Fourth grade art students are ready for new challenges, like trying out perspective or exploring tessellations. These projects are all well within their abilities but will also encourage your students to push themselves to create cool new works of art they’ll be proud to take home and show off. We’ve got art projects for 4th graders in every medium, so there’s something for all classrooms.
“I believe the art room is a joyful place where every child’s imagination can bloom and grow, with the right amount of nurturing!” says elementary art teacher Caroline M., known on Instagram as @scs.artteacher. “I love creating mixed‑media projects with my students, especially those that celebrate nature and the world around us.”
Caroline encourages art teachers to embrace a wide array of materials and supplies to encourage creativity at home and school. “My goal is to provide an environment that supports curiosity, celebrates process over perfection, and is ultimately a welcoming space where every student’s creative voice and spirit will grow and flourish.”
Explore some of Caroline’s favorite 4th grade art projects below, along with ideas from Lauralee Chambers (@2art.chambers) and Yvette Ackerman (@ackermans_amazing_artists), two more Instagram favorites. Visit their pages for more details and photos of each project!
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4th Grade Art Projects
Courtesy of @2art.chambers
Origami Pencils
Lauralee notes that she loves doing a lesson on “pencil power” at the beginning of the year. Origami pencils give kids a bit of a challenge, just enough to encourage a growth mindset and set them up for a terrific year ahead.
Start by having kids paint or draw in the branches on their background paper of choice. To make the petals, students will be amazed at the cool effect they can get when they double-dip their brushes in two colors of pink paint, then “stamp” the brush down and twist.
This can be a quick project when you use supplies like Roylco butterfly frames and Hygloss cellophane sheets. For a more complex project, have students trace and cut out their own butterfly frames from black construction paper.
Start by spending time looking at pictures of castles from around the world with your class. Then, lead them through a guided-drawing session to create their own castles with the details of their choosing.
Geometric black-and-white patterns contrast beautifully with neon in this striking project. Try it around Valentine’s Day or any time you need to brighten up your art room.
If you haven’t tried foil-marker printing with your students, what are you waiting for? You’ll need water in spray bottles to create that beautiful blended effect. It makes the perfect background for patterned black-and-white leaves.
Here’s another terrific 4th grade art project contrasting color with black-and-white. This one teaches students about depth and 3D effect, as well as shapes like cylinders and ellipses.
Capture the magic of a snowy day with this painting project. Lauralee notes that this lesson teaches composition, texture, and value. Plus, kids will love adding the white paint splatter for snowflakes!
Put the power of symmetry to work by having students paint one half of a spider along the crease of a folded page. While the paint is still wet, fold the paper and press gently to create a balanced spider painting.
For this project, students take a close look at one part of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” and re-create the brush strokes with oil pastels. Spend some time telling them about the artist’s life while they work. “Talking about art is just as important as creating,” Lauralee reminds us. “We hope to nurture well-rounded students who can appreciate art. Not all of them will become artists, but all will need to be visually literate in this world of images.”
Every kid will be excited to create these vibrant cupcakes! Art teacher Caroline from @scs.artteacher uses Crayola Model Magic for this project. Try using silicone cupcake “wrappers” as molds for the bottom.
What better way to urge kids to shoot for the stars than by asking them to draw themselves as astronauts? Chalk pastels give these drawings their vibrant color, with each student choosing the “groovy” design that suits them best.
This modern artist’s style is sure to strike a chord with students. Use the foil-printing method to create colorful backgrounds after students draw the pumpkins.
Students can develop real confidence in their artistic skills through directed drawing sessions. This makes them much more likely to try more drawing activities on their own too.
What a brilliant twist on gingerbread art! The background uses the popular foil-marker printing method. (Caroline notes that this time around, her students used Dab-o-Ink bingo daubers.) Students can sketch any style of gingerbread house they like; it’s the perfect project for those crazy days that lead up to winter break.
Start by having students draw their own patterned paper—Lauralee’s kids used metallic markers on black paper. Cut out acorn caps from their designs, then add them to acorn bottoms cut from wood-grained scrapbooking paper.
Talk with your students about the differences between our left brain and our right brain. Then, ask them to illustrate the part of their brain they feel is their strongest. (Or they can do both!)
When you rip the top layer off a piece of cardboard, you expose the cool textures underneath! Use them to create these fun sandcastle collages—add some real shells for detail if you can.
Use color theory or explore all the colors of the rainbow with this simple project. Lauralee used empty heart-shaped candy boxes, then had students cut strips of construction paper and roll them into tight scrolls. Glue them into place once you have a design you like.
Here’s another project that’s fun for learning color theory, as well as perspective and drawing 3D shapes. Let students choose their own way to “fill” each black-and-white box with color.
Need a simple project with fantastic results? Try these little Crayola Model Magic pumpkins. Use a stiff piece of cardboard to add the segments to flattened balls of clay in colors of your choice. Make the vines from green wire or pipe cleaners.
Circle weaving on paper plates is a pretty standard primary art project. So we love the twist Yvette Ackerman puts on it, using the circle weaving as a background with black paper silhouettes glued on top.
Here’s another surprisingly simple clay project. Roll out a slab of clay, then drape it over an object to create a ghost shape. Cut out the eyes and mouth with a craft knife or pointed stick. Spooky and cool!
Make this a simple project by starting with rainbow-colored paper. Then, guide kids through tracing shamrocks with black markers, adding patterns and using negative space for interest.
Click the button below and fill out the form on this page to receive our free printable bundle with art portfolio cover sheets for every grade, as well as an art project planning sheet and an artist study worksheet.
Have you ever watched as a child stares into an aquarium with awe? Whether it’s the song “Baby Beluga” or the movie Finding Nemo, kids love all things ocean! So you know they’ll be eager to dive into this collection of ocean activities and crafts. Whether it is a science experiment to learn how acid affects seashells, an art lesson where students create their own underwater scene, or a writing prompt about the ocean, students will learn all about our watery planet. Come on in … the water’s fine!
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Science Experiment Recording Worksheet
Our free printable recording worksheet is perfect for any science experiment or demo! Grab yours to use with the ocean experiments shown here.
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Ocean Experiments and Learning Activities
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1. Learn about sea turtles and marine ecosystems
Make a splash with Wild Classroom’s free Sea Turtles and Oceans Toolkit. This ready-to-use resource helps students learn about ocean ecosystems by providing an educator’s guide, presentation, and fun, cross-curricular activities. You will also get bonus resources like quizzes and a video playlist, offering diverse ways to enrich your lessons. It is a great way to build critical thinking skills and inspire a love for ocean conservation.
2. Make an ocean in a bottle
Turn an old water bottle into a mini-aquarium. Fill it about a third of the way with sand. Then drop in some small shells and plastic fish and other sea creatures. Finally, top the bottle off with water (it’s up to you whether you want to dye it light blue first) and screw on the lid. (Avoid spills by adding a few drops of glue to the threads of the cap first.) Now kids can explore the ocean anywhere they go!
All you need for this science experiment is a shallow dish, hot and cold water, and some food coloring. Fill the dish about halfway with cold water that’s tinted light blue. Add some ice and stir so your water becomes very cold. Bring a few cups of water to a boil, adding food coloring to make it very bright red. Slowly (and carefully!) pour some hot water into one corner of the dish. Watch as the warm and cold water swirls and mixes, simulating the ocean currents that are formed the same way!
5. Assemble ocean zone bottles
Learn the zones of the ocean with this simple ocean activity. Round up four empty bottles and label them, one for each zone: sunlight, twilight, midnight, and abyssal. Use food coloring to dye the water in each deeper shades of blue to represent the amount of sunlight that reaches each zone. Finally, drop in a marine animal toy or fish that’s appropriate for each zone.
6. Watch an ocean documentary
Every streaming service is loaded with nature documentaries. Disney+ has an especially robust collection that’s perfect for kids. On Amazon, try Wildest Places or Ocean Mysteries. Netflix’s Our Planet series has episodes on coastal seas and high seas. So many options!
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7. Assign an ocean-themed writing prompt
Adrienne Hathaway for We Are Teachers
Use ocean-themed prompts for daily writing, journal entries, essay topics, bell ringers, or exit tickets. Some possible prompts:
If you were a marine animal, which zone of the ocean would you prefer to live in?
What would it be like to live in a coral reef?
Tell the story of a female sea turtle, from the time she hatches on the beach until she returns to that same beach years later to lay eggs of her own.
Write about a journey in a submarine to explore the deepest parts of the ocean.
Describe a day in the life of a marine biologist. What are they studying, and how do they go about it?
8. Turn paint sample strips into ocean layers
You’ll need paint sample strips in at least four deepening shades of blue; you can also add a beige color for the sandy bottom if you like. (Contact your local paint store for donations if you need more than just a few strips.) Label each paint color with one of the four zones, using deeper colors to represent deeper zones. Kids can write in descriptions of the zones, or add drawings and stickers of marine animals to each.
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9. See ocean waves in action
Adrienne Hathaway for We Are Teachers
Oil and water don’t mix, which makes them the perfect way to observe wave action up close. You’ll need a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, plus water, oil, and blue food coloring. Fill the jar with water about halfway, add a few drops of food coloring, and mix. Fill the container the rest of the way with oil, getting as close to the top of the jar as possible, and put the lid on tightly. Turn the jar on its side and tilt it back and forth. Watch as the waves ripple and react to one another.
10. Host a marine animal fair
Let kids choose their favorite marine animal, then spend time teaching them how to research using trusted sources (see below for a list of kid-friendly ocean resources). Let them choose how they’ll present their animal—posters, dioramas, slideshows, presentations, etc. Then, set up your classroom as a “marine animal fair” and invite other classes and parents to come see what they’ve learned!
11. Draw a life-size whale
Did you know that blue whales are the largest creatures ever to have lived on Earth? They’re even bigger than dinosaurs! Head to the playground with some sidewalk chalk and a tape measure to measure out and draw a life-size blue whale. Kids will be astonished at the results. Find blue whale info from National Geographic here.
12. Explore saltwater density
Adrienne Hathaway for We Are Teachers
Use this easy ocean experiment to show that items float more easily in salt water than fresh. Fill two clear glasses with water about three-quarters of the way. Add 2 tbsp. of salt to one cup, 2 tbsp. of sugar to another, and mix thoroughly. Ask kids to predict what will happen when you drop grapes into each glass, then drop them in to see if they’re right. The grapes should float in the salt water. (Add more salt if they don’t.)
13. Sculpt an ocean floor relief map
Start by learning about Marie Tharp and her groundbreaking work mapping the ocean floor. (She proved plate tectonics with her meticulous work!) Then, use play dough, salt dough, or another medium to represent the depths of one or more of the world’s oceans. It’s an amazing world down there!
14. Put together an ocean animal notebook
Adrienne Hathaway for We Are Teachers
Turn a blank notebook into an ocean reference manual. Draw or paste a picture of an animal on each page, then write in interesting facts about them. This is an ocean activity that will appeal to kids of any age, since you can vary the level of details you include.
15. Discover how ocean acidification affects seashells
One consequence of climate change is the increasing acidification of the world’s oceans. Learn why this matters so much with a simple experiment using seashells and vinegar. Add a shell to a jar, then cover it completely with vinegar. Observe what happens—before long, you’ll see carbon dioxide bubbles form as the vinegar begins to dissolve the calcium in the shell. Leave it long enough and the shell will become fragile and eventually dissolve completely.
16. Dive into an ocean-themed sensory bin
Adrienne Hathaway for We Are Teachers
Make a bigger version of an ocean in a bottle so kids can splash around a bit. Round up shells, toy sea animals, and maybe even a boat or two, then drop them into a bin of water. Every kid will enjoy splashing around while they learn!
