10 Fun and Easy Indoor Science Experiments

Want to give your child's science skills a boost? They can get ahead by diving into hands-on activities that are both educational and fun.

Here are 10 simple and exciting indoor science experiments that early elementary kids will love . These experiments use everyday materials and are designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and a love of science!

1. Color Mixing Magic (ages 3-5)

Objective: Learn about primary and secondary colors.
Materials Needed: Red, blue, and yellow food coloring, three clear cups, water, and spoons.

Instructions:
Fill the cups with water and add a few drops of primary colors into each cup. Then, use the spoons to mix different colors together and observe how new colors form! For example, mixing red and yellow will make orange, blue and yellow make green, and red and blue make purple.

What They’ll Learn: Kids will discover the basics of color theory and how primary colors combine to create secondary colors.

2. Magic Homemade Slime

Objective: Understand the concept of polymers.
Materials Needed: White glue, baking soda, contact lens solution, food coloring (optional).

Instructions:
Mix 1/2 cup of white glue with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a bowl. Add a few drops of food coloring if you’d like, and then slowly add contact lens solution until the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Stir and knead the slime with your hands.

What They’ll Learn: This experiment is a great introduction to the science of polymers, where the slime forms a stretchy, moldable material due to the combination of ingredients.

3. Invisible Ink

Objective: Explore chemical reactions.
Materials Needed: Lemon, a cotton swab, white paper, and a lamp or lightbulb.

Instructions:
Dip the cotton swab in lemon juice and use it to write a secret message on the paper. Allow the paper to dry completely. When you’re ready to reveal the message, hold the paper close to a warm lamp or lightbulb. The heat will cause the lemon juice to darken, revealing the writing.

What They’ll Learn: Kids will learn about oxidation and how heat causes chemical reactions to make invisible substances visible again.

4. Sink or Float? (ages 3-5)

Objective: Explore buoyancy and density.
Materials Needed: A bowl of water, various small objects (like a coin, pencil, paperclip, and plastic toy).

Instructions:
Fill a bowl with water and predict whether each object will sink or float. Then, one by one, drop the objects into the water and observe what happens. Discuss why some objects float while others sink.

What They’ll Learn: This classic experiment introduces the concept of density and how objects’ weight and volume determine whether they float or sink.

5. Volcano Eruption (ages 5-7)

Objective: Learn about chemical reactions.
Materials Needed: Baking soda, vinegar, a small container (like a bottle), food coloring (optional), a tray or large dish.

Instructions:
Place the small container on the tray and fill it halfway with baking soda. Add a few drops of food coloring for fun. Pour vinegar over the baking soda and watch as the "lava" erupts in a fizzy reaction!

What They’ll Learn: This simple reaction demonstrates the power of acids and bases. The combination of baking soda (a base) and vinegar (an acid) causes a fizzy eruption.

6. Magnetic Exploration
(ages 5-7)

Objective: Learn about magnetism and magnetic fields.
Materials Needed: A magnet, a variety of small objects (like paperclips, coins, plastic toys), and a tray.

Instructions:
Place a magnet under a tray and scatter different objects on top. Ask the kids to guess which objects are magnetic. Then, move the magnet under the tray and observe which objects are attracted to it.

What They’ll Learn: Kids will explore magnetism and how some materials (like metal) are magnetic, while others (like plastic or wood) are not.

7. Bouncing Egg (ages 5-7)

Objective: Discover chemical reactions and the properties of eggs.
Materials Needed: An egg, vinegar, and a clear glass.

Instructions:
Place the egg in a glass and cover it with vinegar. Let it sit for 24 to 48 hours. When you remove the egg, you’ll notice that the shell has dissolved, leaving only the soft, rubbery membrane. Bounce the egg gently!

What They’ll Learn: This experiment demonstrates the effect of acid (vinegar) on calcium carbonate (the egg's shell), showing how the shell dissolves and leaves a bouncy, rubber-like egg.

8. Bubble Science

Objective: Learn about the properties of bubbles and air pressure.
Materials Needed: Dish soap, water, a straw or bubble wand.

Instructions:
Mix water and dish soap in a shallow bowl. Dip the straw or bubble wand into the mixture and blow gently to create bubbles. Observe how the bubbles form and float in the air. You can even try different ways of blowing to create larger or smaller bubbles.

What They’ll Learn: This experiment helps kids explore surface tension and air pressure. It also provides a fun way to discuss how bubbles are made and why they pop!

9. Rainbow Swirl Milk

Objective: Understand surface tension and how liquids interact.

Materials Needed:

• A shallow dish or plate

• Whole milk (or any milk with fat)

• Food coloring (several colors)

• Dish soap

• Cotton swab

Instructions:

1. Pour enough milk into the dish to cover the bottom.

2. Drop a few drops of different food coloring into the milk, spreading them out.

3. Dip the cotton swab in dish soap, then gently touch the tip of the cotton swab to the surface of the milk.

4. Watch the magic happen! The food coloring will swirl and move across the surface.

What They’ll Learn:
When the soap touches the milk, it breaks the surface tension, causing the food coloring to move around. The milk contains fat, and the soap disrupts the bond between fat molecules, causing the colorful movement. This is a great introduction to surface tension in liquids!

10. Lava Lamps (ages 5-7)

Kids will love this activity, it's simple science that will have them mesmerized! As a bonus their lamps will keep them busy too! Find the full instructions HERE

Through hands-on activities, stories, discussions, and projects, young learners develop the tools they need to make sense of the world and their place in it.

Other Science Based Activities.

baking

cooking

butterfly gardens

star gazing

5 senses games

recycling- understanding it and creating projects and art

These indoor science experiments are perfect for young children to explore the wonders of the world around them. Each activity introduces fundamental science concepts in a fun, hands-on way that will spark curiosity and creativity. Remember, the most important part of science is asking questions, observing results, and making discoveries together. Happy experimenting!