Stuck at home for the next few weeks with nothing to do? Here are over 80 free science ideas, including 7 games you can play over and over, to get you through - no strings attached!
Over the past ten years, we have shared loads of free science activities, free printable science games, and free science-teaching tips. Many of these use simple household materials, so they are easy to whip up on a moment's notice to fill that "I'm bored" space you now find yourself dealing with.
Before we get to the list, if you are one of the many who find yourself suddenly "homeschooling", you may find this Homeschool Science FAQ playlist helpful...
Okay, on to the complete list of free science activities separated by subject.
80+ Free Science Activities to Entertain your Kiddos
Many of these activities will share a short mini-science lesson about the subject before you get started. All of them include an explanation of the science behind the activity.
These activities do require a few supplies, some of which you might not have sitting around your houses, such as an owl pellet or Borax. We have listed the supplies after the link (except for the round-up posts) so that you can see right away if you do have what you will need at your house.
If you see an activity that you really want to do but you don't have all the supplies, check out the following article/podcast for tips:
And finally, before we share the fun, we wanted to explain a few of the symbols:
- The activities marked with a (D) require that you download a packet of materials from us. These downloads are completely free, all you have to do is place them in your cart and checkout.
- The activities marked with an (F) have a free template in the post for you to use.
Alright, let's get on with the science fun!
Biology Activities
- How to Make a Seasonal Tree Sculpture (a small bit of air-dry clay, materials for the trunk and branches - brown pipe cleaners, cardboard, or brown paper bags, materials for the leaves - felt, tissue paper, or buttons in orange, red, and yellow, glue)
- (D) Hermit Crab Mini-Science Lesson with Video
- Two Types of Pollination (paper flowers - printed or drawn, several colors of powdered cake mix, such as yellow, chocolate, and strawberry, several paper bees- printed or drawn, craft sticks, cotton balls, glue)
- Nature Print Shirts (a large white T-shirt (100% cotton), cardboard, live flowers or leaves, masking tape, newspaper or towels, hammer)
- How to Raise a Native Butterfly (butterfly habitat)
- How to Make a Seed Board
- How to Make a Mushroom Spore Print (gloves, mushroom cap, paper, bowl, water, hairspray - optional)
- (D) How to Make Microscope Slides (microscope, blank slides, slide covers)
- How to Create Leaf Skeletons (Super Washing Soda, magnolia leaves, crockpot, water, tongs, colander, bleach, bowls)
- How to Dissect a Spring Bulb (flower bulb, knife, magnifying glass)
- How to Dissect a Flower (spring bloom, knife magnifying glass, Qtip)
- (F) The Science of Fingerprints (ink or pencil-lead shavings, magnifying glass, paper)
- (D) How to Make a Fall Leaf Book
- The Edible Cell Calzone (pre-made pizza dough, cheese (ricotta and mozzarella), various toppings for cell parts, things like sausage, pepperoni, olives, green peppers, and onions are great options)
- How to Grow Herbs from Cuttings (basil, thyme, or mint, cup, water)
- How do Snakes Smell
- (F) How to Dissect an Owl Pellet (gloves, tweezers, wooden stick (coffee stirrer or popsicle stick will work), newspaper or paper towel, owl pellet)
- How to Tell Giraffes Apart
- Steps to Dissect a Seed (bean seed, cup, water, knife)
- Photosynthesis 101
Earth Science and Astronomy Activities
- (F) How to Make a Moon Diary
- (F) 3 Simple Constellation Activities (marshmallows, toothpicks, pencil, paper, flashlight, binoculars or telescope)
- Sedimentary Rock Cookies (butter, graham cracker crumbs, can sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, nuts)
- Learn about the solar system
- (F) 5 Simple Steps for Make a Rock Collection (egg carton, paint, rocks, white-out, permanent marker
- 3 Weather-in-a-jar Activities (Mason jar with lid, ice, match, food coloring, shaving cream)
- How to View Rocks Under a Microscope (microscope or clip-on macro lens, rocks)
- (F) How to Make a Seasons Booklet
- How to Make a Compass (a milk jug with the cap, a straight pin, a knife, a magnet)
- How to Use a Treasure Hunt to Learn About Maps
- Learn about the three types of rocks
- (D) How to Make a Signs of Spring Journal
- Tips for Exploding that Homemade Volcano
- (F) How to Make a Habitat Diorama (shoe-box, construction paper, air-dry clay, glue, markers)
- How to Make a Life Cycle of a Star Poster (a sheet of black construction paper, 2 cotton balls, markers, small yellow pom-pom, large red pom-pom, small white sequin)
- How to Make a Cloud Collages (a sheet of blue construction paper, a handful of cotton balls, glue)
- How to Make an Indoor Rain Storm (a clear glass, shaving cream, blue food coloring, warm water)
- How to Make Edible Rocks (glass cup, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, spoon, plastic wrap)