17. Simulate and clean up an oil spill
Oil spills at sea are major disasters, affecting life both in the water and on land. Learn about some of the more famous oil spoils in history, then try this experiment. Fill a shallow baking dish about halfway with water. Drop in some small toy fish and sea creatures. Then, add food coloring to some oil and “spill” it into the water. Now, experiment with different methods to clean up the oil. Is it even possible to fully restore the water to its pristine condition?
Ocean Crafts and Art Projects for Kids
18. Download free ocean coloring pages
Adrienne Hathaway for We Are Teachers
Our octopus, whale, and jellyfish coloring pages are perfect for when you need a quick and easy activity for kids. Keep them on hand for early finishers or use them as bell-ringer activities, or display a collection of them for a no-stress bulletin board.
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19. Create an ocean in an egg carton
Give each child an egg carton to paint blue like the ocean. After they’re dry, they can decorate the inside of the lid to look like a reef or sandy floor. Then, they can keep shells, rocks, or fish and marine animal toys in each compartment.
20. Upcycle an ocean zones container
For this ocean craft, you’ll need a tube-shaped container like an empty sanitizing-wipes tub or even a Pringles can. You’ll also need four shades of blue tissue or crepe paper: light, medium, dark, and midnight blue. Spread some glue on the container and wrap the crepe paper around it in an ombre effect, with the lightest blue at the top. Label each layer and add stickers representing the animals that live in each. Now you’ve got an upcycled storage container for your shells or ocean-themed toys.
21. Build LEGO sea creatures
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Pull out the tub of LEGO and set kids free to create. The whole class can work together to set up an ocean-themed diorama, using LEGO bricks to make coral, seaweed, fish, whales, jellyfish, and more.
22. Paint a coral reef with sponges
Here’s another surprisingly easy ocean craft for kids. Cut disposable sponges into coral shapes, then stamp an underwater scene onto blue paper. Use markers, paint, or stickers to add fish and other marine animals to complete the picture.
23. Illustrate inspirational ocean quotes
Have kids choose a quote they love from our big collection of ocean quotes, then turn that quote into a poster. These make perfect hallway displays that will educate and inspire other students!
Starfish, more properly known as “sea stars,” come in a wide variety of sizes and designs, but they all live in salt water. That makes salt dough the perfect medium for this ocean craft. To make it, just mix 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt, and 1 cup of water. Mix and knead until the dough is smooth, then store in an airtight container until you’re ready to use it.
25. Hang paper plate jellyfish
Adrienne Hathaway for We Are Teachers
Cut paper plates in half to create the bell-shaped body of a jellyfish, and let kids paint or color them any way they life. Then, show them how to use a hole punch to create a row of holes along the bottom flat part of the bell. Tie ribbon or yarn to each hole to create dangling tentacles, then hang your ocean crafts.
26. Make a cereal box aquarium diorama
The hardest part of this ocean craft is trimming one large side of the box to form a frame. After that, kids can use construction paper, paint, shells, rocks, and other art supplies to create their own undersea scene. They’ll love the creative aspect of this project.
27. Mix up ocean-themed slime
Use one of our foolproof recipes to show kids how to make their own slime. Then, provide mix-ins like glitter, sequins, and small fish or ocean animals to add to the fun. You know they’re going to love this ocean craft!
This easy ocean craft is a great way to use up old magazines. Kids choose a specific theme, like coral reefs, deep-water creatures, beaches, marine mammals, ocean pollution, and so on. Then, they cut out and paste pictures and words that match their theme. Making collages is a simple art activity that every kid loves.
Resources for Learning About the Ocean
29. Ocean Books for Kids
Adrienne Hathaway for We Are Teachers
Whether you’re looking for picture books or chapter books, fiction or nonfiction, our list of terrific ocean books has got you covered!
Our big list of reliably sourced facts will fascinate and amaze your students! You can even download a free set of Google Slides to share in the classroom.
Looking for online ocean activities? Try the Marine Life Encyclopedia. Kids will get in-depth information about all their favorite sea creatures, from sharks to otters and beyond.
Here’s another website full of online ocean activities. It simulates the thrill of joining actual underwater explorations, from coral reefs to deep-sea trenches.
Just as you’d expect from the Smithsonian, this website is full of information, photos, and more ocean activities. You’ll even find free lesson plans for teachers—score!
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a whole page full of ocean activities, articles, and videos just for kids! There’s a lot here to explore, including plenty of hands-on experiments and exploration ideas.
There’s something about dice that kids like. They’re very hands-on, and there’s the fun of rolling them for whatever reason. They’re also easy to understand. You don’t even need to recognize numerals, you just need to be able to count dots. And there are so many games to play with dice! Here are 20 easy-to-understand, fun dice games to help your students learn various math concepts while rolling along and having some fun.
1. Getting To Know You
Looking for dice games to use at the beginning of the school year? This game doubles as an icebreaker. Use one die and a sheet with six numbered questions on it. Each number on the die will correspond to a question. The questions help students get to know one another. You can prepare them beforehand, or they can be generated by the class. Players take turns rolling the die. Whatever number comes up, they answer the corresponding question, then pass the die to the right. If you get the same number twice, you can roll again or just share one other interesting fact about yourself. Some sample questions:
Which fictional character would you like as a friend?
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
2. Climb the Mountain
Students play in pairs and share three dice. Each player needs a piece of paper with a mountain drawn on it with numbers 1 through 18 written along the mountain edge.
Players take turns rolling the dice and using the numbers that come up to make addition or subtraction problems whose answers are numbers on the mountain. Make as many as you can from your roll. The answer numbers on the mountain are crossed out with each turn and then the other player goes. The player whose mountain is empty of numbers first is the winner.
To make it more challenging, the players must create problems that give the numbers on the mountain in order.
3. Dice Battle
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Pair up students with two pairs of dice each and a collection of small items (counting bears, blocks, pom-poms, etc.). Both players roll their dice and add their own up. Whoever has the highest answer takes an item from the other player. The battle can end when one player has no items left, after a set number of battles, after a set amount of time, or when the teacher calls “battles over.”
4. Coin Roll
Students can work independently or with a partner in this activity. They’ll need a pair of dice and a sheet with three columns: The first column shows the two dice as rolled for each turn. The second column will show the total value of both dice numbers. The third column will show the coins that can be used for that money value.
For example, you roll a 6 and a 3. You draw the die in column 1. In the second column, you write 6 + 3 = 9, and in the third column, you write the fewest coins you could use to make that amount. In this case, a nickel and four pennies.
5. Going to Boston
Looking for classic dice games? Try Going to Boston. It can be played by two or three players. Students will need three dice and a sheet to record their totals in each round. To decide who goes first, let them each roll a single die, and whoever rolls the highest number goes first.
A player rolls all three dice, and the highest number die is put aside. The player now rolls the two remaining dice, takes the higher of those two, and puts it aside. Finally, they roll the last die, then put it aside.
The player adds up all three dice, and that is their total for that round. Record the total for that player on the sheet. Now it’s the next player’s turn to do the same.
If there is a tie in a round, the tying players roll all three dice again. Play a set number of rounds until the time is up. Add up the totals from each round to determine the winner of the game. If at the end of these dice games, there is a tie, the tying players roll all three dice again.
6. Rolling to Six
This number-sequence game is played in pairs. Each player gets a single die. They both roll their die, and when a player rolls a 1, the game begins. From that 1, that player continues to roll until they get a 2, then 3, continuing to 6. The other player must also roll a 1 and continue rolling to get numbers 2 through 6. Whoever reaches 6 first is the winner.
7. Roll and Tell
This is a fun way of talking about a story or book you’ve just read. This dice game can be done with the whole class or in groups. After reading a book, show students the chart with the dice and corresponding questions:
What was the book mainly about?
Who were the main characters?
What was the problem in the story?
Where and when does the story take place?
How was the problem solved?
What was your favorite part of the story?
Have a student roll the die, and the student or the group will answer that number question. Make up your own questions that work best for your students.
8. Fives and Twos
This addition game can be played in pairs or in small groups. All that is needed is five dice and a sheet to record players’ totals for each round.
A player rolls all five dice at the same time. If a 5 or a 2 is rolled, put those aside. The player continues to roll the remaining dice until all dice show a 5 or 2. The players then add their dice up on the recording sheet. Whoever has the highest score for the round is the winner.
9. Fishing Boat Catch
Five dice are needed for this game. A player will roll all five dice at the same time, up to three times, to get a 6 for the Boat, a 5 for the Captain, and a 4 for the Crew. Those are required to go fishing! Once those three are rolled, the Catch is the total of the remaining two dice. (If the 6, 5, and 4 are not rolled after three attempts, the next player rolls.)
Then it’s the next player’s turn. When everyone has had a turn, the player with the highest Catch wins.
10. Don’t Break the Ice
Sarah Cason for We Are Teachers
Provide each player with a plastic cup and use a rubber band to secure a tissue across the opening. Players will also need a toothpick, one die, and small objects (counting bears, LEGO, connecting blocks). Each player takes a turn rolling the dice. If a 2 to 6 is rolled, poke that number of holes in the tissue. If a 1 is rolled, put one of the small objects on the tissue, or if a player’s items fall into the cup, they are out of the game! Continue playing until all the players are out.
11. Perimeter Roll
Pairs of players will need a pair of dice, graph paper, and one colored pencil each (two different colors). A player rolls the dice and uses the two numbers to draw a box that length and width on the graph paper using their colored pencil. For example, if you roll a 3 and a 5, the perimeter will be 3 + 5 +3 + 5. Draw that rectangle using the colored pencil. (Players can color it in.) The next player does the same and draws their box on the graph paper in their color.
Once there is no more room on the graph paper to add any more boxes, the game is over. Players then compute the area of their own boxes and add them up. The player with the most area is the winner.
12. Roll a Funny Face
Engage your artistic students with dice games that incorporate drawing. To play this one, create a chart that has:
Six boxes across the top of the chart, each one with a dice dot amount 1 through 6.
Six boxes along the left side of the chart, each one with the terms “Turn 1: face shape, Turn 2: eyes, Turn 3: nose, Turn 4: mouth, Turn 5: ears, Turn 6: hair.”
Inside the chart across from each Turn, draw choices of those features: different shapes, types of faces, eyes, noses, etc., in silly cartoon designs or animal-like styles.
As the players roll their single die, they will have to read and follow the chart to draw the funny face on a sheet of paper with crayons, markers, or colored pencils.
For example, on Turn 1, you roll a 4, find the face shape for a 4, and draw that face shape. Turn 2, roll a 6, find the eyes for a 6, and draw those eyes.
This can be done independently, in pairs, or in groups. It’s fun to see the final results.
13. Roll and Add to 100
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Pairs of players will need a 100s chart, a pair of dice, and a crayon, marker, or colored pencil (different from each other).
Players roll the dice, add the two numbers together, put an “X” on that spot on the chart, then move ahead that many spaces and put another “X” on that one. Then it is the other player’s turn.
For example, the first player rolls 3 and 5. They put a blue X on 8, then move ahead eight more spaces and put another blue X on 16. That ends that turn. Now it’s the next player’s turn.
Continue playing until one player reaches 100.
14. Don’t Roll a One!
Pairs of players will need a pair of dice and a sheet of lined paper to tally their rolls.
Each player rolls the dice, adds up the total, and records using tally marks. The player can continue to roll the two dice and add up as many times as they like in each turn, stopping when ready, keeping in mind that if they roll a 1, they lose all the points from that turn.
Winning can be determined by a given total number/score, the number of rounds, or a time limit.
