| Gooey Slime
Get Totally Messy With Gooey SLIME!
Make simple cornflour slime
Suitable for kids aged 4+
You just need two main ingredients for this slime - too easy!
You Need:
Cornflour
Water
Food Colouring
Mixing Bowl and Spoon
What to... |
| Super Cold Bag
The Super Cold Bag
Watch a zip lock bag blow up and become super-cold from a chemical reaction. You’ll love this one!
Suitable for kids aged 4+
You Need:
Citric Acid
Baking Soda
Tap Water
Zip lock bag (15cm x 10cm)
Measuring cup
Plastic... |
| Simple Electromagnet
Make a Simple Electromagnet
Make a magnet that turns on and off with electricity
Suitable for kids aged 6+
CAUTION
Do not hold the wire on the battery for long periods without removing it. The wire and/or the battery terminal may get hot.
The nail is sharp, handle with... |
| Ice Cream In A Bag
Ice Cream In A Bag
Make delicious ice cream in a zip lock bag using just a few simple ingredients.
Suitable for kids aged 6+
You Need:
1 tablespoon of sugar
½ cup of milk
¼ teaspoon of vanilla essence
6 tablespoons of rock salt (or use regular table... |
| Yeast Balloon
Blow up a balloon with a chemical reaction
Have some yeast friends blow-up a balloon for you!
Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision
You Need:
1 packet of dry yeast
1 cup of warm water (almost hot)
tablespoon of sugar
1... |
| Tornado In A Bottle
Tornado In A Bottle
Tame the destructive force of a tornado by creating a mini one in a bottle. It's fun and easy!
Suitable for kids aged 4+
You Need:
Empty plastic bottle with lid. Any size, 500ml works well
Two drops of liquid detergent (clear... |
| Balloon Fun
Balloon Fun
Stick a balloon to the wall and watch your hair stand on end.
Suitable for kids aged 4+
You Need:
Balloon
Piece of fabric (wool works best)
What to do:
Blow-up and tie the balloon.
Rub it about 20 times with... |
| Erupting Volcano
Erupting Volcano Project
Use things from around the home to construct a volcano and make it erupt using a chemical reaction.
Suitable for kids aged 5+, with adult supervision
You Need (for structure):
What you need for this project will depend on how you... |
| Colourful Chemicals
Colourful Chemicals
Use cabbage water to change kitchen chemicals different colours.
Suitable for kids aged 4+ with parental supervision
CAUTION
The cabbage water must strictly be prepared by an adult as it involves the use of boiling water.
You Need:
... |
| Grow Crystals
Grow Crystals
Grow your own crystal icicle using baking soda and water in about a week
Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision
You Need:
Two glass jars
Two paper clips
A length of thick woolen thread
Baking soda
Shallow... |
| Popping Test Tube
Popping Test Tube
How many times can you make the stopper pop from the test tube?
Suitable for kids aged 7+, with adult supervision
CAUTION
The plastic stopper in the test tube is a projectile and must be aimed away from people and faces.
The alka seltzer tablet is a... |
| Propeller and Globe Circuit
Propeller and Globe Circuit
Can you get the propeller and globe working together?
Suitable for kids aged 7+, with adult supervision
CAUTION
The light globe is glass and misuse may cause it to break, resulting in sharp pieces that could cut skin. Use carefully.
Do not... |
| Lets Get Fizzy
Make fizz and foam using a chemical reaction
Compare two baking soda and vinegar chemical reactions (one with detergent, one without), and watch for salt crystal formation.
Suitable for kids aged 4+
NOTE
These reactions can overflow to make a little bit of a wet mess! But... |
| Hot Air Balloon
Make your own hot air balloon
There is something very cool about things that fly - this homemade hot air balloon is no exception.
Suitable for kids aged 8+ with parental supervision
You Need:
Garbage Bag
Duct Tape (or a plastic packing strip)
Hair... |
| In A Spin
In A Spin
Get a propeller to spin in two different directions – working like a propeller and a fan.
Suitable for kids aged 7+, with adult supervision
CAUTION
Do not put spinning propeller near people’s faces or hair. Hair could get tangled.
Do not hold the wire on... |
| Light It Up
Light It Up
Make an electrical circuit to light a bulb.
Suitable for kids aged 7+, with adult supervision
CAUTION
The light globe is glass and misuse may cause it to break, resulting in sharp pieces that could cut skin. Use carefully.
Do not hold the wire on the battery... |
| Static Magic
Static Magic
Use static electricity to make a magic wand.
