Homemade Lava Lamps and Other Easy Science Fun for Kids

Although my older kids would disagree, I am finding the youngest of the family often gets gypped when it comes to fun projects.

While I remember spending time around the kitchen table making flubber and rigging up rocket balloons on dining room chairs, I often forget that she was not even born when we played with these easy science projects.

So recently, we spent a quiet Saturday making lava lamps with her cousin. This project went over so well, I started making a list of other nifty projects we have done over the years to create our own "Science on Saturday" plan. The following ideas are worth giving a try.

Three easy science projects for kids

Easy Lava Lamps

You will need:

• Plastic bottle (water or pop)
• Water
• Vegetable oil
• Food coloring
• Alka-Seltzer tablets (generic is fine)

Wash the label off your plastic bottle and then fill approximately a quarter of the way full with water.
Pour vegetable oil into the bottle, almost to the top.
Let the oil and water separate and then squeeze about a dozen drops of food coloring inside.
Watch the coloring fall through the oil and mix with the water.
Break an Alka-Seltzer tablet into small pieces and then drop one piece into the bottle.
When the action slows down add another little piece.

Homemade Flubber

You will need:

• Borax
• Quart of water
• White glue
• Food coloring
• Disposable paper cups
• Large glass jar
• Wooden popsicle stick

Combine the water with one tablespoon of borax in the jar. Stir well and then let it sit for a few minutes.
Fill a paper cup three quarters up with the borax mix.
Drop a little food coloring in the mixture and then use the popsicle stick to continue stirring while slowly adding white glue. Keep stirring until a mass forms.
Lift the stringy mass out and drop in a container of cold water.
Remove, roll in a ball and then check how high it bounces!

I love this science project for the Wow factor. You can talk about what is going to happen when the glue molecules interacting with the borax, or just let them be surprised.

Rocket Balloon

You will need:

• Long, thin balloons
• Straws
• String
• Tape

Tape a piece of string to a chair, or even better, tape it securely to the ceiling.
Thread a straw on the string and then secure the other end to another chair or to the floor. Be sure the string is stretched taut and the tape is holding fast.
Now, blow up a balloon but do not tie the neck. Hold it closed while you tape the balloon to the straw.
Holding the neck of the balloon, start the count-down and then let go.
The balloon will race up the string like a rocket.

This is a lot of fun to do with more than one child. They can race their balloons and not even realize they are learning about Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion. You can explain it though, simply tell them for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, then get your own balloon rocket ready!