can be done with the use of some household items.
Children are born curious. They want to know things that are new to their eyes. The best part is that youngsters aren’t difficult to amaze. With some items from the kitchen, you make them believe that you are the best scientist in the world. Without keeping you hanging, the following are some of the easy kid experiments to do at home:
1. DIY Lava Lamp
Materials:
Antacid tablets
Vegetable cooking oil
Food coloring (lava-like colors are ideal)
Water
Bowl or jar
Let’s start with one of the most popular: the DIY lava lamp. You can do this by mixing the antacid tablets, food coloring, water, and oil. The oil will cause the food coloring to form tiny globules. This makes it look like lava. You can put it in a jar for your kids to observe.
This is a very easy experience but it can be a little messy, especially if you have a very willful toddler. Still, this is a handy experiment for parents who are new to the drill.
2. Rainbow Fizzies
Materials:
Food coloring (rainbow colors)
Baking soda
Eye droppers
Bowl
Vinegar
To perform this experiment, add about 4 spoonfuls of baking soda into the bowl. After that, add three drops of food coloring. Next, add about two teaspoons of water into the mixture. Mix all of it until the food coloring has blended with the other ingredients.
Now that the baking soda is dyed, spread the mixture to a baking pan. Once done, it’s time to have fun! Bring the droppers out and fill it with vinegar. Drop it on the colored baking soda and let your kid be amazed by the colorful fizz!
Overall, this is a very safe experiment due to the food-grade materials. We enjoyed this one, too, to be honest.
3. Balloon in a bottle
Materials:
Bottle with a narrow neck
Balloon
Oven mitts
One tablespoon of water
If you have a science geek at home, the Balloon in a Bottle experiment might work. This isn’t the most enthralling experiment in terms of appearance, but it will surely catch the attention of your kid.
To do this, simply funnel the water into the bottle. After that, put the bottle with water in the microwave for about a minute until the water boils.
Take note that this requires adult supervision since the bottle can be really hot. Use the mitts always!
Once the water is boiling, place the hot bottle on a flat surface then stretch the balloon into the rim quickly. After that, let the steam do its job of inflating the balloon upside down inside the bottle.
4. Harry Potter Potions
Materials:
Random edible items in the kitchen. Just label it with something Harry Potter ingredients like Wolfsbane (water), Gillyweed (rosemary), dragon blood (ketchup), and so on.
If your kids are big fans of Harry Potter, you can make use of their imagination in making potions. This experiment is more of an entertainment for the kids. However, some parents really go the distance of doing actual stuff like elephant toothpaste (which is really messy) and other exploding stuff.
For five-year-olds, you can improvise with some Harry Potter lines and a few delectable items from the kitchen.
5. Baking Soda Volcanoes
Materials:
Dishwashing liquid
Baking soda
Vinegar
Food coloring
Water
Playdough
Water
If the kids can’t be tricked with your imagination, you should prepare for the baking soda volcanoes. This is a classic science fair experiment that will appeal to grade-schoolers.
To do this, form the volcano using playdough. After that, you should mix water and food coloring before funneling it to the volcano. After that, drop the dish soap, baking soda, and vinegar to make the instant explosion.
Make sure that you have lots of paper towels ready for this as it can be really messy. Make sure that no one eats anything, too.
6. Water Xylophone
Materials:
Water
Food coloring (optional)
Wooden stick
Glass jars
If you don’t want to deal with the mess of chemical reaction, you can try the water xylophone. Simply fill the glass jars with water at different levels. The more water in it, the lower the sound will be.
For those who have the ear, you can fine-tune the glass-filled water to actual notes. From there, you can play simple tunes that will surely amaze young kids.
This experiment is fun and it also introduces sound waves to kids. It’s also very easy to do without the mess. Aside from that, you can use as many jars as you want if your child is really into it.
7. Static Electricity Butterflies
Materials:
Tissue paper
Balloon
Cardboard
Glue
Scissors
Pencil
Thick paper
The first step here is to make a butterfly using the craft supplies. The thick paper is for the body while the tissue paper is for the wings. After that, inflate the balloon and rub it on your kids’ hair.
Once the static has build-up, move the balloon close to the butterfly wings. This will cause the tissue wings to make a movement, which makes it look like flying.
This is a simple experiment without any of the messy liquids. To make this experiment more fun, you can create butterflies with different colors and designs. Just make sure that the wings are made of tissue so it will easily react to static.
Conclusion
These simple kid experiments at home are great pastimes for everyone. It also helps reduce your children’s screen time while learning something new. Just make sure that you observe proper caution to prevent any accidents.