Suitable for kids aged 4+
You Need:
Polystyrene ball
Plastic straw
Piece of fabric (wool works best)
What to do:
Wrap the piece of fabric around the plastic... |
| Sugar Landscape
Sugar Landscape
Use a sugar cube to explore how rain changes our landscape
Suitable for kids aged 4+
You Need:
Sugar cube
Eyedropper or pipette
Small plastic lid (or saucer) to sit the sugar cube on
What to do:
Practice... |
| Mini Worm Farm
Mini Worm Farm
Make a mini worm farm from things around the house
Suitable for kids aged 4+
You Need:
Empty 2-litre plastic bottle with lid, or 1-litre milk carton , or similar (transparent containers are best to view your worms)
Soil or potting... |
| Balancing Act
Balancing Act – Science Magic
Do the impossible – balance a can on its bottom rim and amaze your friends
Suitable for kids aged 6+
You Need:
Two empty 375ml cans
100mls of water approx
What to do:
Pour about 100mls... |
| Fizzy Sherbet Treat
Make a fizzy sherbet treat. So delicious, so easy!
Suitable for kids aged 4+
You Need:
1 teasppon of citric acid
1 teaspoon of baking soda
3 tablespoons of icing sugar
3 tablespoons of jelly crystals
What to... |
| Invisible Ink
Invisible Ink
No Secret Agent can go without invisible ink. This is a simple invisible ink recipe using lemons.
Suitable for kids aged 5+ (with adult supervision)
You Need:
Lemon Juice
Heat Source: direct sunlight or a light globe. Use... |
| Cool Coloured Milk
Cool Coloured Milk
Create an explosion of colour in a dish of milk!
Suitable for kids aged 3+ with parental supervision
You Need:
Milk
Dinner plate
Red, yellow, green and blue food colouring
Dishwashing liquid
Cotton swab
What... |
| Nappy Bag
Nappy Bag
How much water can a disposable nappy soak up? Find out with this experiment, and learn about the amazing world of superabsorbent polymers at the same time!
Suitable for kids aged 4+
You Need:
Zip lock bag
Small piece of a disposal... |
| Water Drop Magnifier
Water Drop Magnifier
It’s so simple to make your own mini magnifying glass. Here’s how.
Suitable for kids aged 4+
You Need:
Small square of fairly-rigid transparent plastic (You can cut-up a clear acetate sheet, or a transparency available from art... |
| Colour Change Carnations
Colour Change Carnations
See how water is absorbed into a plant by changing carnations cool colours.
Suitable for kids aged 4+ with parental supervision. Only adults should cut the flowers.
You Need:
6 x white carnation
6 x cups
Food... |
| Rubber Egg
Rubber Egg
Soak a hard-boiled egg in vinegar to transform it into a rubbery egg that can bounce like a ball
Suitable for kids aged 4+ with parental supervision
You Need:
Hard-boiled egg
Glass or jar, big enough to hold the egg
Vinegar... |
| Disappearing Ghost Crystals
Disappearing Ghost Crystals
Watch these hard crystals swell and grow into jelly-like pieces with water. Then amaze your friends when they disappear in water, or add some food colouring for cool effects. Welcome to the amazing world of superabsorbent polyemers!
Suitable for... |
| Lava Lamp
Make your own hypnotic lava lamp with oil and water and a secret ingredient that makes it fizz and bubble.
Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision.
CAUTION
Remember Alka-Seltzer tablets are a medicine, do not ingest. Read the packet instructions for more information.... |
| Model Tsunami
Cause a tsunami by erupting a canister full of bubbling gas underwater
Suitable for kids aged 10+ with parental supervision
CAUTION
The canister lid comes off with a lot of force, stand back and be careful to stay right out of its way.
You Need:
Empty... |
| Cartesian Diver
Make an age-old toy: The Cartesian Diver. It floats in a bottle filled with water, but when you squeeze the bottle, the diver mysteriously plunges to the bottom.
Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision.
You Need:
An empty soft drink bottle with... |
| Straw Rocket
Make this rocket quickly and easily out of drinking straws. Then blast it high into the air using air pressure. Fun and completely safe!
Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision.
You Need:
A drinking straw (preferably one that bends near the end)... |
| Ink Chromatography
Ink Chromatography – Is black really black?
Separate out all the colours that make up a black felt pen using a special technique called chromatography.
Suitable for kids aged 7+
You Need:
Filter or blotting paper (a coffee filter works well)... |
| Wax Photometer
Wax Photometer
Make your own translucent photometer out of paraffin wax that can read light and colour.
