Home Science Projects
Simple home sience projects you can do at home to demonstrate various scientific properties and foster a healthy intrest in science.
Showing children the wonders of science can be fun for you and your child. Who knows you might even rediscover the wonder in science you had as a child.
Start with a simple experiment, follow the scientific method and have fun. The following is a simple demonstration of energy transfer and the use of tools.
You will need:
a yard stick, or similar length board
an unopened can
2 coins of equal value
Balance the yardstick on the can like a teeter-totter. Place a coin on one end. Hold one ruler near the coin you have place on the yardstick, use the other ruler to measure the height from which you will drop the coin. Before you start don't forget to form your hypothosis about what will happen when you drop the coin from 6 inches on to the opposite end of the yardstick.
How about a chemistry experiment that won't stink up the house.
You will need as many of the following as you can
1 tablespoon of flour
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 tablespoon of baking soda
1 tablespoon of coffee creamer
a numbered container for each of the previous
pencil or pen
Without tasting can you tell what each container has in it. How can you find out? HINT: what happens when you add a measured amount of water, apply heat, are there color, texture, smell differences?
Biology without nausea, is always a good one.
You will need:
Seeds, an even number (corn, peas, beans being very good ones)
an even number of small plates or trays (meat trays work well)
Plastic wrap or plastic bags
Black construction paper
pen or pencil
Place two or three seeds on each tray. Cover half the trays with wet paper towels, half with dry paper towels. Place each tray in a plastic bag, or cover with plastic wrap. Match up one dry tray and one wet tray, place each set in a different location (a window, under a sink, on top of the refrigerator etc.) cover some of the trays with black paper, make sure that you cover some wet and some dry. After about a week take a look, which seeds germinated? Which didn't? Why?
Now using a razor blade (with adult supervision) cut a germinated seed apart, cut an ungerminated seed apart, how are they different? How are they the same?
Science also includes the study of weather, and weather includes knowledge of how evaporation and condensation work. A solar still is a perfect way to demonstrate this process.
You will need:
A large bowl
1 cup of water
a measuring cup (glass or plastic that you can see through is best)
Some small stones
A large piece of clear plastic big enough to cover your large bowl
Pen and Pencil
Place your large bowl in the sun. Put a cup of water in the bowl. Place the measuring cup in the center of the large bowl, weighted down with small pebbles if needed to keep it from tipping.
Cover the large bowl with your plastic wrap. Put a few pebbles on the plastic over the measuring cup and leave for a half hour or so (depending upon the amount of sunlight, and the temperature)
You should be able to see your own rainstorm, with out the clouds. How much water did you collect? How did it get from the big bowl to the measuring cup? What happens if you add dye to the water in the big bowl?
There are many exeriments you can do at home with little or no expense. Let your imagination roam, think and enjoy.