Kids do not want to do the same old boring science experiments. They want to do something exciting and new. Here are five projects that will keep your kids engaged, excited, and proud to participate in the science fair, or even excited about science as you homeschool year round.
Creepy Science
How about adding a little bit of creepiness to your child’s experiment? Graveyards have an eerie effect on people and create an opportunity for your child’s project to gain some additional attention.
• Take your child to visit several new and historic graveyards.
• While there, have your child choose a test sample of graves to record lifespan data from and repeat at each cemetery.
• After all the data is collected, help your child create charts that will show the information obtained from each location.
• Dress your child’s presentation board up in a haunting way for dramatic effect. Use photos of grave makers or actual rubbings of headstones.
Full Of Flavor
Do you have a sweet tooth? If so, try a bubble gum inspired project. Make it a competition between sugar and sugar-free varieties.
• Find your favorite gum and start chewing.
• Stick the chewed gum to objects of different weights and surfaces and record the data.
• Use different variables such as temperature, materials and time chewed for a thorough project.
A Close Look
Does your child have an eye for details? Let him or her do a Mario Bros. themed experiment and collect mushrooms. Pick up a microscope and let your child magnify fungi for their project.
• Collect a series of fresh mushrooms from nearby parks.
• Cut the mushrooms and let them sit on card stock overnight.
• The next day reveal the new spore colonies and show the rate in which fungi spread.
• Theme your project board for style
In The Sky
Does your child like to construct things? Have him or her build a rocket. With a few skills and household items, this project will be a thrill.
• You will need an empty teabag, a heat source, and a non-flammable surface as launch pad.
• Cut the bag into a cylinder shape and light it from the top on a fire resistant surface.
• Watch the bag defy gravity and start to take off.
Storm Maker
Do you want to take the science fair by storm? Become a master of the wind and create hurricanes indoors with household items.
• Insert a paperclip and peanuts into a two-liter bottle and fill it with water.
•Attach another bottle to form an hourglass design and flip the bottles.
•The air from the empty bottle will rush into the water-filled bottle to supercharge the water flow and create the hurricane.
