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.
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?
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.