15. Point Number
Sarah Cason for We Are Teachers
Pairs of students will need a pair of dice and a sheet of lined paper to tally their scores. Each player rolls the dice. The player with the higher number will go first, and the player with the lower number will roll again to set the “Point Number.”
Once the Point Number is set, the first player rolls both dice. If the point number was rolled, the player gets one point. If double the Point Number was rolled, the player gets two points. No points are scored unless they are the Point Number or double the Point Number.
The first player to get 11 points wins.
16. Roll a High Quotient
Playing in pairs or small groups, students will need three dice and a sheet of paper to record answers.
To play, a player rolls the three dice and chooses two of them to be the double-digit dividend and the third one to be the divisor. The object is to make the largest quotient possible. Each player records their quotients and adds them up at the end of the game. If a quotient comes out evenly, with no remainder, that player gets a bonus of 10 extra points. If there is a remainder, write that down, but do not use it in the final tally. The player with the highest total wins.
For example, you roll 2, 4, and 6. Use 6 and 4 to be the dividend 64 and use 2 to be the divisor. 64 divided by 2 equals 32. That’s your score.
17. Make a Run
This is one of the dice games that can be played with two or more players. Players will need six dice and a sheet of paper to record scores.
A player rolls all six dice and tries to make a “run.” A run is any number in sequence, including odd/even numbers, and multiples. You need at least three numbers in sequence to be considered a run. For each number in the run, a player earns five points. A die can only be used in one run. But a player can create more than one run in a turn. Play until a player reaches 100 points.
For example, a player rolls 2, 4, 6, 3, 3, 1. A possible run could be 1, 2, 3, 4 (in sequence), scoring 20 points, and 3, 6 (multiples), scoring 10 points for a total of 30 points in that round.
18. Add Then Multiply
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Pairs of players need three dice and a sheet to record scores (and possibly some calculations). On their turn, a player will roll all three dice, adding two of them together and multiplying by the third one. Each player records their score for each round on the sheet. At the end of the game, players will add up the scores from all their rounds. Highest score wins. For example, if you roll 3, 4, and 2, you could add 2 and 4 together and get 6. You would then multiply 6 by the remaining number, 3, so 6 x 3 = 18.
Play can go to a certain score, a certain number of rounds, or a set amount of time.
19. Ten Multiples
This can be played in pairs or small groups. Provide one pair of dice for the players to share and a sheet of paper for each player.
A player rolls the two dice and adds them together. They use that sum as the first in a series of 10 multiples of that sum. For example, if you roll a 3 and a 4, the sum is 7. The multiples of 7 are: 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, and 70.
The teacher can decide at some point to have students do this orally rather than on paper.
20. Fishy Addition or Multiplication
Each student will need crayons or colored pencils and a prepared sheet with outlines of fish (teacher is to decide on that number) and a sum or product written on the fish. The numbers will be determined by whether the skill is addition or multiplication.
A student rolls the dice, adds or multiplies the two numbers, and colors in the fish that corresponds to the answer.
Autumn is in the air, and you can hardly look to the left or right without seeing an abundance of creative inspiration in the form of pumpkins, scarecrows, sunflowers, and foliage. Whether you prefer Halloween or Thanksgiving, they both provide plenty of inspiration for your next art project. Jack-o’-lanterns, witches, spiders, candy corn, and turkeys are just some of our favorites. We have something for every age and in every medium in our list below. So grab your favorite art supplies and get to work on some of these awesome fall art projects!
Fantastic Fun and Learning
1. Fall Tree Sticker Scene
We love this idea because it is no-mess and low-prep. Make a tree on some white paper, then let your students go to town decorating it with a bowl full of fun fall stickers!
We love this project since it teaches an art lesson on positive and negative spaces. Use painter’s tape to put a leaf template on some black card stock, then let your students smudge chalk pastel all around it. Finally, remove the tape and admire the finished project!
Older students will surely enjoy this pumpkin doodle project. Zentangles are not only fun, they offer stress-relieving qualities for busy high schoolers!
Be sure to have some pretty scrapbooking paper on hand so students have options to personalize their scarecrows. Once they’re finished, they can put on a puppet show for you!
This sunflower collage can work for students as young as preschool or as old as high school since the size of your scraps and the detail included are up to the artist.
As far as fall art projects go, this one can be done last-minute since all you need is some construction paper, a Sharpie, glue, and some scissors. Have students create as many unique trees as they want before gluing them in the layout of their choosing.
This turkey headband is the perfect craft to do before Thanksgiving break in November. While relatively easy, you may want to have an extra set of hands around to measure little heads.
Making a puppet from a paper bag is a rite of passage for any kid, so why not have your students try their hand at this adorable scarecrow? Sit back and watch the imaginative free play once their puppet friends are finished.
No list of fall art projects would be complete without some Halloween imagery. Rather than have your old magazines end up in a landfill, why not use them to create a fun jack-o’-lantern collage?
Surprisingly simple to create, we just love these spooky black cats. This project will work on young students’ dexterity since they will need to fold their paper accordion-style.
These apples look so tasty we just want to take a bite out of them! This is simultaneously an art lesson and a science experiment since students will be mixing their own puffy paint.
While not exactly scary, these sweet witches will be sure to delight your students. Although they are cute on their own, the light-up tea-light noses really put them over the edge!
So simple and yet so adorable, we can’t get enough of these fall gnomes. Cut out a hat from some fall-themed scrapbook paper, select a fake fall leaf for a beard, then staple a nose on to tie it all together.
Bring your students outside for a fall hike, have them collect leaves of all sizes and shapes, then let them create their own unique leaf person. Have some googly eyes and markers on hand so your students can get really creative.
These paper plate candy corns are the perfect art project to do during the month of October. Grab your scissors and orange and yellow paint and get to work!
While you’ll need to check for allergies before proceeding with this craft, the end result is just too precious. Once their masterpiece is complete, let your students enjoy the extra candy.
Painting pumpkins should be included in any list of fall art projects. Q-tips make for the perfect paintbrushes for small pumpkins since you can make small, precise designs. Be sure to use non-washable paints if you want to display them outside.
This project is perfect for working on motor skills since students will need to string the beads on their pipe cleaners and twist them into shape. An added bonus is they make for the cutest table decor during Thanksgiving dinner.
This is the perfect art project to break out when you need a time filler since it can be worked on and then put away for later. The finished product will be oh-so satisfying to look at!
Finger painting is as synonymous with preschool as apple trees are with fall. This handprint/fingerprint tree will surely end up on refrigerators everywhere.
Who says coffee filters are just for coffee and window washing? Use a stencil to create a spooky tree silhouette, paint a coffee filter, then put it all together for the perfect window decoration.
We love this spider project since it is really two crafts in one. Have your students start collecting empty toilet paper rolls in the weeks before you plan to do this art project.
You can use toilet paper and paper towel rolls for the base of these wind socks, or you can choose colored card stock folded into shape. You’ll also need some fall stickers and autumn-colored crepe paper to complete this pretty decoration.
Kids can use a funnel to fill orange balloons with rice. We especially love that it helps kids develop their gross motor skills. Finally, supply kids with Sharpies and let them decorate their pumpkin’s face.
Washi tape can be a little pricey, so stock up when it’s on sale. Have kids cut pumpkin shapes out of orange construction paper, and then let them decorate their pumpkins with orange and yellow washi tape. Finally, add a stem and some leaves.
We love a good recycling project that also doubles as a cute craft. Have your students scavenge at home for puzzles that are missing pieces. Then, gather all the puzzle pieces, paint them in fall colors, and let them dry. Finally, assemble them into a wreath and add a cute fall-themed bow.
As far as fall art projects go, this is one of the tastiest we’ve ever seen. Gather all different types of candy and a cardboard wreath base. Then, get gluing all your candy down before topping it off with a bow!
Some fall art projects, like this one, are best suited for older kids and teens since they are a bit more involved. Repurpose some old books by painting the pages and creating this high-end-looking pumpkin art!
Who doesn’t love a good macaroni art project? Have your students paint macaroni in fall colors. Then, while waiting for them to dry, have them create the base for their tree. Finally, glue those wonderfully fall-themed macaroni leaves on your tree or on the ground.
Whether it’s cooperation, strategy, academics, or just fun, there’s a game for that! From classic to brand-new, here are 41 of the best board games and other games for kids. These games also make for great classroom play staples for indoor recess, centers, and skill building. And they’re great gifts for family nights and ways to occupy kids on rainy days at home.
Cooperative Games for Kids
These games challenge kids to work together to achieve a goal or complete a task.
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1. Outfoxed!
This is a classic whodunit where students work together to figure out which fox stole the pie. It’s a combination of strategy and cooperation and will never be the same game twice.
Teacher review: “I love this game. I’ve been teaching first grade for 25 years and I think this is one of my favorite games for my students (and I have HUNDREDS). The kids catch on quickly and absolutely LOVE this game. It’s one of their favorites!”
Create paths between the princess and the knight with these 48 puzzles of increasing difficulty. The classroom bonus of this logic game (along with Castle Logix, Three Little Piggies, and Little Red Riding Hood from the same company) is in the built-in flexibility. This is one of the best puzzle games for elementary students and beyond, as students can work alone or with peers, progress through the series at their own pace, and check their own answers.
Parent review: “Probably my favorite game my almost 5-year-old twins got this Christmas. They quickly learned how to set up and work through the challenges. Love also that they can play alone or problem solve together.”
This fancy version of the “What am I?” game is hilarious and a language booster. Use the cards provided or make your own to review vocabulary or content information.
Family review: “I gave this to my nephew (6) and niece (4) and the whole family enjoyed it. It doesn’t require reading skills, all clues are pictures of kid-recognizable items and the little ones can play along with the ‘big kids.’ Good time for everyone.”
Players create a growing map by matching tiles that include rivers, roads, and train track routes. We love leaving this out as a “community game” for students to stop by and play a few turns during a free moment. It is an excellent extension during a mapping unit too.
Teacher review: “Many different ways to play this game. There are easier versions and more difficult ones. You can play it using colors, shapes, or both. A good beginner game. I use it in my kindergarten classroom and we play the more difficult game, using shapes and colors together. Easily learned.”
If you’re looking for simple board games for kids that offer both structure and fun, try this one. This game of classroom charades awards participants for creativity in acting out silly scenarios. It’s easily adaptable for team play during a whole-class brain break.
Teacher review: “Lovely game, great concept. My young students love the spinner. 3rd time playing they have solved it as much as possible. Beautiful product, simple game.”
Students flick and spin penguins through a game course made from nesting cardboard boxes. Up to three students must race around the board to collect fish from various locations, while another student is the hall monitor who tries to bump the penguins and win their fish. The students racing can work together to collect fish and out-spin the hall monitor.
Teacher review: “I have never played a game like this. The graphics are cute, the game takes some skill but you can still win even when you’re not very good at it. Rules are not very complicated, but you have to do a practice game while you explain the rules. You flick weeble-wobble player pieces from room to room (cardboard boxes that attach together firmly and quickly) and either collect fish pieces or try to catch the other players. A round of the game with three players might take about 15 to 25 minutes. My 5th grade students go crazy for this game.”
In this cooperative maze game, players work as a team to maneuver a gnome around the maze. The trick is they have to move quickly to find the thief who stole the queen’s treasures.
Teacher review: “Everyone loved this game at Xmas family functions, from 5 to 70. Bought it as a joke for my boyfriend, who turns into an amazing gnome at Halloween. Turns out it’s a great team & language building tool. Can’t wait to take it to school as an educational game for 1st-5th graders. Love that is cooperative and no one is a loser.”
Each player has an island-shaped game board. The players choose how to set up the adventure figures and temples. Then, a lead adventurer selects and calls out which tiles to use for each turn. Players decide whether to place the tile on the board or redeem it to move an adventurer toward the temple. There are special tiles that kids can land on along the way for gems or gold pieces.
