When I asked parents what put them off doing science experiments at home, one of the reasons was the mess, which, after many a gloop covered kitchen floor, I can definitely empathise with. So today, I’m sharing fun outdoor science experiments that make it much easier to clean up afterwards.
Awesome Outdoor Science Experiments for Kids
Splatter patterns
This one is messy wherever you do it, but we loved making these splatter patterns so much that I had to include them. If you don’t want to use paint, water works too.
Outdoor rocket projects
DIY rockets are a great outdoor science activity. Water powered bottle rockets are a little tricky to set up, but fly very high, so make sure you have a big space available.
If you’ve got some old film canisters hanging around, film canister rockets are easy to make and fly up impressively high!
Tree and plant science activities
Grow flowers or vegetables in the garden. This is a great activity for learning about the conditions plants need to grow and identifying different types of plants.
Use some clever maths to find out how tall a tree is without measuring it.
Discover how to use a pinecone to predict the weather.
Weather science activities
The changing weather is a great concept for exploring outside. Red Ted Art has a great pinwheel that can be used to investigate how wind speed changes throughout the day.
Make a wind vane to monitor the direction of the wind, a rain gauge to measure rainfall or try one of my other weather themed science activities.
Sand science activities
Experiment with different combinations of sand and water to find the perfect sandcastle recipe.
An erupting sand volcano is a fantastic summer science activity and can be used over and over again.
Water based science activities
If it’s warm enough to get a paddling pool out, try one of my paddling pool science activities. These include racing mini boats, a sink or float investigation and learning about the Archimedes principle.
Science for a hot day
Rainy Day Mum has a great ice cream soup activity that is perfect for cooling down in the summer sun.
Find out about the cooling power of ice and salt by making a 5 minute slushy drink.
Messy outdoor science activities
Oobleck is a great outdoor science activity, as it can get very messy! It is a lovely, smooth goo or slime that feels solid when you squeeze it and then turns back into a liquid when the pressure is released.
A mini exploration station with baking soda, water, food colouring and vinegar is a great way to encourage children to experiment with different materials.
Clean up muddy water with a homemade water filter.
Giant bubbles are always fun! Kids can experiment with different bubble recipes to find the one that makes the biggest strongest bubbles.
Outdoor games
Inspiration Laboratories has a great outdoor sound hunt.
If you want to get outside and have fun, try one of these fun outdoor games from Mummy…Mummy..MUM!! We especially like the pooh sticks idea!
Use my FREE minibeast hunt sheet, and go hunting for bugs.
Or, get out on scooters any time of the year with these fun homemade scooter and bike lanterns from Imagination Tree.
Which is your favourite outdoor science experiment?
More outdoor science for kids
Try one of my 50 summer science activity ideas.
Last Updated on June 10, 2024 by Emma Vanstone
We need to try filtering water. It looks like fun!