My six year old has been learning about Traditional Tales recently, so I've put together a collection of fairy tale science experiments that would sit brilliantly alongside this topic. The activities include Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Billy Goats Gruff and more.
I also have four easy FREE Fairy Tale STEM Challenge printable instruction sheets available.
Fairy Tale Science Experiments
Three Billy Goats Gruff Activities
Make a raft for the Billy Goats Gruff so they don't need to cross the bridge. We used lolly sticks to make a basic raft shape and added corks to the bottom of one, then tested to see if the rafts could support the weight of PlayMobil goats without sinking.
Billy Goat Gruff Extension Challenge
Build a bridge for the troll using different materials, such as paper, lolly sticks and thick cardboard.
Jack and the Beanstalk Science Experiments
Build a zip wire to help Jack down the beanstalk. Experiment with different gradients to find out how gradient affects speed.
After investigating how changing the gradient of the zip wire changes the speed Jack travels down it, try experimenting with different types of harnesses and different types of string for the zip wire.
A thicker, rougher string should mean Jack travels more slowly down the wire as there's more friction than when using a smooth wire.
Grow a bean in a jar. How tall will it grow without needing some support? This is a great activity for learning about the conditions needed for germination.
How about planting a bean and growing a beanstalk for Jack?
What happens if you grow a bean in the dark? This is a great plant science investigation to run over a period of days or weeks.
Make your own recycled beanstalk
Design and build a beanstalk with cardboard tubes or other recycled materials. Measure how tall it is once you're finished!
Goldilocks and the Three Bears Activities
For little ones, ask children to order bowls, beds and chairs in order of size, one for each bear.
For older children, you could monitor how much heat is lost from three different-sized bowls of porridge over a period of time using a food thermometer, Inspiration Laboratories has a great post on this.
We love this wooden spoon craft from Red Ted Art as well.
The Princess and the Pea
Make a mattress with different materials so the Princess can't feel the pea.
Cinderella Activities
Try some weighing and measuring with pumpkins.
Play an ordering game with shoes. Order by the size of the shoe, then the size of the heel. You could even sort by the type of material the shoes are made from.
Build a new carriage for Cinderella using a balloon as a pumpkin.
Hansel and Gretel Activities
Build a house made from sweets or chocolate as an investigation to find out which type of sweet gives the most stable shape.
Or how about making a gingerbread house? Try testing different types of icing to see which sticks the house together the best.
Peter Pan Activities
Can you fly tinkerbell down a zip wire?
Learn about state changes with these lovely melted bead fairy wands from The Artful Parent.
The Little Mermaid Activities
Ariel's cave of treasures is the perfect inspiration for sorting toys depending on the material they're made from.
Make some fun under the sea play dough like The Imagination Tree.
The Princess and the Frog
Learn about frog spawn and tadpoles with Rainy Day Mum.
The Three Little Pigs Experiments
Our Three Little Pigs science experiments are perfect for learning about lots of different science concepts. Test a stick, straw and brick roof to see which is the most windproof. We used the squeezy bottle to act like wind and placed tissue paper inside the house to see if the 'wind' reached it.
Red Ted Art has this brilliant three little pigs craft activity. Can you try to make the house from different materials to see which is the most stable?
Build a house for the three little pigs using sweets and straws. Which sweets work the best?
How about a version of this waterproof experiment where you blow with a straw instead of spraying with water?
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Explore symmetry with mirrors in this fun activity. Use a mirror to draw a symmetrical dwarf.
Little Red Riding Hood
Inspire some imaginative play with this gorgeous story box from The Imagination Tree.
Another idea is to create a map reading and problem-solving scene for children to work through.
The Gingerbread Man
Build a bridge to help The Gingerbread Man across the river. Or if you'd rather build him a raft, we've got a free Gingerbread Man activity download from Science Sparks - the book with many fun extension ideas too!
More Fairy Tale Science Experiment Ideas
A pulley for Rapunzel
Write secret messages for Hansel and Gretel using lemon juice or white crayon.
How strong is a gingerbread man
Princess potions
How to build a strong Beanstalk
Icy castles
Do you have any more ideas for fairy tale activities or science experiments for us??
If you didn't find quite what you were looking for, try one of our many other science experiments for kids, we have 100s!
Last Updated on February 29, 2024 by Emma Vanstone
maggy, red ted art says
What a fabulous topic for some Science fun!! Thanks so much for including some of our ideas 😉
Trisha says
I love this collection, Emma! Combining science and literacy is one of my favorite things.
Emma Vanstone says
Thanks Trisha 🙂
jeannine @ waddleeahchaa says
What a great list of hands-on activities! I like how you've integrated science into fairy tales. Recently, the kiddos designed and built and planted a fairy garden. That would fit in nicely with a fairy tale unit 🙂
Erin - The Usual Mayhem says
Emma, this may just be my favourite round-up science post of the year! I'm bookmarking this page so we can spend a week trying these experiments out. Thanks!
Emma Vanstone says
Thanks so much Erin!