Science fair projects don’t have to be a headache – here are tons of fun and easy science fair project ideas for all ages!
Science Fair Projects for Kids
Participating in the school Science Fair is a rite of passage for many children.
Kids love them! But as a parent, it might cause a little bit of stress. From deciding what to do exactly to getting material to actually follow through- it could easily turn into a parent’s worst nightmare!
The hardest part in our opinion is coming up with the idea of what to do. But once you have that figured out it should be smooth sailing. Just remember to have fun and let your child take the lead (just like with these 100 Days of School Ideas).
Science Fair Projects are supposed to be fun! Yes, fun! And there a ton of great ways to make that a reality.
So when the time comes that your school is hosting one- instead of stressing out or worrying about it- be sure to check out this great list of top Science Fair ideas for all ages.
How to Pick a Science Fair Projects
As mentioned above, picking out a science fair project is one of the hardest parts of the science fair. There are a few things you should keep in mind when doing so (credit goes to Hilary from Pulling Curls for most of these tips. She’s an expert when it comes to science fair projects and all things kids! Make sure you check out her Family Routines course. It’s life changing!).
- Read the school’s science fair requirements. Chances are, there are specific kinds of projects they are looking for. Most often for the elementary school science fair projects, they will want you to use the Scientific Method, so it should be a project where you can easily change a variable.
- Make sure the child can explain it. There are a lot of cool projects out there, but if the child can’t explain what is happening, it doesn’t always work out so well. If they are giving awards for the science fair, they will typically have a big scoring section on how easy it was for the child to explain the project to others.
- Go with your child’s interests – if they really enjoy something, then make that a part of the project. The more they are interested in the topic, the more likely they are to actually want to explain and do it.
- Don’t overcomplicate it. Science fair projects don’t need to be complicated, especially for younger children. The most important thing is that they have fun!
- Let your child take the lead – yes, there will always be those projects that were clearly done by the parents. Often, these are the most complex and exciting. However, the child really should be taking the lead with the project. It’s fine to help here and there, but please resist the urge to take over.
- Is it relatable? Personally, I think the best science fair projects are ones that are relatable to your own life and that make you think!
With the projects below, make sure your child doesn’t read the final results. You don’t want that to influence their hypothesis! Please make sure you click through to each project that looks interesting to you!
Good Science Fair Projects
Table of contents
Bubble-ology
Make your own bubbles following this great tutorial. This project tests two different ways to make bubbles to figure out which one products the best ones!
Cabbage Chemistry
Find out which solutions around your house can make the cabbage juice change color by clicking here.
Bacteria Growth
This is a classic experiment that always grosses people out with the results. Lots of different variables you can check – here is more information on a bacteria growth experiment.
Bouncy Polymer Chemistry
Have you ever wondered how fun toys like Silly Putty, Gak, and Slime are made? You’ll be a hit at the Science Fair with this fun project.
Keep Your Candy Cool
In this science fair project, you’ll use the energy produced when water evaporates to cool down chocolate-covered candy so it doesn’t melt.
Crazy Crystal Creations
For this one, you will compare the size and shape of crystals grown in three different temperature conditions: room temperature, in the refrigerator, and in an ice bath.
Make Your Own Markers
If you’ve ever wondered how markers are made this is this project for you!
Skunk Attack
For this project, you will test the ability of various mixtures to remove the bad scent from rags that have been contaminated with bottled skunk scent and determine which one works the best. You will have to purchase skunk scent for this but it will be worth it! You can find lots of variations on Amazon.
Lemon Volcano
Learn how to make a Lemon Volcano here.
Candy Bar: Sink or Float
Easy to put together and check – which candy bars will float or sink? Check out this idea here.
Shiny Pennies
Collect dirty tarnished pennies and have kids soak them for a minimum of 5 minutes in different acidic liquids.
Melting Ice Experiment
This is a classic experiment, but it’s always interesting to do yourself!
Roll-Back Can
For extra fun and maybe a little magic, check out this fun project.
Magnetic Field Sensory Bottle
Magnetic ink floating in water allows you to see the elusive magnetic field of a magnet- wow a crowd with this one!
Bouncy Ball Experiment
Does temperature affect how high a bouncy ball will go? Find out with this fun experiment!
Explore the Density of Liquid
This is a fun way for kids to explore the density of liquids using materials you have right in your kitchen. Check it out here.
Cookie Experiment
Will all cookies float in milk? Great ideas here.
How To Regrow Vegetable Scraps
Discover the best veggie scraps to regrow vegetables in with this awesome experiment!
Comparing Vocal Ranges
This is a fun experiment testing how high or low different people’s voice can go. If your child loves music- they’ll love this one!
Does Color Affect Taste?
Have fun discovering if the coloring of something affects the way it tastes.
Apple Science
This is one I’m sure parents are curious about, too. What keeps an apple from browning. Click here to replicate this experiment yourself.
How Do You Make The Best Cookie
Make alterations to your recipe to see how exactly “the best” cookie recipe is made! Find more information here
How Greasy Are Your Chips?
Try this project to get a visual about how much oil and potato chip can hold.
How Food Wrapping Affect Spoilage
In this project, you will investigate which type of wrapping will keep sliced apples placed in the fridge the freshest and least spoiled.
Comparing Sweetness of Sugar and Sugar Substitutes
For this one, you will test sugar and sugar substitutes and compare the sweetness of each in relation to sugar
How Much Water is Required to Cook Pasta
The objective here is a yummy one! Investigate the minimum amount and temperature of the water that is required to prepare pasta.
What Does Sugar Do to Your Teeth
This is a great one – especially if your child drinks lots of sugary drinks. Click here to learn about an experiment on what sugar does to your teeth.
What projects have your kids done that they’ve loved?
Other School Posts You May Enjoy:
- Six Things Your Child Actually Should Know Before Kindergarten
- The Ultimate Guide to Kid Lunches Ideas for School
Cindy Maudsley lives in Utah with her husband and five children. Aside from writing, her passions include her family, faith, and spreading infertility awareness. She also loves a good book or podcast, true crime documentaries , Netflix binge, diet Coke and Target run
Chelsea Johnson says
Awesome! My son’s school does a science fair in May and while I haven’t seen anything about it, I think he could probably enter! I’ll have to show him these! That bacteria growth one TOTALLY would gross me out!
Katie says
I can’t handle ones with bacteria growth. haha! Your son would probably love to participate. It’s such a fun event!