Chemistry Activities
- 3 Activities to Explore the Chemistry of Dry Ice (dry ice, 2 plastic cups, water, dish soap, 2 plates, regular ice)
- Indoor Fireworks (clear glass, water, oil, food coloring)
- How to Dye Celery (celery or a carnation, glass, food coloring)
- How to use Kitchen Science to Send Secret Messages (paper, lemon juice, Q-tip or paintbrush, a heat source)
- How to Make Indoor Snow (shaving cream, cornstarch)
- Kitchen Acid Test ( a head of red cabbage, a variety of liquids or powders from your kitchen to test, such as lemon juice, baking soda, soda, or detergent, several cups)
- How to Make Epsom Salt Snowflake Art (Epsom salts, warm water, cup, food coloring, paintbrush, paper)
- 3 Borax Science Activities (Borax, glue, cups, baggies, water, pipe cleaner, string, pencil, cornstarch, plastic spoon)
- Crazy Changing Colors (a head of red cabbage, knife, pot, water, strainer, clear glass or plastic container, ammonia, white vinegar)
- How to Use Chemistry to Polish Silver (aluminum foil, heat-resistant container, hot water, baking soda, salt)
- How to Make a Bioplastic (cornstarch, water, vegetable oil, baggie, food coloring - optional)
- Marker Chromatography Art (absorbent material (Coffee filter or white cotton material both work well), rubbing alcohol (at least 80% Isopropyl or above), eyedropper, a wide-mouthed jar or bowl, rubber band, permanent markers in a variety of colors, newspaper)
- Which one freezes first? (3 cups, water, food coloring, salt, instant-read thermometer - optional)
- How to Extract DNA (sliced fruit (a banana, strawberry, kiwi, or tomato will all work), dish soap, salt, ice-cold Isopropyl alcohol (70% or higher), zipper-style plastic bag, coffee filter, funnel, wooden coffee stirrer, test tube or clear glass)
Physics Activities
- How to Make a Rocket at Home (soda bottle, rubber cement, thin foam sheets)
- The Physics of Music (Plus a Free SQUILT Lesson)
- How to Have a LEGO Balloon Car Race (LEGOS, balloons)
- 3 Ideas for Building Simple Machines (a thick, heavy book, round pencils, a block of wood, nail, screw, brick or concrete block, wooden board, stairs)
- Learn about Ocean Currents (clear bowl, 2 cups, eyedropper, warm and cold water, blue food coloring, salt)
- How to Make Magnetic Slime (white glue, water, iron filings, some Borax, magnets)
Free Science Game Packets
- (D) Rock Slides and Arrows - A Free Geology Game (dice)
- (D) Atlas Run - A Free Earth Science Game (dice)
- (D) Plant Quest - A Free Botany Game
- (D) Zoology Bingo - A Free Animals Game (Bingo counters or beads)
- (D) Planetary Bingo - A Free Astronomy Game (Bingo counters or beads)
- (D) Pick up Bones - A Free Human Body Game (plastic bones, Qtips, or small sticks)
- (D) Atoms and Isotopes - A Free Chemistry Game (blue-, brown-, and red-colored beads or mini-M&Ms)
- (D) Periodic Table Match-up - A Free Chemistry Game
Science Activity Round-ups
- (F) InstaScience - A few years back, we shared a series of nature study posts, many of which have free printables with them.
- The Science of Exploration - Get three tips for encouraging exploration as a form of learning science.
- 3 Winter Science Activities - This includes activities for pine cones and cookies that you could do year-round.
- 15 Valentine's Science Ideas - Use up any of that remaining Valentine's candy with these science activities.
- 3 Christmas Science Activities - These activities are Christmas-themed, but you can enjoy them year-round.
- 3 Arctic Science Activities - Use these three activities to learn about the arctic in summer (or any other time of the year)!
- 3 Candy Cane Experiments - If you have some candy canes lying around, these three activities will help you get rid of them.
- 5 Thanksgiving Science Activities - These activities are Thanksgiving-themed, but you can enjoy them year-round.
- 5 Candy Science Experiments - These activities are a great way to use up that old candy you found when you cleaned up your pantry!
- 10 Snow Science Activities - In case you live up north and still have some of the white stuff around!
- 5 Fall Science Activities - These activities are fall-themed, but you can enjoy them year-round.
- 48 Summer Science Activities - Many of the ideas in the post are listed above, but there are a lot that are not!
- April Fool's Day Science Activities - These two activities seem like magic, but they use science!
Science Plus (Another Subject)
- (D) How to Convert Units of Measurement - This is a quick set of worksheets for practicing converting units of measurement, tying in science and math.
- The Science Fair Project - If you want to tackle something a bit bigger, this series will walk you through how to do a science fair project at home. These projects tie in science, math, and language arts.
- 5 Simple Steps for Writing a Scientist Biography Report - This project will tie in language arts and science.
We hope that these science activities, ideas, and tips will brighten your day and bring a bit of fun to the craziness of these days!
