Kids Science

DIY Science Fun with 365 Weird Wonderful Science Experiments by Elizabeth Snoke Harris

365 Weird & Wonderful Science Experiments: An experiment for every day of the year

365 Weird & Wonderful Science Experiments: An experiment for every day of the year

Paperback $19.95

365 Weird & Wonderful Science Experiments: An experiment for every day of the year

By Elizabeth Snoke Harris

Paperback $19.95

I always look forward to science fair season, until it’s the week of the fair and I have to goad the kids through experiments that require esoteric materials and a lot of adult help. If your kids love science, and you love it when they can entertain themselves, check out 365 Weird Wonderful Science Experiments by Elizabeth Snoke Harris. This book contains many fun experiments, with easy-to-follow instructions. Most of the materials are simple to find at home, and kids can complete most of the experiments by themselves. Here are six fun experiments to try: 

I always look forward to science fair season, until it’s the week of the fair and I have to goad the kids through experiments that require esoteric materials and a lot of adult help. If your kids love science, and you love it when they can entertain themselves, check out 365 Weird Wonderful Science Experiments by Elizabeth Snoke Harris. This book contains many fun experiments, with easy-to-follow instructions. Most of the materials are simple to find at home, and kids can complete most of the experiments by themselves. Here are six fun experiments to try: 

1) Homemade Hovercraft
I know this project is a kid pleaser because both my kids have come home from science camps enthused about making these. All you need is a CD, a balloon, a pop-top bottle top (such as those on dish soap), and some glue, and you can create an air-fueled vehicle that skims above the ground. 

2) Underwater Volcano
The perennial star of elementary school science fairs is the vinegar and baking soda explosion volcano. If you’ve already done that one a few times but your kids can’t get enough volcano action, Harris proposes making an underwater lava explosion using a glass measuring cup, a small candle embedded in sand and covered with water that you heat on the stove top. Watch the wax bubble and flow just like magma from an underwater volcano. (This project requires parental supervision.) 

3) Holiday Light Circuits
If your kids are interested in electronics, you don’t have to buy them an expensive circuit set to start their investigations. This experiment requires just a strand of holiday lights, a D battery, and electrical tape, and teaches kids how to make parallel and series circuits. It will also help them understand how a whole string of lights can go dark when one bulb breaks. 

4) Oil Spill Cleanup
Some science fair judges give bonus points for real world applications. This project, which requires vegetable oil, dish soap, and a few other common household items, teaches kids just how difficult it is to clean up an oil spill in the ocean. They will learn about different methods for cleaning oil, from absorbing it to dispersing it with soap. 

5) Elephant Toothpaste
When my son hears the word explosion, he comes running. This project mixes hydrogen peroxide with yeast and dish soap, prompting a pleasing bubble burst through a soda bottle. (Be sure to put the bottle in a plastic bin to catch the overflow!) 

6) Indoor Rainbow
This classic experiment teaches kids about the spectrum with nothing more than a bowl of water, a mirror, a flashlight, and white paper. Kids can make their own rainbows inside, no matter what the weather is like outside. 

 What science experiments do you love doing at home?