Science Projects for Kids

Safety Rules

Before beginning any science project for kids, review safety rules first. Depending upon the type of science project, rules will vary, but basic rules can include:

• Everyone must wash their hands before and after the science project.
• Objects in an experiment must be handled with care. For example, scissors should always be pointed down.
• Warning labels should be discussed. For instance, students should not taste, smell, or drink materials.

After the rules are explained, have students recite them back or draw a picture of some rules to show that they understand them. Then you are ready to start you science-related kids' activity.

Build a Solar System

The solar system consists of the nine planets and the sun. There are various ways to design the solar system, such as cutting out circles of different sizes and colors, to represent the planets and sun, or painting styrofoam balls. The sun and each planet should be labeled. The planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, respectively. Then the planets can be hung from or around the sun by a coat hanger, piece of string, or piece of cardboard to represent the solar system.

Growing a Plant

Growing a plant is a great science project for kids, especially preschool and kindergarteners. Place a couple of handfuls of soil into a clear cup. Have children place the seed toward the edge of the cup and place the cup in sunlight. As they water the plant everyday, they will be able to see the roots form from the seed and the stem bud from the soil. Children will learn from the science project that water, soil, sun, and seeds are needed to grow a plant. The lesson can be extended to the parts of the plant: roots, stem, leaves, and flower.

Experiments

Older children can take growing a plant as a science project to the next level. Ask children what needs to be done in order to grow a plant. Some answers would be that a plant needs water and sunlight in order to grow or a seed must be planted in order for a plant to grow.

Have students think about their answers as well as other possibilities. For example, what could be given to plants instead of water, sunlight, or soil? Will a plant still grow? Will a seed grow if it is on top of the soil instead of planted into the soil? Then have the students write a statement that could either be true or false in regards to growing plants. For example, adding plant food will make a plant grow faster. Plants can still grow with artificial light as opposed to actual sunlight. A seed will not grow unless it is planted underneath the soil.

Next, children can design an experiment to test their statements or hypothesis. A hypothesis is a statement that is either proven true or false. For instance, a child could test the idea that plant food will make a plant grow faster. Materials would then be needed. All materials must be exactly alike or controlled. The potting soil must be the same, the water must be the same, the size of the pot must be the same, etc. The only thing that is different in the course of the project or experiment is the independent variable.

The independent variable is the part of the project that is tested or changed. In this case, the independent variable would be adding or not adding the plant food. The dependent variable would be the observed outcome: the plant growth. The conclusion is based on the ending results of the project. Did the plants that received plant food grow any taller?

Science projects for kids who are in the latter years of grade school and above can contain various ideas to test, such as Detergent A will wash out a stain better than Detergent B. Substance A will dissolve quicker in Solution B. Chip A is greasier than Chip B. Ingredient 3 will make the best bubble solution.

Surveys

Surveys are excellent projects for children. Before beginning any survey, always check with the school administration or parents to make sure proper consent is obtained, if it is needed. Surveys help children organize data, and surveys can test different theories. For example, does eating a healthy breakfast improve students’ test scores? Surveys can be used to gather information to prove the statement true or false. The survey could be given to students before a test that ask them what they ate for breakfast that morning. After the test, the grades of the students who ate breakfast can be compared against those of the students who did not eat breakfast. Did the students who ate a healthy breakfast do better on the test than the students who answered that they didn’t eat breakfast?

Science Projects for Kids Summary

Children's science projects can cover everything from basic projects and surveys to detailed experiments. Science projects help children understand new concepts or prove theories to be correct or incorrect. Science experiments can be as simple as watching plants grow or more advanced projects, such as testing various ideas.