Chemistry Games for Kids

From LoveToKnow Kids

Chemistry games for kids can make science not only fun but can create a learning environment where kids retain what they've learned and understand how to apply it to real life. Learning can happen anywhere at anytime, so be open to different ways to apply chemistry concepts to the world around you.

Even complex chemistry can be made simple and fun!

Chemistry Fun in the Kitchen

Chemistry in the kitchen can serve several purposes, including bringing your family closer together and teaching kids the concepts of measuring and pouring different types of substances. Learn many different science concepts with a fun kitchen chemistry unit study. Learn how to test for starch, how molecular motion works, about capillary action, and about how enzymes darken fruit.

Some other sites that offer ideas for kitchen chemistry include:

Zoom Kitchen Chemistry with virtual kitchen
Discovery Channel Kitchen Chemistry
Kitchen Science

Favorite Chemistry Games for Kids

The best way to get kids engaged in a topic is to turn it into a game. Here are a few ideas for chemistry games for kids:

Have students complete word scrambles and word finds with common chemistry terms. Chemistry.org offers several free printables.

Using vinegar and baking soda (recipe here), have kids build volcanoes and have lava races to see whose volcano spews the fastest. Let the kids try different measurements and combinations to see which concentrations works the fastest. Record results after each race. Red food coloring can make the solution look like real lava. Also, it might be a good idea to do this activity outside as it can get messy!

Make your own disappearing ink, using the recipe found at Find Articles. Then, create a mini mystery and leave clues for the kids to uncover and solve. This can also be used as a scavenger hunt activity. Just have the kids make the ink reappear to find the next clue. A scavenger hunt can be as simple or as complex as you'd like or clues can be different if you are teaching several different age groups at one time.

Make your own board games out of cardboard or laminated card stock. You can make a simple game where the child has to name some aspect of chemistry, such as one of the elements. A pair of dice can add excitement as you move around spaces. You can print a board game online called Chemistry English.

Matching games can be another easy-to-make-yourself game for kids. You can use atoms and elements or other basic elements of chemistry. Mansfield Connecticut Schools offers several ideas for matching games.

Create your own Jeopardy game with questions strictly from the chemistry category. Powerpoint Activities offers Powerpoint templates to make your own jeopardy game or go lower tech. Jeopardy Games offers several templates and a blank template for creating Jeopardy Chemistry Games for Kids.

Online Chemistry Games

Another great way to get children involved in chemistry is to allow them to play online chemistry games for kids. There are many different types of sites and types of games to interest even the most reluctant learners. Here are just a few:

When learning is fun, kids are excited about new material. Try to look for ways to pull in science information in every day activities. Visit local science museums, and encourage your child to ask questions about every day processes. For example, why does water boil slower when salt is added to it? Why do Tums dissolve in vinegar? Find ways to make science fun, and your child will become curious and start to learn on his own.

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