20 Summer Science Experiments for Kids

The summer holidays are a great time to get outdoors and try some science experiments and investigations. I’ve chosen some of my favourite summer science experiments to keep the kids busy all summer long!

Science experiments are great for improving critical thinking, teamwork, communication and stimulating creativity. Science experiments in summer can be used to cool off on a hot day and keep kids active and entertained throughout the school holidays.

I also have ideas for a three week summer science camp if you need even more inspiration!

Summer Science Experiments

Ice painting

Freeze a sheet of ice and try painting on ice. This is a great activity for learning about changes of state, or just a fun art project!

3D ice sculptures are also fun to paint as an alternative to a flat tray.

Grow a Grass Head

Create crazy hair styles with Red Ted Art’s cool grass heads, or how about a cool cress head? Cress grows quickly, so it is great for science experiments and crafts. Kids will be amazed at how fast the cress grows!

Dig for Dinosaur Eggs

Go digging for dinosaur eggs with Rainy Day Mum or create a fossil excavation sand play area.

Make S’mores!

Make S’mores with an easy solar oven. You need a very sunny day for this to work, and it might take a while, but squishing the melted marshmallows between two biscuits is worth the wait!

Make a slushy drink

Sticking with the ice theme, try making your own slushy drinks. What colours can you make? We like to freeze ice cubes of different coloured juices and then watch the colours mix as they melt.

How to make a sun print

Creative Family Fun has some amazing sun prints. You can also try this using different types of paper instead of the coins to see if some let more light through than others.

Giant bubbles

Giant bubbles are ALWAYS fun. Experiment with different bubble mixtures ( try adding cornflour and/or glycerin ) to create the perfect recipe. Children should be able to find rainbows in the bubbles, too!

Make a volcano

A reusable volcano is another fun summer project. Volcanoes can be a bit messy, so they’re perfect for the garden, and we love that you can erupt this one over and over again, thanks to a cling film covering.

Frozen Jelly

We love the look of this frozen jelly activity from The Imagination Tree. I bet it feels amazing.

Launch a Film Canister Rocket

Try a film canister rocket. What happens if you add some extra weight? Can you try launching with Alka Seltzer, baking soda and vinegar and an effervescent vitamin tablet to see which is the best rocket fuel?

Fizzy paint

Make some fizzy paint. It’s a bit messy, but it’s great fun.

Design and build a water wall

Can you construct a colour mixing water wall? Or any kind of water wall?

More summer science ideas

Inspiration Laboratories has some great outdoor science activity ideas. We especially love the scavenger hunt.

How about making these lovely chalk ice paints from Learn-Play-Imagine?

This backyard tightrope walk looks amazing, courtesy of the Kids Activities blog. Can you try it with different rope materials? Which are the easiest to traverse?

If you’ve got the paddling pool out, try one of my easy paddling pool science ideas!

There are some great summer science for toddlers ideas over on Inspiration Laboratories, too!

Mama Smiles has some fantastic sun melted upcycled crayons.

Try some weather science, a mini water cycle is always fun.

What are your favourite science experiments for Summer?

Even more summer science experiments for kids

These 10 outdoor summer science experiments include learning about splatter patterns and painting with syringes.

Or, if a STEM Challenge is more up your alley, we’ve got plenty of summer STEM challenges, too, including free printable challenges!

Last Updated on June 19, 2025 by Emma Vanstone