Teacher review: “Definitely different from most board games. Nice quality, easy to learn. My students enjoyed it. Game is short enough to play in short amount of time.”
Looking for SEL games for the kids in your classroom? Build memory skills and explore diverse feelings with this fun, interactive memory game! The Express Your Feelings Memory Match Game features a wide variety of expressive faces that reflect how emotions can look and feel different.
Teacher review: “Picked this up to reinforce facial identification and emotion labeling for a child with autism. It seems to support some of our therapy goals in a playful way. I like that there are two ways to match for play. Only con is some of the expressions or labeled emotions are a little obscure/a stretch imo, but we have no problem finding something else appropriate to label them alternatively.”
These games require kids to think through different approaches and ways of solving a problem or completing the game.
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10. Blokus Trigon
A take on the original Blokus version (for up to four players), this allows even more students to play. Be the player to get as many of your pieces onto the board before being blocked.
Teacher review: “My 12-year-old son and I play this game a lot. I work with high school students and they enjoy playing this too.”
Here’s another well-loved logic puzzle game that students can play alone or with peers. We love having this on hand for kids who need an extra challenge.
Teacher review: “I am a high school math teacher, and I find that the Rush Hour game is great even for older kids! Although they might scoff, they are in fact fascinated by it and keep challenging each other. And if teenagers can’t break it, I don’t know who can.”
Whether you’ve held onto a vintage set or you want to snag the newer version with updated colors, this code-making-and-breaking game is a perennial favorite for indoor recess or kids who finish their work early.
Teacher review: “I used to play this game with my son who has Asperger’s syndrome. It’s a fun game and I think it builds brain function. 20 years later, I’m a 7th grade (12 yrs. old) teacher and my students play it during free time. They get to pick from 7 different games and this one always goes first. They love it!”
This Connect 4 and tic-tac-toe hybrid requires no setup and encourages kids to think one step ahead. Stack X and O blocks to try to get a row of four—but with different colors and symbols on each block face, students need to be careful their move doesn’t inadvertently win the game for their opponent.
Teacher review: “Fun and easy game to learn … use it in my classroom, ordered 2, students really like it.”
This strategy game also builds geography and environmental knowledge. In Planet, kids build an ecosystem from scratch. Each person has a 12-sided three-dimensional “planet” that they add terrain to and collect animal cards for.
User review: “Planet is a fun game. Basically, you’re trying to create a world that has the most of your element and also attract lots of different animals based on what environment they need. Built on a fun concept, fairly easy to learn, and stays fun. WARNING: Don’t play this game if you don’t like strategy. Probably 70% to 90% strategy.”
If you want to engage kids who love video games, try this low-tech board game version of Tetris. Students have to think through a strategy for completing their Tetris board while also thinking about what other students are going to choose.
Teacher review: “I bought a bunch of rainbow-colored games to spice up my review games for my students. They have to read and spell a word before playing their turn in a game. I bought the rainbow Tetris game and the rainbow Jenga. I call it rainbow review day and the students love them.”
The classic game of coordinates and planning ahead is fun to play and even more fun to win! Be the first to sink your opponent’s battleship.
Teacher review: “I am a middle school teacher and bought this for school to be played during an end-of-the-day activity period. As expected, it’s a hit. The newer design isn’t flimsy like I feel some newer games have become—there’s a little initial setup (punching out plastic boats and dividing up the pegs between 2 boards), but after that, it’s smooth sailing (pun intended). It’s a great game for a variety of ages, easy to catch on, fun to play, and keeps kids occupied a while. I am as much a fan as I was when I played as a kid!”
These are some of the best board games and other games to get kids practicing reading, math, and content knowledge while playing together.
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17. Proof!
Here’s a great option that allows advanced and upper elementary students to sharpen their mental math skills. Players create equations hidden among nine number cards.
Teacher review: “It’s a bit expensive on a teacher salary, but my students absolutely love it! What’s best is it’s automatically differentiated because they do what they are able to do!”
Games and puzzles from EeBoo always win for visual appeal, but this one also scores high for being educational. Tackle a skill that all kids need to learn in a fun and engaging way. Adaptable for telling time to the hour, half hour, five minutes, and a minute—this is a ready-made math center. If you’re looking for board games that teach kids how to tell time, give this one a try.
Teacher review: “Fun game! Used in my 2nd grade classroom. Kids loved it!”
Players must match noun cards to relevant adjective cards. This is one of our fave games for vocabulary development, especially for ELL students. It’s simple to customize it to utilize words you want to target too.
Teacher review: “I bought this for my classroom. Since the cards are all kept in one box, it is hard for my students to keep the green and red cards separate when cleaning them up. Otherwise, this is a great game for kids.”
This unique storytelling game is an awesome addition to the ELA classroom. Players must describe fantastical cards in creative ways and decipher the descriptions of others. We love how this game can give striving readers and writers the chance to shine creatively.
Teacher review: “I use this game with a small group of gifted students and it is amazing. Will get some expansion packs to keep interest high. The cards are beautiful art in and of themselves.”
These card games are like 20 Questions (well, 10 questions) with themes. There are Guess in 10 games for animals, states, and American cities. Students combine questioning skills with recalling facts, and they build knowledge about whatever topic they’re asking about.
Teacher review: “When we combine end-of-the day free time with kindergarten, a teacher and I go head-to-head with 2 or 3 students on our teams. The kids love it. Some kids outshine the adults. Great times with lots of laughs.”
A lesson on geography and a board game? Count me in! Connect iconic North American cities across a map of 20th-century USA and build your train routes to earn points.
Teacher review: “A totally enjoyable game! I bought it to play with my family and with my ESL students – works well in both cases! Absolutely worth it! Will probably buy TTR Europe as well.”
Capitalize on kids’ love of trading cards with this card game that allows students to choose the statistic that will “trump” opponents. Decks come in many topics, from Harry Potter to geography to dogs. Don’t see a deck on the topic you want? Once they know the game, kids love to create their own decks too.
Teacher review: “Great easy, fun game for students and families. I use them both in school (and during distant learning—great facts and fun for students to use) and at home. Easy car game for family trips (teens even join in and enjoy). Great way to incorporate social play and learning with students. Fun way to get students to learn and compare while thinking they are just playing a game. Many students after playing a topic want to gather more information about the various topics!”
Teaching an anatomy lesson? It’s time to break out the Operation game! Cavity Sam is under the weather, but students can make him feel better again.
Teacher review: “My students liked this game but were rough with it. This one had to find a home at the house to take a break. I grew up playing this game with my siblings and one of them was my brother who could not be beat, but he taught me some tricks to get the pieces out without setting off the buzzer.”
This is a different spin on the classic Monopoly game. Here players buy property and physically stack buildings with the building blocks. It’s one of the best board games for elementary students that teaches money and negotiation skills.
User review: “Most Monopoly games take a long time to play. Not this one. It was easy to learn and fun to play and doesn’t take an hour or more to play. I like that we can sit down for half hour-ish and get through a game. Gives time together without taking away half a day.”
Make sure to add this to your classroom collection of classic board games for kids. This enduring game is one of our favorites on the list of best board games for elementary classes. Its deductive reasoning builds vocabulary and language skills, and beyond the original cast of characters, there are limitless possibilities for adapting this game to help students review content information. Just replace the cards with pictures related to your curriculum.
Teacher review: “I bought this to use with students. Like other reviewers mentioned, it does feel a little flimsier than other versions. I just laminated the cards to make sure they withstood little hands constantly messing with them!”
These games check all the boxes for great games and are sure to become favorites on your game shelf.
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31. Tenzi
Simple to learn and easy to adapt and extend, Tenzi makes for the perfect classroom math game, especially for kids who love to go fast. Be sure to check out our other favorite dice games for the classroom.
Teacher review: “Bought this for my classroom and my students love it! Can become very competitive!”
There’s something so satisfying about these smooth wooden tiles. Scale down this attribute-matching game for younger students, or unleash older kiddos to wage full-on strategy battles.
Teacher review: “I played this game in a college class and came to love how it can help develop planning ahead and different math concepts. I teach 6th grade math and my students play when they are done with their work.”
It takes patience, a steady hand, and thoughtful consideration to place wire pieces on the game structure without toppling it. This is a fun game to connect to STEM explorations of structures or balance.
User review: “Great visuospatial and strategy game for 1 or more players. High-quality pieces and a small storage footprint.”
Players create wobbly towers and bridges, then watch out for spider monkeys and engage in rhino battles. This game will be a favorite during indoor recess.
User review: “This game is amazing. I work with kiddos of many ages and each loves it. This is a well-requested game. It helps with knowing body awareness and thinking through the next step. The spider monkeys make the game just that much more! I would highly recommend.”
Sometimes the best games get kids up and moving. These games are a great way to get kids out of their seats.
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36. Twister Ultimate
For indoor recess or a movement break, this updated version of the standby group game will get everyone out of their seats and laughing. The larger play mat lets more kids join in the fun!
Teacher review: “I used this in class with students to review the alphabet. I used masking tape to create letters on each of the circles, and then we played like Twister. All in all, great game!”
A card game plus dodgeball with toy burritos. Students collect cards, earn points, and throw burritos to win.
Teacher review: “Any reason to throw things at each other! The game gets very competitive and generates lots of laughs. It was great for the last week of school when we were done with curriculum.”
One of the best games for kids that needs no explanation. Students create Floor Is Lava challenges using the mats and cards.
Teacher review: “I bought this for indoor recess and an end-of-the-year countdown. I teach kindergarten so I was worried about how chaotic it would be … but it was SO MUCH FUN! Any teacher should buy this even if you teach older kids. It is a nice way to take a break and get active!”
This game uses four different-colored game pieces that players tap to win. There are four different variations: Each one involves assigning a student a color and then tapping it along with the game—within 60 seconds, in an order, in a pattern, etc. It’s a fun way to improve response time and hand-eye coordination.
Teacher review: “I am a teacher and a mom and I use this game all the time to teach colors, reaction time, direction, and more! I love it.”
This is one of the best award-winning board games for kids. It delivers excitement with its diverse array of challenges where participants can showcase their agility and cleverness through tasks like stacking cups into a pyramid blindfolded, bouncing a ball off a wall and catching it behind their back, or balancing dice on a chopstick.
Teacher review: “I am a teacher and I have two boxes and small classes. The kids teamed up and we used one deck of cards. Each team challenged the others till we had one team winner. We were laughing and really enjoying ourselves. I might start the school year off this way so the kids and start off having laughs. We really had a lot of fun!”
Players dive into a series of outlandish dexterity-based challenges, where they’ll need to bounce, flip, stack, hop, roll, blow, balance, and catapult their way to the top.
Teacher review: “Super fun game! I used this in my classroom and with my family. The challenges are so much fun for adults and kids! I highly recommend!”
Kids have to know their math facts. Practicing them can be fun, even when flash cards are involved, when you use these math facts games and activities. Check out these ideas for engaging kids in practice with hands-on games, center activities, crafts, and online games.
This is a simpler version of Yahtzee, and it’s a cool way to practice multiplication. If you use two dice instead of one, kids can practice their facts up to 12.
If you’ve ever played Dots and Boxes, this will look familiar. Players roll two dice (try these polyhedral dice to expand the facts in play), and draw a line to connect two dots next to the answer. If they complete a box, they color it in with their own marker.
This free printable is completely editable, so you can use it for any type of math facts practice. Kids choose a problem and give the answer. If they get it right, they cover it with their marker. When they get four in a row, they win!
