Are your kids bored yet? I’ve roamed the Internet and gathered 12 fun and engaging summer science activities to zap boredom and awe your children!
- Create S’mores in a solar oven! S’mores are the perfect summer treat, and kids will love creating their own solar oven and watching the chocolate and marshmallows melt in the heat. You probably already have the materials you’ll need to make it! Visit Desert Chica for the tutorial!
- Have a blast with chalk rockets! Sidewalk chalk is a summer staple, but this experiment takes it to a whole new level with exploding canisters that leave a spatter of colored chalk on the ground. I can’t wait to do this with my kids this weekend! Go to Growing a Jeweled Rose for instructions.
- Throw in a bit of fun learning with icy fizzing letters. My kids have always loved the science of baking soda and vinegar, and no matter how many times we have experimented, it just never gets old to them. This activity from Fun-A-Day mixes science with literacy for a fun twist!
- Blowing store-bought bubbles is fun, but why not create your own gigantic bubbles?! This is a great activity that is sure to wow the little ones. Just mix up a few ingredients and, voila! Summer science fun! You can find the instructions for this activity at Happy Hooligans.
- Observe the wonder of nature up close and personal with your very own tadpole and frog investigation area. Alright, so this activity requires more prep and involvement than the others on this list, but wow, what a fantastic learning experience! Unless you’re creeped out by frogs (*raises hand), this science activity will be a terrific summer project for your kids. Check out The Imagination Tree to learn how to set up your investigation area!
- One of our all-time favorite activities is ice excavations. We did it countless times when mine were little, and they still talk about it today. In fact, my 9 year old recently asked me if we could do it again. I really like this Lego Excavation from Lemon Lime Adventures. This activity teaches the science of melting ice while encouraging kids to problem-solve. It’s so much fun, I’ll bet you’ll do it more than once!
- Does it sink or float? Water play is a great way to cool down on those hot summer days. This experiment can be crazy simple just by gathering objects from around the house and asking your kids if they think the items will sink or float, and then testing those theories! Science Sparks tested water balloons, and can you guess what they found? Check it out here!
- Will candy and soda blow up a balloon? This experiment will make your kids think twice before mixing these two in their tummies again! Go to Steve Spangler Science to find out how to create this really cool experiment.
- A small garden is a great summer project! Your kids will learn the science of growing their own food. Vegetables are a great choice because they germinate quickly, so your kids won’t have to wait long to see the “fruits” of their labor! Head over to Gardening Know How to learn how to get started.
- Slime is always fun to make, even if it’s a bit messy! I’m loving this lava slime from Surviving on a Teacher’s Salary. What a great way to mix science with sensory play!
- Make your own fossils with this tutorial from The Crafty Classroom. All you’ll need is Plaster of Paris, aluminum foil, and a few small objects to fossilize. This is a great educational activity to pair with a book on fossils for fun summer learning.
- Bake a chemistry cake! Did you ever think that baking was a science experiment? It is! Heating the cake batter causes a chemical reaction that changes the dough into a fluffy, tasty cake! Head over to education.com for the science of it, and have fun!