Suitable for kids aged 6+ with parental supervision
CAUTION
If you are unable to source your own paraffin wax blocks you will need to make your own. Wax blocks must... |
| Gas Candle Detection
Gas Flame Detection
Detect Carbon Dioxide gas with a candle flame. Will the flame get smaller, bigger, snuff out, change colour? How the flame behaves tells you the type of invisible gas present.
Suitable for kids aged 10+ with parental supervision
CAUTION
This experiment... |
| Make A Gelatin Disc
Make A Gelatin Disc
Best known for making jelly, gelatin is a fascinating substance that is used as a gelling agent not just in food, but in many other things. Here’s how to make your very own gelatin product that can be used in further experiments or in some very cool artwork.
Suitable... |
| Split Light To Make A Rainbow
Split light without a prism
Want to make a rainbow but don’t have a prism? Here’s a simple way to make one anytime the sun is shining. You’ll be beaming from ear-to-ear.
Suitable for kids aged 5 +
You Need:
Shallow dish
White wall (or large piece of... |
| Chocolate Leaves
Chocolate leaves
Make some stunning chocolate leaves as a novel and delicious way to learn about the changing states of matter.
Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision
CAUTION
This science activity involves the use of boiling water. Hot water must only be... |
| Glowing Water
Glowing Water
Make water glow eerily under a black light using the fluorescent dye found in highlighters. Glowing water can create some exciting special effects when used in fountains, or use it to transfer glow to bubbles, ice and slime.
Suitable for kids aged 8 + with parental... |
| Grow Bacteria On Homemade Agar Plates
Grow Bacteria On Homemade Agar Plates
Make your own agar Petri dishes and grow bacterial colonies. You’ll be amazed at the diversity of bacteria around us all the time.
Suitable for kids aged 8+ with parental supervision
CAUTION
This science activity involves the use of... |
| Chicken Sound Cup
Chicken Sound Cup
All you need is a piece of string and a plastic cup to make your own noisy, clucking chicken.
Suitable for kids aged 4+ with parental supervision
You Need:
Plastic cup
Piece of string (approximately 40cm long)
Sharp pencil... |
| Elephant Toothpaste
This COOL chemical reaction spews froth and foam everywhere. Just like a gigantic tube of toothpaste fit for an elephant.
Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision.
You Need:
An empty soft drink bottle (600mL size works best)
½ cup of 6% hydrogen... |
| Chip Bag Shrinkies
Chip Bag Shrinkies
Shrink your chip bags to less than half their size, then use them as a bookmark or keychain. Polymer chemistry fun!
Suitable for kids aged 10+ with parental supervision
CAUTION
This activity strictly requires supervision by an adult. It involves the... |
| Egg In A Bottle
Egg In A Bottle
This classic science demonstration never ceases to amaze. Get a hard-boiled egg through a small bottle neck opening and into the bottle without touching it. A great way to learn about air pressure.
Suitable for kids aged 10+ with parental supervision
CAUTION
This... |
| Floating Paper Clip
Floating Paper Clip
Paper clips sink in water, right!? Using a piece of paper towel and a steady you can get them to float. It’s all about the surface tension of the water. Try adding a drop of liquid detergent to upset the balance. Or floating the paper clips in different liquids. Lots... |
| Hairdryer Hover Ball
Hairdryer Hover Ball
Hairdryers are not only good for drying hair. Impress your friends and float a ping pong ball in mid-air for minutes.
Suitable for kids aged 7+ with parental supervision
CAUTION
This science activity should only be done under adult supervision as it... |
| Spinning Earth
Spinning Earth And Ocean Marble
Can you keep your ocean-marble on the spinning cardboard-earth for three whole rotations!? A fun way to model the spinning earth and learn about how spin effects weather.
Suitable for kids aged 6+ with parental supervision.
Young children... |
| Milk Plastc
Milk Plastic
Make plastic from milk easily using vinegar. Then mould your milk plastic into fun shapes!
Suitable for kids aged 6+ with parental supervision
CAUTION
This activity involves heating milk in a microwave or on a stove top, and requires adult supervision.
... |
| Make Your Own Fossils
Make Your Own Fossils
Fossils are the remains, impressions or traces of ancient animals or plants, which have been preserved in the earth’s crust for thousands of years. For a bit of fun, why not make your own fossils of treasures you find at the beach or in your garden? It’s easy to make... |
| Balloon Hovercraft
Balloon Hovercraft
Make your own simple hovercraft out of an old CD and a balloon. Then watch it glide over the floor on a cushion of air. Make a few and have some races with friends – which design outperforms them all?
Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision
... |