Don’t confuse Sticky Math with timed tests. The goal is just for kids to complete as many problems as possible in a set amount of time, then work to beat that record each time.
Dice games are fun and versatile! With this one, kids practice their addition facts and get a little work with subitizing too. The concept is so simple: Each player rolls the dice and adds up their numbers. The highest sum wins that round. This is three math facts games in one since you can use it for subtraction and multiplication as well as addition.
Fill a variety of bags with collections of small objects. Kids grab a handful from two different bags, then count and add up the results. Be sure they write it all down to get practice at setting up equations. (Try this with subtraction and multiplication facts too.)
This game has been played for hundreds of years, but it’s a fun and sneaky way to practice addition facts fluency. The goal is to “close” each of the numbers in the box from 1 to 9 by rolling the dice. For instance, if a player rolls 11, they may close 1, 2, 3, and 5, as these add up to 11. If no numbers are available to add up to the dice total, play passes to the next player and continues until someone finally “shuts the box” by closing the last available number. You can play this game as people have for centuries with a specially designed box. You don’t need the box, though; simply have kids write out the numbers 1 through 9 and cross them out as they play.
Each student flips two cards, then adds them (or subtracts or multiplies). The person with the highest total keeps both cards. For a tiebreaker, flip another card. See more rules at the link.
Using an egg carton, have students write the numbers 1 through 12 in the bottom of each depression. Place two marbles inside the egg carton and close the lid. Shake the egg carton, open the top, and then add, subtract, or multiply whichever two numbers the marbles have landed on.
Dominoes are perfect for math facts practice! Keep it simple by pulling a domino from a bag, then adding, subtracting, or multiplying the two numbers.
For even more fun, print the free puzzles at the link below. Then start filling in the puzzle one piece at a time by placing a domino that adds up to the number shown in each rectangle. The trick is that regular domino rules still apply, so each number must touch another domino with the same number on that end.
These number search puzzles are harder than they look. First, kids complete the addition facts. Then, they search for those equations in the puzzle. Get three free puzzles at the link, where you can purchase more if you like them.
When it comes down to it, flash cards are still one of the best ways to practice fact fluency. The goal of this flash-card game is to lay out 15 flash cards in a row by the total of their sums (or differences, products, or dividends), from smallest to largest.
All it takes is paper plates, glue, and a marker to help your students learn their math facts. Up the fun factor by having students decorate their plates any way their imagination can dream up!
You know your elementary math students are going to love this! Build your own whack-a-mole 10-frame with a shoebox and Ping-Pong balls. Then, have kids whack the balls to practice their subtraction facts. So fun!
Lay out a grid like the one shown that has the answers to whatever set of math flash cards you’re currently working with. (This teacher used masking tape; you could also do sidewalk chalk on the playground.) Two players face off, one on each side of the board. Show the flash card, and kids race to be the first to jump to the correct square with both feet inside the lines. Get all the rules at the link below.
Tape a series of flash cards to the floor and challenge kids to see who can correctly make their way from start to finish the fastest. They can call out the answers or write them down, but they have to get it right before they move on. Kids can race side by side or work independently to beat their own best time.
This is a creative way to teach math facts. Start by drawing the center of a flower and write any number from 1 to 9 in the middle. Next, draw 12 petals around the center, labeling them 1 through 12. Last, draw another 12 petals and write the sum or product of the center number and the petal adjacent to the new petal.
Draw a winding path and fill the spaces with math equations. Kids roll the dice and move from space to space (have them jump, skip, or twirl to mix things up). If they get the answer right, they move to the new space. If not, their turn is over. Customizable math facts games like this can be used at any level.
Math facts bingo is so easy to set up and play. Give kids empty grids and ask them to write various sums, differences, products, or quotients, depending on what you’re working on. Then call out math problems and have them cover the answers. First to fill in a row wins.
Label a checkerboard with math facts. Play checkers as usual, following the traditional rules. The twist is, you must solve the math problem you land on.
This is so clever. Grab some name tags and write math facts on each. Give a tag to each of your students. For the remainder of the day, everyone will refer to one another by the answer to the equation on their tag (e.g., the student with the name tag that says 7×6 would be referred to as “42”).
Who doesn’t love to play Twister? Use stickies to place answers to addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division problems on a standard Twister mat. Write numbers used in the problems on stickies and place them on the spinner. Your students will love getting out of their seats to place their hands or feet on the correct answer!
Here’s another great activity for your students who like to learn on the move. Prepare a game board with the answers to the math facts you want to review. Call out the problem, and your students will enthusiastically swat the answer. This can be played with individual students or with two or more as a competition.
This exciting game combines strategic thinking and fact mastery. Students roll a die and decide if they want the digit to count as a 1 or a 10, i.e., a roll of 3 could be used as 3 or 30. Students add their results as they go. The winner is the student who gets closest to 101 without going over.
In this activity, the teacher sets up a class “toy store” and prices each type of item. Students get to shop and fill out an order form, on which they write the unit price and number of items they wish to purchase. Finally, they multiply the number of items by the price, add it all up, and come up with a grand total.
Get 10 empty toilet paper rolls, a ball, and a pencil and paper for keeping score. After setting up the “lane,” students roll the ball, knock down as many pins as possible, then record the result on their scoresheet. For example, 10 – 3 = 7. On the second roll, they start with 7 and subtract the number of pins they knock down on their scoresheet.
This is another great game that combines strategy with mastery of addition and subtraction facts. Students begin by writing a number line from 0 to 20. The first player circles two numbers, then circles the sum or difference of the first two numbers. Player 2 takes the first player’s result, circles another number, then circles the sum or difference of those two numbers. The winner successfully blocks their opponent from being able to complete another problem.
This exciting competition is for the entire class. Two students stand back-to-back and write a number on the board that they can see but their opponent can’t. A third student calls out the answer to a math problem using the two numbers, like “the product is 30” or “the sum is 11.” The first student to identify their opponent’s number is the winner!
Set up little targets with math facts to enrich your students’ knowledge of the topic. Then students get to shoot the targets that have the correct answer with a Nerf gun!
As long as your classroom doesn’t get too rowdy trying to mess around with these cootie catcher activities, this is one of the perfect math facts games to get your entire classroom involved, from setting up the actual cootie catchers to playing multiple different games with them.
Write answers to math facts on the sidewalk. Give students water bottles and tell them a math fact. Students say the answer and spray the number to erase it. A great activity for a sunny day.
Make these DIY pancakes and have your students serve up addition problems to one another. The possibilities for these math facts games are endless with this fun format of addition problems.
Cut out pieces of paper with addition and subtraction problems on them, and spread them across the floor of your room so your students can hop from problem to problem.
Answer eight multiplication problems before aiming and shooting cannonballs at targets. Students will get their math fact practice in and sharpen their aim.
Aim and shoot dinosaur eggs in a line to solve multiplication problems in this game. The faster you clear the line of balls by solving problems, the more points you earn.
This game is for more advanced mathematician gamers. The evil Horrefedous has hidden four mythical creatures in a castle. Players defeat enemies to get to the creatures using multiplication and division skills.
Fifth grade art students are starting to master more advanced skills and techniques, and the work they create is really something to be proud of. These project ideas will expose them to new artists and concepts and help them find the creative artist within!
In Art We Trust
1. Illustrate your name
This is a perfect project to kick off the school year. Kids illustrate their names with items that fit their style and personality. It will help you get to know them and assess their art skills at the same time.
We all know kids (and adults!) love LEGO. That’s what makes these portraits so cool! Kids draw themselves as minifigs, starting with basic shapes and adding details as they go.
This is one of those activities with such impressive results that you’ll be amazed it can be done by fifth grade art students! Take a look at Jasper Johns’ number paintings, then use stencils and rulers to create your own incredible designs.
The color wheel is a basic art concept your students have probably mastered by now, so take things a step further by crafting 3D color wheel spheres instead. This is an easy project that requires nothing more than paper plates, paint, and paper clips.
Picasso’s mind-bending works stimulate students to look at the world in a whole new way. This cardboard relief portrait is all about deconstructing and reassembling to find a new perspective.
Hokusai’s woodblock prints are the inspiration for these paper lanterns. Use watercolors to create soft images, then fold the paper into lanterns to hang from the ceiling.
It may look complicated, but this fifth grade art idea starts with basic concentric curved lines that any student can draw. The magic comes when you fill in with Sharpies, then shade with colored pencils.
The coiling method of ceramics is really accessible for everyone. Though it’s often used to make pots, we love how it works for these colorful coil sculptures too.
Explore the concepts of positive and negative space with this cool paper craft. Kids will have to be very careful as they cut so their reflections will be exact.
The watercolor resist method is an eternal art room favorite. It’s terrific for creating a snowy winter scene with dreamy watercolors and stark bare trees.
Zentangles have become popular in recent years as a way to relax and de-stress. Teach students how they work, building designs around the negative space of their initial.
This sculpture project requires your fifth grade art students to tap into their engineering skills too. They’ll have to figure out how to balance their letters in a way that’s pleasing to the eye but also stable enough to stay in place.
Grant Wood’s American Gothic is one of those iconic paintings everyone knows. That’s what makes this parody project a real hoot! Kids re-create the painting with a new pair of main characters, showing that art definitely has room for humor.
There are so many details in these cool bird nests that you’ll just want to stare at them for hours. Start with a painting, then add 3D elements like twigs and clay bird eggs.
This pop art project starts with a directed drawing lesson, as kids learn to create the various paintbrushes. Then they add color and paint speckles to bring the piece to life.
Review terms like horizon and background with these soft lighthouse landscapes. Use white crayon on black construction paper to add depth to the lighthouse itself.
Here’s another awesome blending activity, this time with oil pastels. Kids can draw sunflowers with true-to-life colors or use their imaginations to create any color scheme they like.
Start by mixing paint and paste to create a thick mixture to spread on paper. Then create patterns with your fingers, a fork, or any other object. Finish by cutting one page into strips and weaving it into the other.
Combine multiple art styles in one awesome project. In the center, students draw their subject realistically. On either side, they draw the same object in abstract and non-objective forms.
For kids who feel overwhelmed by drawing, try the grid method. Break a drawing into grid sections, copying each section one at a time. It makes a big project seem much more manageable.
This is part fifth grade art project, part writing project. Kids fold paper using a bookmaking technique called “squash books,” then write and illustrate the sections to tell all about themselves.
Banyan trees are works of art in themselves, so they’re sure to inspire your students to create beautiful pieces. They can show the trailing roots reflected in water or imagine them underground.
Keith Haring’s vivid graffiti style is instantly appealing to kids, so they’ll enjoy creating their own breakdancing scenes. All you really need is paper and markers for this quick project.
Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama made incredible art using only dots of different sizes. Challenge your students to do the same with these clever pumpkin prints mounted on stencil-rolled backgrounds.
Elements of art are stylistic features that are included within an art piece to help the artist communicate. This creative project demonstrates all seven.
Water is the best way to beat the heat! Grab beach towels and sunscreen, fill up the water balloons, and roll out the hose. Here are the best 50+ water activities to get kids—from toddlers to teens—learning and having fun in the summer sun.
Housing a Forest
1. Turn a plastic bottle into a sprinkler
No sprinkler? No problem! Upcycle a plastic water bottle and use your DIY sprinkler for all kinds of water activities.
Grab the sidewalk chalk and plant a garden of colorful alphabet flowers. Then fill a watering can and “water” the flowers, calling out the letters along the way.
A sealed plastic bag is the perfect environment for re-creating the water cycle. Hang it in a sunny window and watch evaporation, condensation, and precipitation in action.
Water balloons are fun, but they’re wasteful and messy too. These reusable “water bombs” are cheap, easy to make, and can be used for water activities over and over again.
