12 Mind Blowing Science Experiments To Try Out With Your Tween At Home

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As parents, we know the joy of having fun and educational activities on hand to keep our kids entertained at home. In this blog post, I’ve got you covered with 12 exciting science experiments that will not only provide hours of amusement but also ignite your children’s curiosity. From creating volcanic eruptions to building potato batteries, these experiments are both engaging and educational. So, let’s dive into the world of hands-on science, where learning is a blast and entertainment knows no bounds!

1: Vinegar and Baking Soda Volcano

Get ready for an explosive adventure! As the vinegar meets the baking soda, it creates a fizzing eruption that’s not only visually stunning but also sounds like a mini-volcano. It’s like having a science party in your kitchen.

Materials Needed:

• Empty plastic bottle
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Red food coloring & Party Hat (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place the bottle on a tray.
2. Pour some baking soda into the bottle.
3. Add a few drops of red food coloring to the vinegar for effect.
4. Pour the vinegar into the bottle and witness the magnificent eruption!

2: Rainbow in a Jar

Imagine the amazement when you create a mesmerizing rainbow in a simple glass! Tweens will be captivated by the magical layers forming right before their eyes. It’s like art meets science, and they’re the artists!

Materials Needed:

• Tall clear glass
• Food coloring (Blue, Green & Red)
• Honey
• Blue dish soap
• Water
• Olive oil
• Rubbing alcohol

Instructions:

1. Layer the liquids in the glass in this order: honey mixed with purple food coloring, dish soap, water mixed with green food coloring, olive oil, and rubbing alcohol mixed with red food coloring.
2. Each liquid will sit on top of the other due to their different densities, creating a beautiful rainbow effect.

3: Magic Milk Experiment

Who knew milk could be so enchanting? This experiment turns mundane milk into a swirling canvas of colors. It’s a delightful surprise that’ll leave them wondering, “How did that happen?”

Materials Needed:

• Shallow dish
• Milk
• Food coloring
• Dish soap

Instructions:

1. Pour milk into a shallow dish and add drops of food coloring.
2. Drop some dish soap in the middle of the bowl.
3. Watch in awe as the colors dance and swirl!

4: Mentos and Soda Geyser

Picture this: a pack of Mentos meets a bottle of soda, and WHOOSH! A geyser of fizz shoots skyward. It’s like a mini fireworks show right in your backyard. Pure fizzy fun!

Materials Needed:

• A bottle of soda
• A pack of Mentos candies

Instructions:

1. Open the soda bottle and drop a handful of Mentos inside.
2. Stand back and get ready for a fizzy, explosive reaction this will get messy!

5: Balloon Rocket

Tweens will be over the moon when they see their balloon-powered rocket zooming along a string. It’s a hands-on lesson in physics that’s out of this world!

Materials Needed:

• Balloon
• Straw
• String
• Tape

Instructions:

1. Thread a string through a straw and tape it to two fixed points.
2. Blow up a balloon, pinch the end, and tape it to the straw.
3. Release the balloon and watch it zoom along the string like a rocket!

6: Egg in a Bottle

Tweens will be amazed as they witness atmospheric pressure in action, causing the egg to pop into the bottle. It’s like a magic trick with a scientific twist!

Materials Needed:

• A hard-boiled egg
• A glass bottle
• A piece of paper
• Matches

Instructions:

1. Light a piece of paper on fire and place it inside the bottle.
2. Quickly place the egg over the bottle’s mouth.
3. Watch as the egg gets sucked into the bottle as the air inside cools!

7: Homemade Slime

What’s not to love about slime? It’s gooey, stretchy, and can even make funny noises when you squish it. Plus, they get to customize it with their favorite colors!

Materials Needed:

• Water
• Food coloring
• Body lotion
• Salt
• Wheat flour

Instructions:

1. Add food coloring into a bowl with some water.
2. Mix in any body lotion.
3. Add in wheat flour.
4. Add more lotion & put it in a container for about 15 minutes.
5. Enjoy squishing, stretching, and molding your homemade slime!

8: Homemade Lava Lamp

Who wouldn’t be captivated by colorful bubbles rising and falling in a homemade “lava lamp”? It’s like a mesmerizing light show right at home.

Materials Needed:

• A clear plastic bottle
• Water
• Vegetable oil
• Food coloring
• Alka-Seltzer tablets

Instructions:

1. Fill the bottle one-third full with water.
2. Fill the rest with vegetable oil.
3. Add a few drops of food coloring.
4. Drop in an Alka-Seltzer tablet and watch colorful bubbles rise and fall, just like a lava lamp!

9: Lemon Battery

Tweens will discover that even a humble lemon can produce a bit of electricity. It’s a hands-on introduction to the world of circuits and energy, sparking their curiosity.

Materials Needed:

• Lemon
• Copper wire
• Zinc nail

Instructions:

1. Insert the zinc nail and copper wire into the lemon without letting them touch each other.
2. The lemon generates a small electric current that you can measure with a voltmeter.

10: Oobleck

Oobleck is a mysterious substance that’s both a liquid and a solid. Tweens will be fascinated as they try to figure out its strange properties. It’s science that defies expectations!

Materials Needed:

• Cornstarch
• Water
• Food coloring (optional)

Instructions:

1. Mix cornstarch and water until you get a gooey consistency.
2. Try punching it – it’s both a solid and a liquid!

11: Potato Battery

With just a potato and a few simple materials, they’ll create a working battery that can light up an LED. It’s like magic, but with science as the secret!

Materials Needed:

• Potato
• Zinc and copper electrodes (nails or wires)
• Alligator clips
• LED light

Instructions:

1. Insert the electrodes into the potato without letting them touch each other.
2. Connect them to the LED with alligator clips.
3. The potato acts as a battery to light up the LED!

12: Rainbow Fizzing Eruptions

Imagine the excitement of seeing vibrant colors fizzing and bubbling in each section of the ice cube tray. It’s like a mini fireworks show for budding scientists, and it’s absolutely dazzling!

Materials Needed:

• Baking soda
• Gelatine
• Vinegar
• Various colors of food coloring
• Ice cube tray

Instructions:

1. Mix a good amount of baking soda and some gelatine together.
2. Add a few drops of food coloring into each section of the ice cube tray with water.
3. Put the baking powder and gelatine mixture in each ice cube tray as well.
4. Pour vinegar over it and watch the colorful fizzing eruptions.

These science experiments are not only entertaining but also a fantastic way to introduce your tweens to the wonders of scientific discovery. Encourage them to take notes, ask questions, and make hypotheses. Who knows, you might just be nurturing the next generation of brilliant scientists!