Science is a wonderful subject that can teach children all about the world they live in. And it is magical more often than not. Here, we are presenting you with some simple experiment ideas that you can try at home. All of these are safe experiments that children can try on their own and show off some cool skills to their friends. However, parental supervision is always advised. These are wonderful ativities for children to experience the Steps of the Scientific Method

Without any further ado, here they are.

Simple Science Experiments to Try at Home

1. Water Magic

This experiment introduces children to the capillarity or capillary action of liquids. We will perform this experiment with water and some colors. For this experiment, you will need:

• Three glasses with clear water
• Three glasses with colored water (red, blue, and green)
• Tissue papers

Now that you have everything ready, let’s start the experiment. Place the glasses in a line or a circle in an alternate pattern. That is place one clear water glass, follow it with a colored water glass, then a clear water glass, and so on.

Now, take tissue paper, roll it to form a tube, and place it like a bridge between the liquids in the glasses. One side of the tissue should be dipped in the liquid of the first glass and the other side in the liquid of the next glass. Connect all the glasses this way and watch the magic of water going from one glass to another through the tissue.

Encourage your children to ask their science tutor some relevant questions regarding the experiment. Science prep online can be a great way of learning more about different scientific concepts.

2. Mold Experiment

Mold experiments never go out of style. We have been doing them for generations and it’s still taught by the best science tutors who want to talk about micro-organisms and their growth. This experiment will help your child understand how different products affect the growth of mold (fungus) on bread. For this experiment, you will need:

• 4 slices of bread
• 4 ziplock bags
• Vinegar, water, sugar
• Hangar

Place the 4 slices of the bread on a tray. Add a spoonful of vinegar to the first slice. Place it in the ziplock bag and close it. Next, add a spoon of water to the second slice. Again place it in a ziplock bag and close it. Now moving to the third bread slice, add some sugar on top of it and press it in and place the bread slice in the ziplock bag.

Pick the last slice of bread and place it as it is in the ziplock bag and seal it. Now, hang all the ziplock bags on a clothes hanger and place the hangar in sunlight. Maybe a curtain rod where you can get an ample amount of sunlight or somewhere in the backyard.

Ask your child/ren to keep an eye on the bread slices and notice the growth of the mold. They can also make a table noting down the amount of mold on Day1, Day 2, and so on and let them compare notes.

3. Ice Magic

If you have an Elsa or Frozen fan at your home, this experiment is going to get some super exciting responses. This experiment is unlike any formal science prep online but will set the stage for learning different states of matter. For this experiment, you need:

• One bottle of water
• A ceramic bowl
• Some Ice

Place the bottle of water in the freezer until the water is almost frozen. Next, place the ceramic bowl upside down on a surface and put the ice pieces on it. When you are ready, start pouring the almost frozen water on the ice pieces. It will freeze instantly and amaze everyone involved. This experiment teaches children the different states of matter and also makes you look instantly cool.

4. Self-Inflating Balloons

Here’s one experiment that is based on a chemical reaction. You can perform this experiment with the balloons leftover after a birthday party and some vinegar and baking soda from your pantry. The precise items that you will need are:

• Balloon/s
• Vinegar
• Plastic water bottle
• Baking Soda

Put baking soda in the plastic water bottle. Add a few spoons of vinegar to the balloon. Yes, you have to pour vinegar into the balloon. Now, carefully place the balloon over the water bottle and let the vinegar pour on the baking soda already present in the bottle. The meeting of vinegar and baking soda will result in gas which will inflate the balloon.

Science is not magic, rather it is filled with hardcore facts. But it is always a good idea to simplify difficult concepts for children to trigger their curiosity. Best science tutors also use fun and amazing methods to teach difficult science topics. Try the experiments listed here and watch your little scientists become curious for more. As already mentioned, all of these experiments are safe but it will be better if an adult can supervise them. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Just like Mathematics, Science fills the minds of many students with dread. It is not uncommon to see students avoiding these subjects throughout their schooling. National Center for Education Statistics report shows that students in the United States lag far behind European and Asian students in science achievement. Students are hardly ever directed to approach science as a puzzle to be solved. Instead, memorization is encouraged to the detriment of analytical skills required to like Science as a subject.

Science anxiety is not an innate characteristic, in most cases, science-anxious parents and teachers end up communicating their anxiety to young learners. Studies conducted at Science Anxiety Clinics reveal that in the USA, science anxiety starts as early as 8 years of age. 

The need for scientific advancements to counter the threats and challenges of human society is at its peak. Sadly, the current statistics reveal the likelihood of that need remaining unfulfilled as learners are confronted by unprecedented challenges when it comes to science education in schools namely, 

• Compartmentalized teaching i.e. teaching subjects without correlation.
• Exam-oriented teaching strategies.
• Lack of specialized teachers.
• Non-stimulating school science experiments.
• Students receive little to no training in analytical thinking during their early school years.
• Inefficient time allocation for science education.
• Less experimental and more theoretical approach.
• Broken links between lessons.
• Lack of real-life examples to understand the application.
• Crowded classrooms.
• Learning gaps from previous years.
• Students’ lack of confidence and motivation.

