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, materialsfor the leaves - felt, tissue paper, or buttons in orange, red, and yellow, glue)
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)
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 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)
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)
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)
(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.
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