Here is a list of over 45 ideas for science fair projects for elementary age kids. These ideas may spark even more creative ideas that could fit the specific requirements for your science fair.
Another great way to generate even more science fair ideas is to think of a question you want answered. Being curious is what science is all about! Form a hypothesis for your question and test that hypothesis through experimentation and observation.
- Seed Germination: Investigate the factors that affect seed germination, such as light, water, and soil type.
- Ice Cube Challenge: Test if hot or cold water will freeze into ice cubes faster.
- Bouncy Egg Experiment: Discover what happens to the surface of an egg shell when soaked in vinegar.
- Homemade Volcano: Create a miniature volcano using baking soda and vinegar to demonstrate chemical reactions and eruption patterns.
- Solar Energy: Build a simple solar oven and explore how it uses sunlight to cook food.
- Elephant Toothpaste: Create a chemical reaction using hydrogen peroxide, dish soap and yeast.
- Rain Gauge: Construct a rain gauge to measure precipitation over a period of time and analyze weather patterns.
- Static Electricity: Experiment with static electricity by rubbing balloons against different materials and observing the effects.
- Density Tower: Create a density tower using liquids of varying densities (like oil, water, and syrup) to explore the concept of density.
- Magnet Experiments: Investigate the strength of magnets by testing different materials to see what they attract or repel.
- Plant Growth: Study the effects of different variables (such as light, water, and soil nutrients) on plant growth.
- Surface Tension: Experiment with surface tension by testing how many drops of water can fit on different surfaces.
- Egg Drop Challenge: Design a container to protect an egg from breaking when dropped from different heights, teaching about forces and impact.
- DIY Slime: Make homemade slime and explore its properties, such as viscosity and elasticity.
- DIY Oobleck: Make this goop substance inspired by Dr. Suess. This mixture is both a liquid and a solid.
- Balloon Rocket: Build a simple balloon rocket using a straw and string to explore the concepts of force and motion.
- Lemon Battery: Construct a simple battery using a lemon and various metals to generate electricity and power a small LED light.
- Water Filtration: Create a DIY water filtration system using household materials to demonstrate the process of filtering impurities from water.
- Paper Airplane Designs: Experiment with different paper airplane designs to see which flies the farthest or stays in the air longest.
- Baking Soda and Vinegar Rockets: Build small rockets using film canisters, baking soda, and vinegar to explore chemical reactions and propulsion.
- Static Electricity Butterfly: Create a simple static electricity butterfly by charging a piece of paper and observing its movements.
- DIY Lava Lamp: Make a homemade lava lamp using oil, water, and effervescent tablets to explore density and chemical reactions.
- Gummy Bear Osmosis: Investigate osmosis by placing gummy bears in various solutions (such as water, saltwater, and sugar water) and observing how they change in size.
- Rainbow in a Jar: Layer different liquids of varying densities in a jar to create a colorful rainbow effect and learn about density and liquid stratification.
- Candy Chromatography: Separate the colors in candy coatings using chromatography paper and different solvents to explore the concept of pigments.
- Tornado in a Bottle: Create a tornado in a bottle by swirling water and dish soap to study vortex formation and fluid dynamics.
- Dissolving Candy Hearts: Test how different liquids (like water, vinegar, and oil) affect the rate of dissolution of candy hearts, exploring solubility and dissolution.
- DIY Thermometer: Make a simple thermometer using a plastic bottle, water, and a straw to measure temperature changes.
- Popcorn Science: Investigate how different factors (such as heat, kernel type, and oil) affect popcorn popping rate, volume and taste.
- Milk Painting Experiment: Explore surface tension and chemistry by adding food coloring to milk and then introducing dish soap to create colorful patterns.
- Balloon Static Electricity Race: Charge balloons with static electricity and race them along a string to demonstrate electrical forces.
- Circuit Exploration: Build simple circuits with batteries, wires, and light bulbs to understand the basics of electricity flow.
- DIY Kaleidoscope: Construct a kaleidoscope using mirrors and beads to explore reflections and symmetry.
- Rainbow Density Column: Layer liquids of different densities in a clear container to create a rainbow density column and discuss buoyancy and density.
- Sound Vibrations: Investigate sound vibrations by creating musical instruments using household items, such as rubber bands, bottles, and jars.
- Mold Growth: Set up an experiment to observe how different conditions (like moisture, temperature, and light) affect the growth of mold on bread slices.
- Color Changing Flowers: Place white flowers in cups of water with food coloring to observe how the petals change color as they absorb the colored water.
- DIY Electromagnet: Build an electromagnet using a battery, wire, and iron nail to explore the relationship between electricity and magnetism.
- Egg Geodes: Create homemade geodes using eggshells, alum, and food coloring to learn about crystal formation.
- DIY Hovercraft: Construct a simple hovercraft using a CD, balloon, and bottle cap to study the principles of air pressure and friction.
- Taste Test: Conduct a taste test with different foods to explore taste preferences and learn about the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami (savory).
- Glowing Water: Make water glow by adding a highlighter ink cartridge to a container of water under a black light to explore fluorescence.
- Candle in a Jar: Investigate combustion by observing how a candle burns inside a jar with different amounts of air.
- Fizzy Lemonade: Create homemade lemonade and explore the chemical reaction between citric acid and baking soda to produce fizz.
- DIY Weather Station: Build a simple weather station to measure temperature, humidity, and wind speed using household materials.
- Exploring Shadows: Experiment with light and shadows by tracing the outlines of objects at different times of the day to understand how shadows change with the position of the sun.