Is Science a new subject for your child at school? Some children may be intimidated by it at first, but it’s very easy to fix that. The trick is to show kids how fun it is!
A big part of that is showing them that it’s not confined to the classroom. This takes away a lot of the intimidation by making it approachable and relevant – an everyday, normal experience, as it were.
So, how do you show your child that Science is always part of the world around them? Home experiments offer the answer!
These simple, fun activities can not only introduce your child to scientific concepts but also build their love for the subject. If you don’t know what science experiments for kids to start with, we’ll help you out today. Below are 4 DIY science experiments for kids aged 8-10!
What it teaches them: The chief point here is to show kids what an acid-base reaction looks like. Ask kids how the chemicals react to each other as well as how shapes affect the way travels down an incline. Chemistry and physics in one go!
Materials:
Steps:
It’s best to do this outside because it can be messy. If doing it indoors, lay down newspaper or other covers on the surface first.
Next, help your child form a volcano out of your chosen material. Ensure there’s a central caldera wide and deep enough to hold the pill bottle. Stick the bottle in there.
Put teaspoons of baking soda in the pill bottle. Add a teaspoon of dish soap, followed by about 6 drops of the red food colouring.
Now fill the syringe with vinegar and let your child put that in the pill bottle. Eruption!
What it teaches them: This is one of the quick science experiments at home that you can usually put together with barely any preparation. Here, kids can see the physical effects of molecules bonding to each other as the dish soap bonds to the milk’s fats and proteins. This agitation is what causes the movement in the milk, made visible by the food colouring.
Materials:
Steps:
Pour enough milk into the dish to conceal the bottom of it. Next, invite your child to put drops of food colouring all over the milk, perhaps in a nice dotted pattern.
After that, let your child dip a cotton swab they’ve coated in dishwashing soap in the dish. Watch the colours move around as the soap molecules rush to bond to the fat molecules.
Note that as long as there are unbonded fat molecules in there, the reaction will keep happening. Try testing it with different types of milk with different fat content levels for comparison and ask kids to make predictions based on previous tests!
What it teaches them: Use this experiment to introduce kids to the idea of magnetism. Later, you can even take them through the items in your home that use magnets, from your fridge door magnets to speakers.
Materials:
Steps:
Holding the needle in one hand and the magnet in the other, stroke the magnet down the side of the needle and towards the end 50 times. Make sure you don’t flip either the magnet or needle while doing this.
Now, flip the needle and the magnet and repeat the steps using the opposite side of the magnet and the end of the needle you were previously holding.
This part is best done by an adult for safety: use the pliers to push the needle through the middle of the cork cross-section. Note that it shouldn’t go in the circular face of the cork but rather the side. Ensure it’s centred and both needle ends are sticking out.
Put the cork in the bowl of water and watch it point north!
What it teaches them: Density or the amount of mass in an object can vary even when objects seem to be the same size, as this experiment demonstrates. It’s also a good start on explaining how and why people can float in bodies of water like pools. Ask kids to try and predict other items or liquids that may float in or sink below water.
Materials:
Steps:
Pour each of the liquids into the glass one by one. You should be able to see them settle at different layers or levels in the glass due to their different densities, with the densest or heaviest liquids being the ones that go to the bottom of the glass.
Now invite your child to try adding some of the small items to the glass. Some items may pass through one layer only to float at the top of another, lower layer. Some may pass all the way through and go to the bottom of the glass, showing their differing densities again!
These science experiments should show that Science is an exciting subject with many tangents to explore, from Biology to Chemistry. It is absolutely a subject your child can learn to enjoy!
If you want more guidance in the subject that keeps it interesting and engaging for your child, take a look at our programmes at Aspire Hub. Our Science classes can build a strong foundation in it while nurturing genuine interest in learners. Enquire now!
Is Science a new subject for your child at school? Some children may be intimidated by it at first, but it’s very easy to fix that. The trick is to show kids how fun it is!
A big part of that is showing them that it’s not confined to the classroom. This takes away a lot of the intimidation by making it approachable and relevant – an everyday, normal experience, as it were.
So, how do you show your child that Science is always part of the world around them? Home experiments offer the answer!
These simple, fun activities can not only introduce your child to scientific concepts but also build their love for the subject. If you don’t know what science experiments for kids to start with, we’ll help you out today. Below are 4 DIY science experiments for kids aged 8-10!
What it teaches them: The chief point here is to show kids what an acid-base reaction looks like. Ask kids how the chemicals react to each other as well as how shapes affect the way travels down an incline. Chemistry and physics in one go!
Materials:
Steps:
It’s best to do this outside because it can be messy. If doing it indoors, lay down newspaper or other covers on the surface first.
Next, help your child form a volcano out of your chosen material. Ensure there’s a central caldera wide and deep enough to hold the pill bottle. Stick the bottle in there.
Put teaspoons of baking soda in the pill bottle. Add a teaspoon of dish soap, followed by about 6 drops of the red food colouring.
Now fill the syringe with vinegar and let your child put that in the pill bottle. Eruption!
What it teaches them: This is one of the quick science experiments at home that you can usually put together with barely any preparation. Here, kids can see the physical effects of molecules bonding to each other as the dish soap bonds to the milk’s fats and proteins. This agitation is what causes the movement in the milk, made visible by the food colouring.
Materials:
Steps:
Pour enough milk into the dish to conceal the bottom of it. Next, invite your child to put drops of food colouring all over the milk, perhaps in a nice dotted pattern.
After that, let your child dip a cotton swab they’ve coated in dishwashing soap in the dish. Watch the colours move around as the soap molecules rush to bond to the fat molecules.
Note that as long as there are unbonded fat molecules in there, the reaction will keep happening. Try testing it with different types of milk with different fat content levels for comparison and ask kids to make predictions based on previous tests!
What it teaches them: Use this experiment to introduce kids to the idea of magnetism. Later, you can even take them through the items in your home that use magnets, from your fridge door magnets to speakers.
Materials:
Steps:
Holding the needle in one hand and the magnet in the other, stroke the magnet down the side of the needle and towards the end 50 times. Make sure you don’t flip either the magnet or needle while doing this.
Now, flip the needle and the magnet and repeat the steps using the opposite side of the magnet and the end of the needle you were previously holding.
This part is best done by an adult for safety: use the pliers to push the needle through the middle of the cork cross-section. Note that it shouldn’t go in the circular face of the cork but rather the side. Ensure it’s centred and both needle ends are sticking out.
Put the cork in the bowl of water and watch it point north!
What it teaches them: Density or the amount of mass in an object can vary even when objects seem to be the same size, as this experiment demonstrates. It’s also a good start on explaining how and why people can float in bodies of water like pools. Ask kids to try and predict other items or liquids that may float in or sink below water.
Materials:
Steps:
Pour each of the liquids into the glass one by one. You should be able to see them settle at different layers or levels in the glass due to their different densities, with the densest or heaviest liquids being the ones that go to the bottom of the glass.
Now invite your child to try adding some of the small items to the glass. Some items may pass through one layer only to float at the top of another, lower layer. Some may pass all the way through and go to the bottom of the glass, showing their differing densities again!
These science experiments should show that Science is an exciting subject with many tangents to explore, from Biology to Chemistry. It is absolutely a subject your child can learn to enjoy!
If you want more guidance in the subject that keeps it interesting and engaging for your child, take a look at our programmes at Aspire Hub. Our Science classes can build a strong foundation in it while nurturing genuine interest in learners. Enquire now!
