Home-Based Scientific Investigations: Safe and Engaging Experiments to Conduct
Unleashing Brainpower: A Blast of Easy Science Fun for Kids
Craving a simple method to keep your little geniuses engaged at home? Look no further! We've rounded up five mesmerizing, sense-blowing science experiments you can whip up with ordinary household items.
Get ready to drop some knowledge, inspire curiosity, and give you a few "a-ha" moments too:
Experiment 1 - Orange Blastoff
First things first, something simple to tackle those taste buds. You'll just need two ingredients - oranges and baking soda! Cut your orange into delicious slices, and sprinkle half a teaspoon of baking soda onto a separate dish. Pop an orange slice into the baking soda and enjoy the amazing sensation as fizziness takes over your taste buds! Combining acids and bases can create exciting chemistry! The citric acid from the orange reacts with the baking soda, producing millions of carbon dioxide bubbles - the same stuff that makes soda fizzy.
Experiment 2 - The Walking Water Line
Learn the magic behind capillary action with six cups, water, colored food dyes, and paper towels. Fill three cups halfway with water, one with red food coloring, one with blue, and one with yellow. Alternate the clear and colored cups when layering them up, then use folded paper towels to join the cups. Watch as the colored water marches across the bridges, entering the clear cups, creating a beautiful rainbow effect. The sticky force between the paper towel and water is stronger than the inner water forces, causing the paper towel to capture the water!
Experiment 3 - Stick Figure Enigma
Can your kids draw stick figures? Well, can they make one float? All you'll need for this is a whiteboard marker and a flat, glass dish. Draw your stick figure (or any design you prefer) so that the lines connect. Cover your drawing with water and watch as it comes to life! Want to make it dance? Blow on your masterpiece, and it'll move! The insoluble ink particles are unable to be dissolved in the water, making them float and slide off the surface when wet.
Experiment 4 - The Leak-Proof Bag
Ready to feel like a magician? Gather a zip-top bag, sharpened pencils, and water. Fill the bag with water and close it securely. Pierce the bag with pencils to create multiple holes, but don't worry - the water won't spill out! The bag's flexible plastic polymer molecules tighten around the pencil, forming a seal and preventing any leaks.
Experiment 5 - Lava Lamp Lore
Did you know aspirin can create your very own lava lamp? Fill a receptacle (such as a 600ml water bottle) one-third with water and two-thirds with vegetable oil. Add ten drops of food coloring and half an aspirin tablet. Seal the container, and say hello to your mini lava lamp as the mesmerizing whirlpool swirls! Because oil and water are different densities and polarity, the water sinks to the bottom. When you add the aspirin, it reacts with the water and creates tiny air bubbles that rise to the top and slowly sink back down, creating that brilliant, lava-like effect.
Craving more science on your plate?
Grab your lab coats and goggles! National Science Week is the perfect time to indulge in a cornucopia of science-fueled fun both online and in person! Workshops and events featuring robotics, coding, earth exploration, and so much more are running across the country from August 14-22. Don't miss Scienceworks' robotics and coding workshop, Planetarium Nights, and their Earth series, CSIRO's ocean challenge, and Questacon's kefir-making competition! Take a virtual tour of the Yakult factory, listen to exciting discussions about Australia's rock art dating techniques, and learn about animal diets during live streams from Taronga Zoo.
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These inspiring experiments are not only fun for kids but also a great way to learn about science at home. Taking advantage of National Science Week, one can dive deeper into scientific concepts through online workshops and events focused on robotics, coding, and more. (education-and-self-development, online-education, learning)
Integrating science into daily activities offers an engaging and exciting way to keep children's curiosity alive, from making a walking water line to creating a DIY lava lamp using household items. (science, learning)