Brush up on your engineering skills and assemble a water wheel with paper plates and cups. Try it out in the sink, or take it outside and use a hose instead.
This trendy toy is all over the web, but there’s no need to spend big bucks to buy one. Instead, get some plastic sheeting and a hose and make your own.
STEM water activities are fun, educational, and perfect for summertime exploration! Scoop up water from a creek or lake, then see how different types of filtration work.
Add a new twist to the classic game of tag! The kid who’s “It” gets the water bottle and chases the others down. If you’re hit by the spray, it’s your turn to be “It”!
Save bottle caps and paint letters on them. Then mix them all up in a big bowl of “soup” and let kids have fun scooping them out with spoons, ladles, or other tools.
This is one of those STEM water activities that you simply have to see to believe. Pierce a water-filled bag again and again without spilling a drop of water!
This colorful, tuneful activity is sure to be a hit with kids of all ages. Experiment with different water depths and mallet styles to make all kinds of beautiful music.
It’s so much fun to turn classic games into water activities. In this take on Duck, Duck, Goose, the tagged person gets a good splash of water before they run.
Take a nature stroll on a sunny day and pick up a variety of objects. Then bring them home and find out which ones float and which sink. Some of the results may surprise you!
You don’t need a pool to get wet with these noodles! Tape them together and poke some holes, then connect them to a hose for the coolest sprinkler around.
How clever is this? Write letters on sponges and float them in the pool. Kids swim out and grab letters, then bring them back to spell the best word they can.
Attach pool noodles to a pegboard using zip ties, then pour water to see where it lands. Simple water activities like this one can keep kids busy for hours!
Toddlers and big kids love playing with water and jugs. Set up a pouring station and let them go to town pouring and mixing. Add food coloring to turn this into an art activity.
Ice cubes, a bowl, and tongs are the only things you’ll need for this activity. It seems simple, but sometimes simple is all kids need (and ice cubes, of course).
Use all the materials you have—hoses, sprinklers, buckets, and more—to create a water obstacle course. Even better, have the kids set it up and manage how they move through it.
Get out all the painting materials and let kids go to town painting the patio, driveway, bricks, etc. By the time they’ve finished painting one area, they can go back and start again on the areas that have dried.
This is a great way to maximize outdoor play or a sandbox. Use foil to create a river and use whatever you find in the backyard to create obstacles, bridges, and other features.
Tag has been an iconic childhood game for as long as most of us can remember. These days, however, there are so many different versions of the classic game. Some incorporate beloved characters from Star Wars or Pokémon, while others encourage kids to act like animals or robots. There are even versions of tag that turn the players into pizza toppings and hot dogs! Some tag games are best played in P.E. class since you’ll need cones, Hula-Hoops, mats, or bean bags. Still others, like flashlight tag or water freeze tag, are perfect to play with friends in your neighborhood. Ready to play? Choose one of the tag games on our list and start running!
All variations of tag, including the classic version, have at least one player that is designated as “it,” or the tagger.
Try to chase and tag another player if you’re “it,” and avoid getting touched if you’re a runner. When a runner gets tagged, they become the new person who’s “it.”
Play tag until all the players are exhausted or until each person has been “it” at least once during the game.
Rules of the Game
Before beginning, you will need to designate a playing area that includes out-of-bounds areas and a safe zone. This is easy to do if you’re playing in a designated area like a school gym, basketball court, etc. Pick an area free from any hazards that could result in injury. The safe zone can be a piece of playground equipment, a Hula-Hoop, or even a tree. When players are in the safe zone, the tagger is not allowed to tag them. Be sure to set a limit on time spent in the safe zone so players don’t camp out there.
Select one player to be “it.” Depending on the setting, you can ask for a volunteer or just choose one at random. All the other players become the runners.
You can begin the game by having the tagger count down from 10 to give the runners a chance to get away. Once the tagger reaches 0, the game begins and they can begin tagging people.
TIPS: 1.) If you’re “it” keep your eye on the players while counting so you can decide who to go after first. 2.) If you’re a runner, try to find a hiding place to buy yourself some extra time.
“It” or the tagger is responsible for trying to chase and catch the runners. A tag should consist of a light touch on a person’s shoulder, arm, or back. The tagger can try to fake out the runners with movements, pretending to go one way and then cutting in another direction. The tagger, however, has to be honest about being “it.”
If you’re a runner, you will want to do your best to stay far away from the tagger. While you’ll definitely want to run away as fast as you can, you can try to put obstacles like trees or playground equipment in between you and the tagger. You can also try hiding somewhere out of sight of the tagger.
Once a player is tagged, they become “it” and immediately start chasing the other players. The previous tagger also immediately changes roles, becoming one of the runners. If you want to avoid the same player being “it” over and over, you can make a rule that players can’t tag the person who tagged them.
Unlike other games, tag doesn’t have a clearly defined end. You can choose to either end it when everyone is bored or tired or you can end once everyone has had a turn to be “it.” If you want to speed things along, you can have the person that’s “it” step out of the game playing area once they’ve tagged someone. This can continue until there is only one person left.
Tag Game Variations
Comeback Images/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
1. Freeze Tag
Select two players to be “it” in this fun twist on regular tag, then set them free to “freeze” all the other players.
While this game is fun for anyone, Star Wars lovers will really get into playing rebels, Stormtroopers, Luke, Leia, Yoda, or even Darth Vader himself. Bonus: Could anything be more fun than tagging your friends with your lightsaber (in this case, a pool noodle)?
Ziggity Zoom
3. Octopus Tag
Start with one octopus while the rest of the kids are fish. Once tagged, fish become crabs who must stay where they were tagged as they join the octopus in trying to tag the fish as they run past. Finally, the last fish tagged becomes the next octopus. Since kids love funny hats, you can make a special one to designate the octopus.
In this hilarious version of tag, the first student tagged becomes the hot dog who then needs to find their “buns.” Once a complete hot dog is formed by three kids lying side by side, they are allowed to rejoin the game.
Playworks
5. Blob Tag
In this fun game, two kids link elbows to form the blob before chasing the other players. Once the blob reaches four players, it breaks off into two separate blobs.
Kids will definitely get a kick out of tagging their friends with their spider webs made from balled-up pinnies. Spider-man fans will be especially excited to play this fun twist on tag.
Playworks
7. Cookie jar
The tagger is the Cookie Monster and the rest of the students are the cookies. The cookies must ask, “Cookie Monster, Cookie Monster, are you hungry?” then wait for either a yes or a no reply. If yes, they must try to run across the field without getting eaten. If no, they must stay where they are.
This is a simple but unique twist on tag. When tagged, runners have to place their hand over where they were tagged as a Band-Aid. Once they have two Band-Aids, they must then wait to be freed.
Donald Gruener/ iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
9. Shadow Tag
Tag games that also incorporate science lessons are the best! Before playing this fun game, teach your students about the ways in which shadows are formed when objects block a light source.
Learn more: Shadow Tag at Peep and the Big Wide World
PhysEdGames via YouTube
10. Pokemon Tag
Elementary school–age kids love Pokémon and they love running around, so this is sure to be a hit! We especially love that it works well for big groups and provides opportunities for different types of movement.
This would be a fun game of tag to play in the fall since tagged players become scarecrows. A player must crawl through the scarecrow’s legs to free them.
12. Oonch Neech
A popular game in Pakistan, this tag game requires players to find higher ground on a tree, rock, or the like in order to be safe from the tagger.
Kids will love getting a turn to be one of the evil toy makers since they get to turn their friends into robots. This is one game where kids might not mind getting tagged since they get an opportunity to showcase their best robot walk.
Parents and P.E. teachers who grew up playing Pac-man will definitely get a kick out of bringing the 1980s arcade game to life. We think your students will have a lot of fun too!
Watch video: Pac-man Tag on YouTube
nemke/E+ via Getty Images
17. Toilet Tag
Tag games that also include some bathroom humor are sure to be a hit with the elementary-age crowd. The tagger turns their friends into toilets and then other players flush the toilet to free them.
Little kids like to act like animals for no reason so why not give them one? This is a fun game for P.E., home, or recess.
19. Zombie Tag
You will need Hula-Hoops, cones, and a lot of pool noodles to bring this one to life (or back from the dead, in this case). This would be the perfect game to play during spooky season.
University of Victoria
20. Pinnie Tag
You can create a lot of variations of this one game, but the main idea remains the same. To begin, everyone places a pinnie hanging three-quarters of the way out of the back of their shorts/pants. Then, everyone must go after everyone else and attempt to pull out other players’ pinnies. Last person standing wins. You can amend this for sports like basketball or soccer by adding a ball into the equation.
Kids will go nuts for this game, but you will need to have the necessary vests on hand. We’ve included links below for an option for a school or for fun at home with just a few kids.
Before playing, pick a few kids to be the chefs and then divide the rest of the kids into pizza toppings. When your topping is called during the game, you need to run from one end of the gym to the other without the chefs getting you.
We especially love the cooperation required in this version of tag. Teams will link arms to form dragons, and then the end player will tuck a scarf or bandanna into their clothes to act as the tail. Teams try to steal each other’s tails during the game.
This version of tag is so simple yet so fun. Divide kids into teams of three, then pick which kid will be the designated player who will need to be protected from the tagger.
28. Crab Tag
Designate a smaller area than normal for this fun game. Taggers will need to tag players while walking on all fours like a crab.
Get your students laughing while also burning calories with this fun spin on tag. Tagged players must lie on their backs with their arms and legs in the air since they are now dead ants. A separate player must tag each of the dead ant’s limbs so they can rejoin the game.
Looking for creative plant life cycle activities? We have 33 fun and free teaching ideas including videos, hands-on experiments, printables, and more. Your students will love learning about the plant life cycle and how they can help plants grow and thrive.
1. Read The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Eric Carle’s The Tiny Seed is one of the best plant life cycle references for little ones. Listen to it for story time, then use the book as a springboard for further activities.
2. Start with an anchor chart
First Grade Fanatic via Pinterest
Have your students help you create an anchor chart of the plant life cycle, then post it in your classroom for reference as you do some hands-on learning.
If you need a strong video to kick off a lesson about seeds or the plant life cycle, this video is a good place to start.
4. See it grow in slow-mo
Check out this time-lapse video that shows the fascinating details of how a plant’s root system grows quickly over the course of a few days. After this, kids will definitely want to see it happen for themselves!
5. Spin a plant life cycle wheel
We Are Teachers
Grab the free printables and watch this video to learn how to turn them into an interactive learning tool with paper plates.
This is one of those classic plant life cycle activities every kid should try. Grow a bean seed in wet paper towels up against the side of a glass jar. Students will be able to see the roots form, the sprout take off, and the seedling reach for the sky!
As your seeds begin to grow, sort and draw the various stages. Little ones can learn simple vocab like root, sprout, and seedling. Older students can tackle advanced terms like cotyledon, monocot, and dicot.
Using magnifying glasses and tweezers, students will dissect flowers or food plants to learn the different parts. Handy tip: You don’t need separate plants for every student. Bring in one plant and give each student a different part.
Can’t grow a plant yourself? Sculpt one from clay instead! Watch this Claymation video for inspiration, then pull out the Play-Doh and get to work!
14. Don’t forget about pollinators!
Around the Kampfire
Seed-bearing plants require pollination, often helped along by insects like bees and butterflies. This pipe cleaner activity shows little ones how pollination works.
Plants that rely on seeds as part of their life cycle need to ensure they spread far and wide. Some plants even have exploding seed pods that help the process along! Learn about them in this cool activity.
After reading a story about what botanists do, students head outside to do a little field work themselves. Not only will they learn a lot, they may help clean up the school grounds!
