These mini science challenge bags are a great party favour, class reward, homework challenge or something to keep children busy if they finish their school work early. They can be filled with an almost endless variety of inexpensive materials and used over and over again.

I’ve put together a few ideas to start with and will keep adding more, so do pop back.

Science Challenge Bags

Write a secret message

This bag contains white card and a selection of coloured crayons including white. The idea is that the children write a message using the white crayon ( they’ll need to press down hard ) and ask a friend to reveal the message by rubbing a different colour over the top.

Small plastic bag containing squares of white card and coloured crayons including white for a secret message science challenge

Build a tower

This bag contains small plastic cups and strips of cardboard for building towers.

Challenge ideas

Build a tower wider at the top than the bottom.

Design a tower that is at least five layers of cups tall.

white plastic bag with small cups and cardboard strips inside for a science challenge

Build a tower challenge using small plastic cups and strips of cardboard

Build a tower with straws and plasticine

This tower is a bit trickier to build than the cup tower. Children need to mould the plasticine into small balls and stick the straws into them to make a shape.

Extra challenges

Make 3D shapes

Science Challenge - build a tower with straws and plasticine

Create a Skeleton

Create a skeleton using black card and ear buds.

Extra Challenge

Draw a skeleton with chalk.

Find out and label the names of the bones.

Static Electricity Balloon

The idea is that once the balloon is blown up, it can be rubbed on hair or a jumper and become charged with static electricity. If held near the tissue paper the paper will jump up and stick to the balloon.

Extra Challenges

Try different types of paper and shapes, do they still stick to the balloon?

Plastic bag contains a balloon and pieces of tissue paper for a science challenge

Density Bottle

The bottle contains coloured water and vegetable oil. The oil and water will always separate if the bottle is shaken as oil and water don’t mix.

Extra Challenge

Find small objects to float on each layer.

Small density jar made from coloured water and vegetable oil in a plastic bottle for a science challenge

Pipe Cleaner Challenge

The idea here is that children construct a pipe cleaner figure that will stand up without support.

Extra challenge

If it’s a sunny day, draw the shadow of the figure with chalk outside.

shadow figure made with two pipe cleaners. The figure is stood up outside on a patio and the shadow is clearly visible

small plastic bag containing pipe cleaners for a science challenge

8. Make a Paper Spinner

Paper spinners are super simple and perfect for starting to think scientifically. Children can try making bigger and smaller spinners and add different amounts of weight to the bottom to see how that effects the speed of descent.