This very simple STEM challenge is a great way to find out why arches are such an important structural shape. Bridges often have arches to make them stronger and more stable. The arch shape allows any load on the bridge to be spread outwards along the curve of the arch. Pont du Gard is a…
Here at Science Sparks we believe you’re never too young to develop a passion for science, engineering and learning and so have pulled together a collection of simple engineering projects for kids to inspire even the youngest potential engineer. Did you know the word ‘engine’ comes from the Latin ingenium which means clever? Engineering is all…
This simple investigation is great for learning about stretchy materials. The challenge is to find a material that stretches easily and also returns to its original size. Don’t forget to check out my other ideas for learning about materials and their properties too, including sorting objects from Ariel’s cave, creating a superhero cape and saving…
This viscosity experiment is a fun way to discover how different liquids flow. Or just to have a race with ketchup and other kitchen ingredients! The rate at which different fluids flow can vary considerably, this is called resistance to flowing viscosity. We did this on a big board in the garden, but it works…
The recent mini heatwave in the UK meant we needed some serious help cooling down, so we had another go at making homemade slushy drinks! To make a slushy drink, you need to partially freeze a delicious fruity liquid. This can be fruit juice, smoothie, flavoured milk or anything else you enjoy the taste of….
These fun music science experiments for kids are all about making sounds, how we hear sounds, pitch and music! Set up a speaker, a drum, and rice first to see sound in action, then make a drum, rainstick, guitar and lots more easy music science activities. Making and testing musical instruments is a great hands-on…
Why does salt melt ice? We’ve experimented with ice and salt before and found that salt does make ice melt faster, but do you know why? Salt lowers the freezing point of water which sounds complicated but actually makes a lot of sense once you try it out! The photo above is just a block…
Looking for a fun and educational activity for your kids? Making circuits with playdough is one of the best. Kids get to learn about electricity and circuits, while creating their own sculptures that light up. These mini light-up pumpkins are a fun idea for a Halloween science activity. What do you think? The idea of…
This is a fun activity I’ve done with a group of Year 1 children this week as part of their Materials topic to investigate whether wood is waterproof. We talked about the materials we tested being waterproof or not and if they were absorbent or not. Is wood waterproof? Materials LEGO house with no roof Materials…
I’ve gone a bit ice crazy this week, and my freezer is full of all kinds of weird and wonderful creations, which I’ll be showing you soon. First up is this block that I froze with straws inside. After letting it melt for a while, we removed the straws and poured coloured water through, so we…
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