Science is everything. It’s you and me and how we work; it’s plants and animals, and the bright blue sky above. That being said, it’s actually impossible to hate science. But still, people will tell that science is a subject they do not like. This is likely because they had a bad experience as a kid, where a teacher made them feel like science was filled with long lectures and boring memorization of hard to remember terms.
In truth, science is far from boring; it’s the answers to the everyday questions that keep us up at night. From an early age children should be taught to love science, or rather to love questioning the greater world around them. Your child may not grow up to be a scientist, chances are they will have a different career, but no matter where life takes them they will need the logic of science to analyze and assess the world around them.
You can help get your kids get excited about science by conducting easy at home science experiments. Not only does this grant you important time with your children, but it is also a great way to teach your kids new things while simultaneously having fun. Here we detail 3 easy science experiments you can try in your own home for an educational good time.
Easy At Home Science Experiment #1: Make Your Own Volcano
Show your child a video of a volcano on Youtube and chances are they are going to be interested, especially when you tell them they can recreate their own volcano! Start off explaining a thing or two about volcanic eruptions, what they are, why they occur. Then, make the powerful eruption come to life by creating your own volcano with your kid(s) at home.
What You Will Need:
- Paper mache, clay, dirt, or plaster to construct the volcano
- A small container that measures about the same size as a 35mm of film comes in.
- Red and yellow food coloring
- Vinegar
- Liquid dish soap
How To Make Your Volcano:
- You can sculpt the actual volcano using paper mache or plaster, which is a fun process in itself. For quicker results, you can also use clay or dirt from outside to construct your volcano.
- Clear off an area to conduct the experiment. You might want to do it outside, or else it might make a mess.
- Place your small 35mm container at the bottom of the volcano.
- Add two scoops of baking soda and 5 drops from each food coloring.
- To make the eruption take place, add one ounce of vinegar into the container, and boom, the volcano erupts!
This classic experiment exemplifies how a chemical reaction causes the physical appearance of the volcano. You can also make this into an experiment by providing the following questions:
- Does the amount of vinegar you pour inside change how fast the ‘lava’ flows?
- What could you add to the ‘lava’ in order to make it flow slower, and more like a real volcano?
- What combination of baking soda and vinegar sparks the greatest eruption?
Easy At Home Science Experiment #2: The Magic Of Glow In The Dark
Things that glow in the dark are so much fun for kids. This experiment allows you to have endless fun playing with glow in the dark. Your kids can make their hands glow, artwork glow, basically anything that can be coated in petroleum jelly will glow.
What You Will Need:
- One black light
- Jar of petroleum jelly
- Paper
- Latex gloves (optional)
How To Start Glowing In The Dark:
-Decorate your hands, with or without latex gloves, in petroleum jelly. Or, use the petroleum jelly to draw something onto paper.
-Turn off the lights, and hold up the black light, anything coated in petroleum jelly will glow in the dark.
There are other things around your house that will also glow in the dark when exposed under a black light, such as a white t-shirt, and $20 bills printed after 2003.
We cannot see the spectrum of light given off by a black light because it is not on the same color spectrum our eyes are programed to see. “Most of the time when we look at an object, we see light reflected from the surface of the object. But with a black light, there isn’t much visible light, so simple reflection of light doesn’t account for how bright the jelly glows. Petroleum jelly contains substances called phosphors. A phosphor absorbs radiation and emits it as visible light. So the phosphors in the jelly are absorbing the invisible ultraviolet radiation from the black light and emitting visible light.” (Read more)
Easy At Home Science Experiment #3: The Science Of Floating Eggs
If you drop an egg in a normal cup of water it is going to sink straight to the bottom, but if you simply add some salt the results change. The results are fun for kids to witness and explore, plus it’s the perfect opportunity to show kids a thing or two about density.
What You Will Need:
- One egg
- One tall glass filled with water
- Salt
How To Make An Egg Float:
- Pour fresh water into a glass, about half-full
- Stir in at least 6 tablespoons of salt
- Fill the remaining portion of the glass nearly to the top with fresh water. Make sure the top layer of fresh water does not mix with the salt water.
- Gently place the egg inside of the water and watch what happens!
The egg will fall straight through the fresh water and then float when it reaches the layer of salt water. When you add salt to water it becomes much more dense, meaning an object is much more likely to float.
These 3 fun science experiments will provide hours of fun and learning for you and your child.
At ABC Learning we make it a priority to create fun, interactive experiments and games that promote learning of all types, from the sciences to the arts. We are currently enrolling for children 12-months to 5-years, contact us today to learn more.