Using a piece of paper and a paper clip, students will make a model of a maple seed. After they launch their seeds, they can watch them spin to the ground like helicopters.
This plant life cycle diagram uses paper shreds for soil, a cupcake liner for the flower, and more smart little details that kids will really appreciate.
The different colors found in leaves are created by different chemicals—chlorophyll, flavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. In this experiment, students will see if they can get the pigments in the leaves to separate through chromatography so they can take a closer look at the colors found inside leaves.
Integrate art into your plant life cycle activities! In this activity, students learn the importance of chlorophyll and its role in how a plant makes its own food.
Learning online? This free digital activity includes a printable version for kids to complete at home, but it can also be completed virtually to save paper.
Plants need many things to grow, including sunlight, water, and food. In this experiment, students will see which plant grows better, one in plain soil or one in fertilized soil.
Make 3D sunflowers with fold-out leaves that teach the life cycle of the sunflower. Then, try growing your own!
30. Do a plant-life-cycle book study
What I Have Learned
Break your students into small groups and have each group read one of these stories, then share what they learned with the class. From how plants grow and where our food comes from to the amazing power of seeds, your students will eat up these interesting stories.
This easy-to-follow and fun-to-watch video teaches kids all about germination—the process of the growth of a seed into a plant.
32. Keep a plant journal
Chalkboard Chatterbox
What better way to learn about the plant life cycle than with careful observation? Every few days after you plant your seeds, students will draw and label the changes that they see in their growing plant.
Climate change can feel like an insurmountable problem to many students. How can they have a meaningful impact on this global issue? The right resources can make all the difference in helping young people see how they can take action in their own community to make a real difference. This climate action resource kit from World Wildlife Fund’s Wild Classroom contains an informative slideshow as well as several lesson plans that are a perfect place to start.
One common refrain you might hear is, “It snowed 20 inches today, so explain how global warming is real.” That’s when it’s time to tackle the difference between weather (the current conditions) and climate (the average of those conditions over time in a particular region). Make an anchor chart like this one from Hayley Taylor on Pinterest. Then try a sorting activity to help kids understand the difference between the two. You can make your own cards, or find them on sites like Teachers Pay Teachers.
4. Measure temperatures to learn about the greenhouse effect
Kid Minds
Global warming is a key component of climate change, and it’s caused in part by an enhanced greenhouse effect. Climate change activities like this one show kids just what that term means. Place two thermometers side by side in a sunny spot. Put one inside a covered glass jar, and leave the other one outside. Observe the temperatures after about 20 minutes to see which is higher. Learn more about this activity at Kid Minds.
5. Meet the greenhouse gases
NASA
Now that kids have seen the greenhouse effect in action, introduce them to the gases that make it happen. These fun trading cards of the six major atmospheric gases teach students what they are and where they come from. Each card has two sides, showing the positive and negative effects of that gas. Get the free printable cards from NASA here.
6. Make edible greenhouse gas models
Science Sparks
Dive deeper into the chemistry of greenhouse gases by making edible models from toothpicks and gumdrops. Science Sparks has all the details.
7. Do a climate change word search
Woo Jr.
Try this free printable word search to reinforce the terms kids are learning during climate change activities. It’s part of this larger free lesson plan from Woo Jr.
8. Eat some Earth toast
Left Brain Craft Brain
Show kids how too much heat can make things (like deserts and other inland areas) hotter and drier with this fun edible experiment. Kids use milk paint to create “Earth” from bread, then bake it in a toaster oven to see what happens. Learn more from Left Brain Craft Brain.
9. Learn about conditions affecting ice melt
Science Learning Hub
The accelerated melting of the polar ice caps and glaciers is of huge concern to climate change scientists. This simple experiment shows how ice in water melts faster than ice on land. Find out more from Science Learning Hub.
10. Explore how melting ice affects sea levels
Science Buddies
The North Polar Ice Cap sits on water, while the South Polar Ice Cap is on land. Learn which of these two can cause sea levels to rise with this experiment, perfect for a science fair project. Get the how-to from Science Buddies.
11. Simulate melting polar ice caps and icebergs
National Geographic
Ice-melting experiments are very helpful climate change activities for seeing sea level rise in action, so here’s another one to try. If you’re unable to perform this one in person, show National Geographic’s video instead.
12. Discover how melting sea ice affects animals too
Kitchen Counter Chronicle
Humans aren’t the only ones affected by global warming and sea ice melt. In this experiment, kids try to help model polar bears stay afloat as the ice around them starts to melt. Learn more from Kitchen Counter Chronicle.
13. Trap particles to learn about air pollution
Education.com
Particulates in the air are another cause of global warming and climate change. This experiment uses Vaseline and index cards to capture visible particulates from indoor and outdoor spaces, so students can compare them. Get the details at Education.com.
14. Water plants with acid solutions
Education.com
Acid rain isn’t in the news as much these days, thanks to the incredible effectiveness of the EPA’s Acid Rain Program. It’s still good for kids to learn about, though, since when unchecked, it can do real damage to plants and the environment. Try this experiment, in which kids water plants with regular water and a lemon juice–water solution, to see the effects. Learn how it works from Education.com.
15. Play the Carbon Cycle Game
COSEE
Carbon is another big contributor to global warming and climate change. Learn how the natural carbon cycle works, and how too much carbon throws the cycle off, with this free printable game from COSEE.
16. Track your carbon footprint
Kitchen Counter Chronicle
Good climate change activities should include action items kids and their families can take. Explore the term “carbon footprint” and then brainstorm ways to reduce it with this cute idea from Kitchen Counter Chronicle.
The cool thing about high school science fair projects is that kids are old enough to tackle some pretty amazing concepts. Some science experiments for high school are just advanced versions of simpler projects they did when they were younger, with detailed calculations or fewer instructions. Other projects involve fire, chemicals, or other materials they couldn’t use before.
Note: Some of these projects were written as classroom labs, but can be adapted to become science fair projects too. Just consider variables that you can change up, like materials or other parameters. That changes a classroom activity into a true scientific method experiment!
To make it easier to find the right high school science fair project idea for you, we’ve rated all the projects by difficulty and the materials needed:
Difficulty:
Easy: Low or no-prep experiments you can do pretty much anytime
Medium: These take a little more setup or a longer time to complete
Advanced: Experiments like these take a fairly big commitment of time or effort
Materials:
Basic: Simple items you probably already have around the house
Medium: Items that you might not already have but are easy to get your hands on
Advanced: These require specialized or more expensive supplies to complete
Jump to:
Biology and Life Science High School Science Fair Projects
Explore the living world with these biology science project ideas, learning more about plants, animals, the environment, and much more.
Extract DNA from an onion
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
You don’t need a lot of supplies to perform this experiment, but it’s impressive nonetheless. Turn this into a science fair project by trying it with other fruits and vegetables too.
Re-create Mendel’s pea plant experiment
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Gregor Mendel’s pea plant experiments were some of the first to explore inherited traits and genetics. Try your own cross-pollination experiments with fast-growing plants like peas or beans.
Make plants move with light
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
By this age, kids know that many plants move toward sunlight, a process known as phototropism. So high school science fair projects on this topic need to introduce variables into the process, like covering seedling parts with different materials to see the effects.
Test the five-second rule
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
We’d all like to know the answer to this one: Is it really safe to eat food you’ve dropped on the floor? Design and conduct an experiment to find out (although we think we might already know the answer).
Find out if color affects taste
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Just how interlinked are all our senses? Does the sight of food affect how it tastes? Find out with a fun food science fair project like this one!
See the effects of antibiotics on bacteria
Home Science Tools
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Advanced
Bacteria can be divided into two groups: gram-positive and gram-negative. In this experiment, students first determine the two groups, then try the effects of various antibiotics on them. You can get a gram stain kit, bacillus cereus and rodospirillum rubrum cultures, and antibiotic discs from Home Science Tools.
Experiment with the effects of light on the carbon cycle. Make this science fair project even more interesting by adding some small aquatic animals like snails or fish into the mix!
Learn more: Carbon Cycle at Science Lessons That Rock
Look for cell mitosis in an onion
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Advanced
Cell mitosis (division) is actually easy to see in action when you look at onion root tips under a microscope. Students will be amazed to see science theory become science reality right before their eyes. Adapt this lab into a high school science fair project by applying the process to other organisms too.
Test the effects of disinfectants
Amy Brown Science
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Advanced
Grow bacteria in a petri dish along with paper disks soaked in various antiseptics and disinfectants. You’ll be able to see which ones effectively inhibit bacteria growth.
Growing vegetables without soil (hydroponics) is a popular trend, allowing people to garden just about anywhere.
More Life Sciences and Biology Science Fair Projects for High School
Use these questions and ideas to design your own experiment:
Explore ways to prevent soil erosion.
What are the most accurate methods of predicting various weather patterns?
Try out various fertilization methods to find the best and safest way to increase crop yield.
What’s the best way to prevent mold growth on food for long-term storage?
Does exposure to smoke or other air pollutants affect plant growth?
Compare the chemical and/or bacterial content of various water sources (bottled, tap, spring, well water) etc.
Explore ways to clean up after an oil spill on land or water.
Conduct a wildlife field survey in a given area and compare it to results from previous surveys.
Find a new use for plastic bottles or bags to keep them out of landfills.
Devise a way to desalinate sea water and make it safe to drink.
Chemistry High School Science Fair Projects
Bunsen burners, beakers and test tubes, and the possibility of (controlled) explosions? No wonder chemistry is such a popular topic for high school science fair projects!
Break apart covalent bonds
Teaching Without Chairs
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Break the covalent bond of H2O into H and O with this simple experiment. You only need simple supplies for this one. Turn it into a science fair project by changing up the variables—does the temperature of the water matter? What happens if you try this with other liquids?
Are the calorie counts on your favorite snacks accurate? Build your own calorimeter and find out! This kit from Home Science Tools has all the supplies you’ll need.
Detect latent fingerprints
Hub Pages
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Forensic science is engrossing and can lead to important career opportunities too. Explore the chemistry needed to detect latent (invisible) fingerprints, just like they do for crime scenes!
Tweak this basic concept to create a variety of high school chemistry science fair projects. Change the temperature, surface area, pressure, and more to see how reaction rates change.
Determine whether sports drinks provide more electrolytes than OJ
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Advanced
Are those pricey sports drinks really worth it? Try this experiment to find out. You’ll need some special equipment for this one; buy a complete kit at Home Science Tools.
Turn flames into a rainbow
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Advanced
You’ll need to get your hands on a few different chemicals for this experiment, but the wow factor will make it worth the effort! Make it a science project by seeing if different materials, air temperature, or other factors change the results.
Discover the size of a mole
Amy Brown Science
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
The mole is a key concept in chemistry, so it’s important to ensure students really understand it. This experiment uses simple materials like salt and chalk to make an abstract concept more concrete. Make it a project by applying the same procedure to a variety of substances, or determining whether outside variables have an effect on the results.
Cook up candy to learn mole and molecule calculations
Dunigan Science on TpT
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
This edible experiment lets students make their own peppermint hard candy while they calculate mass, moles, molecules, and formula weights. Tweak the formulas to create different types of candy and make this into a sweet science fair project!
Take a closer look at an everyday item: soap! Use oils and other ingredients to make your own soap, learning about esters and saponification. Tinker with the formula to find one that fits a particular set of parameters.
Learn more: Saponification at Chemistry Solutions on TpT
Uncover the secrets of evaporation
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Explore the factors that affect evaporation, then come up with ways to slow them down or speed them up for a simple science fair project.
More Chemistry Science Fair Projects for High School
These questions and ideas can spark ideas for a unique experiment:
Compare the properties of sugar and artificial sweeteners.
