Science Projects for Kids
The big difference between science projects for kids and science projects for older students is merely one of expectation: all of the important steps are the same - and the important steps are not that hard to master.
As long as the experimenter chooses a topic that he or she can identify with (likes), follows the basic outline of the scientific method, and performs the steps of experimentation, the project will go well.
Below is a sampling of easy science projects for kids, they were chosen for their particularly short production time. Do not feel limited by these choices, however: almost any of the other project ideas in the other grade categories can work for kids with a little modification. Don't be afraid to check them out as well.
When performing experiments with living creatures: make sure that the rules for the project or science fair are being followed - some do not allow animals or any living creatures to be used. If you do use them, and are unsure if your use is ethical, you may want to check these guidelines first.
Cognition
Can you count the number of black dots in this picture?
Not as easy as you thought? These kinds of science projects for kids seek to demonstrate that the old adage 'seeing is believing' is not always true. This picture demonstrates how our eyes can fool us into believing that there are black dots overlaying the white ones, but when we look directly at them, they seem to disappear! Also: if you look far enough off page, but still have this picture in your peripheral vision, you'll notice that the dots seem to disappear all together. Why does this happen?
Look at this paragraph and for each word say the COLOR that the word is painted and not the word itself:
If you had a hard time with this, you're not alone. This is a classic left brain-right brain conflict. The right part of the brain is trying to say the color, but the left part of the brain is trying to say the word. How do you think this affects the creation of street signs and the layout of publications like books? Are there animals in the wild that take advantage of something like this?
Biology
- Animal Food Preference: Given a particular animal, such as a bird, ant, worm, or mouse - what kind of food would the animal like? Would ants prefer sugar over bread? Would they show a preference between white and brown sugar? Does color matter? These are great science projects for kids - it allows for experimentation with clearly defined questions as natural lead-ins to the scientific method.
- Animal Behavior: Do some animals behave differently when present with a visual reflection of themselves (as with a mirror?) If they do, what kind of behavior do they have? Would it make a difference if the mirror was close to the them or far away?
- Seed and Roots: Can you fool a seed into growing upside down? Does it matter what kind of seed is used? What if there is no light provided? Science projects for kids centered around plant behavior is an easy way to reveal some of the wonder of science.
Physics
- Paper Airplanes that Zoom: Does the shape of a paper airplane affect the way it flies? If you wanted a plane that flew faster, would a long narrow plane be better (use a full sheet of 8.5' by 11' paper) or would a shorter, stubbier plane work well (use a half sheet, or fold a single sheet in half)? What happens if grooves are introduced into the wings?
- The Feather and the Cannonball: Does everything fall to earth at different rates? What happens if you drop a feather and a pebble at the same time, do they hit the ground at the same time? What about a rock and pebble? Why is there a difference? Science projects for kids that introduce real experimentation with hard science in an easy way makes science more approachable.
- Depth Perception: Place a few cylindrical rods on a table next to one another but at varying distance from one-another with a few inches of space on either side of each rod. Now have a friend cover one eye and then try to grab a rod that you specify out of the bunch on the first try. Then re-arrange the rods and try again with both eyes open. Was it hard to do it with only one eye? Why?
There are many more variations on these themes - if you don't find anything of interest to you here, by all means: try the other grade categories. Even if those ideas seem to hard to be easy science projects for kids, you might get some inspiration - and that can go a long way in science.
Want more ideas? Check out these science projects for kids.
