Fun Fall Science Projects For Kids
Having homeschooled my boys last year, I’m always on the hunt for fun, hands-on projects that help me teach and explain scientific principles. I never have been great at science so learning the science behind all the fun projects we do has been fun for me as well. Fun Fall science projects for kids are a great way to expand your kids’ knowledge of how things work while having fun at the same time!
Whether your kids are going off to school or you’re schooling them at home, there is a wealth of fun activities that help bring in the spirit of Fall while also teaching them about nature and science. My own kids learn best through hands-on activities.
What better way to plant the seeds of scientific curiosity than with fun and simple science experiments! Check out these 10 fun Fall Science Projects that your kids will absolutely LOVE!
1) Before you decorate, investigate! Let the kids hypothesize about whether a pumpkin will sink or float. Measure your pumpkin. How tall is it, how wide, what is the circumference. Estimate how many seeds it has.
2) Exploring changes of state with candied popcorn. Talk about boiling points. Point out how the sugar mixture goes from solid to a liquid when melted. Then it turns back into a solid as it cools. You can teach your kids that when heat the initial solid mixture up you are giving the particles energy. This causes them to vibrate so much they break their bonds. When the mixture cools, bonds form again but not in the same shapes or forms as they were before.
3) Explore the anatomy of leaves with leaf rubbing. Collect whole, pristine leaves—it is best if they are not dried out yet. Lay your leaves on a table and lay a piece of paper over them. Take a crayon—one that is flat on one side will work best. Lay the crayon on its side and gently pull the crayon across the paper.
4) Ever have your Jack O’ Lantern rot? Instead of just tossing him in the garbage, use the opportunity to talk about decomposition and what happens when things rot. You can even have the kids journal each day’s changes. Warning: This science experiment is not for the weak-stomached.
5) Popcorn! Popping popcorn is a great experiment all by itself! Grab an air popper and enjoy learning all about the history and science that is behind this delicious snack.
6) Dry Ice! There are an absolute ton of fun experiments to do with dry ice. Dry ice is generally available at your local grocery store. Aside from all the fun experiments you can do with dry ice, it is a great lesson for talking about sublimation—when an element turns from a solid to a gas.
7) Learn about the roles of catalysts in the Oozing Pumpkin experiment. Nothing is more disgusting, nor more fascinating than a pumpkin that is foaming at the mouth. I can just hear the “Eewww!”s and “Oooo!”s coming from fascinated kids as they watch the reaction happen between the catalyst and the hydrogen peroxide solution.
8) Homemade Slime is a classic. What child can resist gooey, oozy, squish of homemade slime! With just a couple of ingredients, mom and dad can be a big hit without much effort.
9) Explore reactions with Ghost Rockets. These homemade rockets will wow kids of all ages.
Enjoy getting creative (and sometimes messy!) with the kids!
I’m a mom to three little boys ages 2, 5, and 7. My days are spent trying to prevent my toddler from burning down the house, locking himself in the freezer, and preventing other equally strange and disastrous events.
When I’m not busy preventing catastrophe, I homeschool my two older boys. My husband, another big part of my life, is a psychologist with the US Air Force. I have a Bachelor of Science in Marriage, Family, and Human Development.
On those rare occasions, I get a bit of time to myself, I love to travel, cook, and eat ethnic foods! At Oh So Savvy Mom, a blog that caters to the interests of women and mothers, you’ll find reviews of great products for the family, parenting tips, recipes, and some great giveaways, too!
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