Here at Science Sparks we LOVE a good science fair project but appreciate that not everyone feels the same way, so here are a few amazing ( and easy ) science fair project ideas to give you some inspiration.
Science Fair Top Tips
Let your child choose a science project that interests them, I find my children are much happier to get stuck into a project that they have chosen rather than something I think they should do. Obviously if they choose something too difficult you might have suggest bringing things down a level. A good starting point is to narrow it down to a selection of five you think would work for both of you and allow the child to make the final decision.
If you have a child who thinks they don’t like science and just isn’t enthusiastic, try to combine science with something they do love. For example, there are lots of brilliant art and science projects around. Or if you have a child who likes to build things, try one of our engineering projects. Books and stories can be a great source of inspiration too. We’ve got lots of story themed science activities for inspiration.
Try not to take over. I am terrible for interfering too much, but I’m really trying to take a step back and be the helper rather than the leader.
Messy Science Fair Projects
Slime Investigation Ideas
Why is slime slimy?
Find out why slimy has the properties that make it fun with a slime investigation using our easy slime recipe.
How can I make clear slime?
Make a batch of slime using opaque glue and one with transparent glue and compare the two. Slime made using soluble fibre is another variation you could try.
Can I make slime without glue?
YES! This slime recipe using Guar Gum looks great!
We have three borax and glue free slime recipes you could try too.
What’s the science behind slime?
Glue flows because the polymer chains slide over each other. When you make slime with glue and saline solution ( which contains boric acid ) the boric acid in the saline solution reacts with baking soda to form borate ions which form bonds between the polymer chains of the glue. This is called cross linking and is what makes the slime mixture stick together, making it slimy!!
Make a soda dispenser
This AWESOME soda dispenser idea is from from Steve Spangler and uses the good old mento and soda trick where you drop a mento into a bottle of coke and watch it fizz. You could use the activity to investigate how different types of sodas have different levels of reaction, and challenge yourself to see how many cups you can fill.
If you’d rather a less messy drinks dispenser, we have a version that uses air pressure to dispense the drink and can be used over and over again.
Erupt a volcano with baking soda and vinegar
Learn about chemical reactions with a baking soda volcano. Experiment to find the perfect combination of vinegar, baking soda and washing up liquid ( dish soap ) to make the most realistic looking lava. Does thicker lava flow more slowly?
You could make a volcano from papier mache, modroc, sand or snow! Try making different colours, sizes and shapes.
Babble Dabble Do has an amazing lemon volcano that we bet will smell amazing too!
Red Ted Art has a brilliant erupting papier mache volcano too!
Weather Science Fair Projects
Track changes to the weather over a period of time by making a barometer to measure air pressure, a rain gauge to measure rain, a pinecone weather station and other fun weather science activities.
Weather based investigations are great if you have a period of weeks or months to track changes and a perfect for learning to record and display data. We love weather science!
Food Science Fair Projects
Why does fresh pineapple stop jelly setting?
Try some kitchen science and investigate why fresh pineapple stops jelly setting. You might find some other fruits have the same effect…
Edible Life Cycles
Create a series of edible life cycles. This butterfly life cycle is a great example to get you started.
Investigate tooth decay with egg shells
Egg shells are the perfect material for investigating the effect of different substances on teeth. Coffee, vinegar and fizzy drinks are great things to try first.
Density Science Fair Projects
A density jar makes for a wonderfully visual science demonstration. See how many layers you can float on to of each other and try to find an object to float on each layer.
You could even try a little science magic trick. Although this can get messy so be careful.
Osmosis Projects for a Science Fair
Osmosis always sounds like a really tricky subject, but actually it’s pretty simple. You can use eggs with no shell to demonstrate easily.
Use eggs to investigate osmosis and diffusion.This simple, low cost activity is great for explaining quite complex processes and very visual as well.
The photo below shows how water has moved into one egg ( with the shell removed ) and out of the other.
Make a Scribble Bot
A Scribble or Art bot is a fantastic creative science fair project. Try changing the position of the pens and size of spinner to change the effect.
If you didn’t quite find what you were looking for, try one of our other easy science experiments for kids
If you’re looking for an inexpensive prize for a science fair, how about one of our science books?
A soda dispenser as a science fair project sounds about perfect. I could use one at home too. lol
I always wondered why the kids loved slime now i know why after making some with them after the recipe you included, in your lovely blog, now i know exactly why.
thanks for the info
Love these! We did the volcano one and it was fab! Thank you 🙂