Science may make you feel challenged and frustrated but it is certainly possible to overcome the learning difficulties. With the right mindset and a little hard work, nothing is unconquerable. Practice the tips mentioned below and you can learn science with no difficulty.

It would help you to try the following:-

• Examine your attitude towards the subject– analyze if you are actually facing a learning challenge or you are caged by self-imposed limitations.
• Time allocation– unlike other theoretical subjects, science demands regular revision of your classwork to register what was taught in school.
• Science documentaries– help you visualize and understand the real-life application of scientific concepts. Watching science documentaries will surely tickle your neurons to view this subject in a different light.
• Group learning and peer teaching– various studies conducted on Science anxiety, prove that working with others in groups not only counters self-doubt but also motivates learners to think outside the box.
• Discuss Science anxiety and fear of failure with teachers, parents, and peers– you will notice that you are not fighting the battle alone. In fact, science anxiety is a very common phenomenon. Build a supportive environment instead of being a slave to your fear.
• Try School science projects – these offer the opportunity to apply the knowledge in decoding real human concerns. Of course, you are not expected to submit a Ph.D. level science project at school but you can definitely try to analyze a problem in accordance with your level of science knowledge.
• Don’t be afraid to make a mistake– the most important life lesson that science teaches as a subject is to be comfortable making mistakes and learning from it. Like Thomas Edison said a thousand wrong experiments were not failures, those were the learning steps to get to the right
• Do not restrict yourself to textbooks to understand a concept-Technology offers a myriad of resources to enhance your learning experience. School library, mobile applications, informative websites, online tutoring- take the opportunity to find the technique best suited to your learning needs.
• Fill your learning gaps– you will be astonished to see how it propels your learning once you get your grasp on the basics.

Take the help of online coaching to help you overcome science anxiety. eTutorWorld offers you a variety of online tutoring packages that will enable you to understand school experiments better, brush up on previously learned science topics and provide you to complete school science projects.

Our specialized teachers with years of teaching experience will not only help you overcome your learning challenges but also change your opinion of science from a  dreadful subject to one of the most interesting subjects that it is.

Why? What? How?

An early morning bombardment of questions by children often lasts throughout the day! That is just the beginning of scientific temper!!! What they expect from parents is a ‘Let’s try that’ attitude, an explanation to every situation, a solution to every problem! Parents endeavor to live up to children’s growing expectations as children discover the world around them. They may even successfully kindle the spirit of enquiry till the child reaches grade 2, but grade 3 onwards a need is felt for a qualified science tutor to step in, keep pace with the child’s quest for knowledge and to foster that inquisitive mind. It is of paramount importance to develop an appropriate scientific attitude at an early age because, in later years, it blooms into a well developed and much-desired STEM skill set.

Reaching out to a science tutor for Harnessing the STEM Skills.  ‘Catch them young’ is the buzz word when it comes to developing the mind, spirit, attitude, and personality. STEM skill set is more about the ‘desire to know’ than the ‘Knowledge’ itself. A science tutor nurtures this passion in young minds to understand the environment by demonstrating and elaborating the science behind each aspect, be it Physics, Biology or Chemistry. With the expansion in the global markets in scientific fields, there is a need to create pools of talented children who will take on the world in fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). At the same time, it has been found that it is difficult to have certified tutors geographically collocated with every student! Let this not hold you back while you can bridge this gap with online science tutors at eTutorWorld who are accessible worldwide from the comfort zone of your homes!

Online science tutors at eTutorWorld are an aid in acing STEM skills. An experienced science tutor is sensitive to a child’s fascination for the wonders of nature and the environment around him. He keeps alive this feeling of awe and energy while building upon student’s past knowledge and introducing new and related scientific concepts. From a very early age, when still at elementary level, the students are taught to interpret, verify and conclude as they rake up the minds in recalling data.

eTutorWorld has a team of highly qualified online science tutors who explain different scientific concepts using a combination of voice and white board teaching method. The live tutoring sessions at eTutorWorld have made learning really interesting because of the one on one interaction between student and tutor. There are plenty of practice worksheets for periodically assessing the students on their ability to retain information and apply what they have learned. Children are encouraged to ask questions to develop a scientific attitude as they absorb information and gain knowledge. The Online science tutors continuously clarify doubts and reinforce concepts to ensure a deeper level of understanding of science and honing of the much desired STEM skills.

Science tutors are aware that the Human Resource Managers in their recruitment drives tap young analytical minds, testing them on their STEM skills like ability to learn, apply and integrate content, critical and logical thinking, effective communication, and ability to be a good team player or a team leader with a desire to continuously evolve with technological advancements. National Educational Program therefore aims to prepare students right at the primary and secondary level to shape up their personality and sharpen their mental faculty. These students would find it easy to land jobs in the fields like robotics, astronomy and space exploration, architecture, construction and engineering, Research and Development, aeronautics and many more. Even those students who opt for jobs that are not technologically intensive, command a higher pay package at the work place because of their creative thinking, leadership qualities, organizational abilities and trouble shooting skills to name a few!

So don’t let the tide go by, grab the opportunity to build your child up with a well rounded personality and a sharp intellect that would take him places, irrespective of what his calling in life is! Get started; get going by logging onto www.etutorworld.com right now.