Explore the impact of temperature, concentration, and seeding on crystal growth.
Test various antacids on the market to find the most effective product.
What is the optimum temperature for yeast production when baking bread from scratch?
Compare the vitamin C content of various fruits and vegetables.
How does temperature affect enzyme-catalyzed reactions?
Investigate the effects of pH on an acid-base chemical reaction.
Devise a new natural way to test pH levels (such as cabbage leaves).
What’s the best way to slow down metal oxidation (the form of rust)?
How do changes in ingredients and method affect the results of a baking recipe?
Physics High School Science Fair Projects
When you think of physics science projects for high school, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the classic build-a-bridge. But there are plenty of other ways for teens to get hands-on with physics concepts. Here are some to try.
Remove the air in a DIY vacuum chamber
Instructables
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
You can use a vacuum chamber to do lots of cool high school science fair projects, but a ready-made one can be expensive. Try this project to make your own with basic supplies.
Looking for a simple but showy high school science fair project? Build your own mini Tesla coil and wow the crowd!
Boil water in a paper cup
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Logic tells us we shouldn’t set a paper cup over a heat source, right? Yet it’s actually possible to boil water in a paper cup without burning the cup up! Learn about heat transfer and thermal conductivity with this experiment. Go deeper by trying other liquids like honey to see what happens.
Build a better lightbulb
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Emulate Edison and build your own simple light bulb! You can turn this into a science fair project by experimenting with different types of materials for filaments.
Measure the speed of light—with your microwave
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Grab an egg and head to your microwave for this surprisingly simple experiment! By measuring the distance between cooked portions of egg whites, you’ll be able to calculate the wavelength of the microwaves in your oven, and in turn, the speed of light.
Generate a Lichtenberg figure
Science Notes
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Advanced
See electricity in action when you generate and capture a Lichtenberg figure with polyethylene sheets, wood, or even acrylic and toner. Change the electrical intensity and materials to see what types of patterns you can create.
Explore the power of friction with sticky note pads
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Basic
Ever try to pull a piece of paper out of the middle of a big stack? It’s harder than you think it would be! That’s due to the power of friction. In this experiment, students interleave the sheets of two sticky note pads, then measure how much weight it takes to pull them apart. The results are astonishing!
Build a cloud chamber to prove background radiation
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Advanced
Ready to dip your toe into particle physics? Learn about background radiation and build a cloud chamber to prove the existence of muons.
Measure the effect of temperature on resistance
Science Project
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Advanced
This is a popular and classic science fair experiment in physics. You’ll need a few specialized supplies, but they’re pretty easy to find.
A basic bottle rocket is pretty easy to build, but it opens the door to lots of different science fair projects. Design a powerful launcher, alter the rocket so it flies higher or farther, or use only recycled materials for your flyer.
More Physics Science Fair Projects for High School
Design your own experiment in response to these questions and prompts.
Determine the most efficient solar panel design and placement.
What’s the best way to eliminate friction between two objects?
Explore the best methods of insulating an object against heat loss.
What effect does temperature have on batteries when stored for long periods of time?
Test the effects of magnets or electromagnetic fields on plants or other living organisms.
Determine the best angle and speed of a bat swing in baseball.
What’s the best way to soundproof an area or reduce noise produced by an item?
Explore methods for reducing air resistance in automotive design.
Use the concepts of torque and rotation to perfect a golf swing.
Compare the strength and durability of various building materials.
Engineering High School STEM Fair Projects
Many schools are changing up their science fairs to STEM fairs, to encourage students with an interest in engineering to participate. Many great engineering science fair projects start with a STEM challenge, like those shown here. Use these ideas to spark a full-blown project to build something new and amazing!
Solve a current environmental issue
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
A science fair project can also be an entry to the Slingshot Challenge. Produce a 1-minute video by February 1, 2024, with a solution to a current environmental problem (think: uniting creative waste reducers on social media or rehabilitating forests affected by fire) for the chance to receive up to $10,000 in funding.
Construct a model maglev train
Supermagnete
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Maglev trains may just be the future of mass transportation. Build a model at home, and explore ways to implement the technology on a wider basis.
Wind energy is renewable, making it a good solution for the fossil fuel problem. For a smart science fair project, experiment to find the most efficient wind turbine design for a given situation.
Re-create Da Vinci’s flying machine
Student Savvy
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Da Vinci sketched several models of “flying machines” and hoped to soar through the sky. Do some research into his models and try to reconstruct one of your own.
Smartwatches are ubiquitous these days, so pretty much anyone can wear a heart-rate monitor on their wrist. But do they work any better than one you can build yourself? Get the specialized items you need like the Arduino LilyPad Board on Amazon.
Race 3D printed cars
Instructables
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Advanced
3D printers are a marvel of the modern era, and budding engineers should definitely learn to use them. Use Tinkercad or a similar program to design and print race cars that can support a defined weight, then see which can roll the fastest! (No 3D printer in your STEM lab? Check the local library. Many of them have 3D printers available for patrons to use.)
Hydroponics is the gardening wave of the future, making it easy to grow plants anywhere with minimal soil required. For a science fair STEM engineering challenge, design and construct your own hydroponic garden capable of growing vegetables to feed a family. This model is just one possible option.
Delve into robotics with this engineering project! This kit includes all the materials you need, with complete video instructions. Once you’ve built the basic structure, tinker around with the design to improve its strength, accuracy, or other traits.
Return to the good old days and build a radio from scratch! This makes a cool science fair project if you experiment with different types of materials for the antenna. It takes some specialized equipment, but fortunately, Home Science Tools has an all-in-one kit for this project.
The challenge? Set up a system to alert you when someone has broken into your house or classroom. This can take any form students can dream up, and you can customize this STEM high school science experiment for multiple skill levels. Keep it simple with an alarm that makes a sound that can be heard from a specified distance. Or kick it up a notch and require the alarm system to send a notification to a cell phone, like the project at the link.
Balsa wood bridges are OK, but this plastic bottle bridge is really impressive! In fact, students can build all sorts of structures using the concept detailed at the link. It’s the ultimate upcycled STEM challenge!
Sixth grade science covers a wide variety of topics and varies depending on the curriculum. We’ve rounded up the best 6th grade science fair projects to inspire kids, as well as classroom science demos and activities that will grab their attention.
To make it easier to find what you’re looking for, we’ve rated all the projects and activities by difficulty and the materials needed:
Difficulty:
Easy: Low or no-prep experiments you can do pretty much anytime
Medium: These take a little more setup or a longer time to complete
Advanced: Experiments like these take a fairly big commitment of time or effort
Materials:
Basic: Simple items you probably already have around the house
Medium: Items that you might not already have but are easy to get your hands on
Advanced: These require specialized or more expensive supplies to complete
Jump to:
Biology and Earth Science 6th Grade Science Fair Projects
For students interested in anatomy, animals, geology, ecology, and more, these are the science fair projects they need!
Find the fastest way to ripen fruit
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Need to ripen those bananas or peaches in a hurry? Do some research and then experiment to find the fastest way to safely ripen fruit without sacrificing flavor.
Clean up an oil spill
Kitchen Counter Chronicle
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Learn why an oil spill is so devastating for wildlife and the ecosystem with this hands-on activity. Kids experiment to find the best way to clean up oil floating on water and rescue the animals affected by the spill.
Basic water-filtration systems are pretty simple, but they make terrific science fair projects. Experiment with different setups, and find a way to make safe drinking water for people who need it.
Shake it up with earthquake science
Love To Know
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Build simple model structures, then experiment to see how the actions of earthquakes affect them. Do research into what engineers and architects build in earthquake zones, then perform an experiment to see if you can improve on their findings.
Hydroponics is the hot new gardening trend, but is it really a better way to garden? Find out with a DIY hydroponics gardening setup, comparing the results with traditional container gardening.
Find out if chewing gum really helps improve test scores
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
One of the more popular 6th grade science fair projects answers the question: Does chewing gum affect test scores? You’ll be surprised by the results!
Create top-notch compost in a cup
The Happy Housewife
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
This is an easy science activity, and you can turn it into a science fair project by experimenting with different mixtures, layering, and conditions for your compost cups.
Do you really need to use poisons to keep ants out of your home? Explore other possible solutions in this science project idea.
Simulate a tsunami and find ways to protect people
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Build a model to simulate a tsunami, then come up with potential ways to minimize the damage future waves may cause.
Design a squirrel-proof bird feeder
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Squirrels can be real pests at backyard bird feeders, and people are always trying to come up with new solutions to the issue. Can you be the one who finally solves this pesky problem?
Chemistry 6th Grade Science Fair Projects
Students who love to mix up chemicals and explore the results will enjoy these 6th grade chemistry science fair ideas.
Compare baking powder and baking soda
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Baking powder and baking soda have similar names, but do they behave the same when used in a baking recipe? Bake up a few cakes and find out!
Devise a formula for creating the biggest soap bubbles
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Soap bubble formulas vary, and some allow you to make bigger bubbles than others. What does it take to make the biggest bubble of them all?
Learn if tea and cola damage teeth
Education.com
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium
Use eggshells to explore how various beverages can stain teeth in this classic 6th grade science fair project. (It also teaches important lessons about dental hygiene!)
The human body needs iron to be healthy, and many breakfast cereal boxes boast that they contain it. Conduct a 6th grade science fair project to find out if cereals really contain all the iron they say they do.
Find the best way to clean up old coins
Gally Kids
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Use common household items to make old oxidized coins clean and shiny again in this simple chemistry experiment. Form a hypothesis about which method will work best, then do some research to explain the results.
Which do you think has more sugar, a glass of Pepsi or one of orange juice? Boil away the water to find out in this 6th grade chemistry experiment.
Explore the properties of plastic made from milk
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Making milk from plastic is actually pretty simple. Turn it into a science fair project by learning more about its strength, durability, and flexibility, and proposing a practical use for it.
Determine which type of juice has the most vitamin C
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Vitamin C might not immediately cure your cold, but it definitely has health benefits. Does orange juice really have the most vitamin C? Conduct an experiment using an iodine titration method to learn the answer.
Physics and Engineering 6th Grade Science Fair Projects
Calling all tinkerers! Build, create, and engineer a science fair project using physics principals.
Build a powerful paper-plane launcher
Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Here’s a cool 6th grade science fair project. Design and build a paper-airplane launcher that can fly a plane farther than anyone else’s.
Adding ice to a glass of soda cools it off, but it also waters it down. See if you can find a fast way to cool down soda while it’s still in the can or bottle instead.
Launch a bottle rocket higher or more accurately
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
A basic water-powered rocket isn’t that hard to assemble, but you can turn it into a bona fide 6th grade science fair project by playing around with the design. Figure out how to launch it higher, or change the trajectory to hit a certain target.
Identify the best insulating material
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium
Insulating an item can prevent it from losing heat, like an insulated beverage bottle. What materials are the most effective insulators? How can you find out?
Drop parachutes to test air resistance
Education.com
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Use the scientific method to test different types of material and see which makes the most effective parachute. This is an easy project that’s perfect for kids interested in design and engineering.
Here’s one of those classic science fair projects that you can really customize to make your own. Try testing out a variety of fruits and veggies, or playing around with connecting several types of produce to see what happens. This inexpensive kit has all the supplies you need.
Engineer the strongest craft stick bridge
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Basic
This is a classic science activity for the classroom, but it works well for 6th grade science fair projects too. Form a hypothesis about the strongest type of bridge design, then build your own models to test it out.
Assemble the best simple motor
Home Science Tools
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Looking for an idea that’s impressive but not too complicated? Build your own simple motor! You only need a few special supplies, including insulated copper wire and neodymium magnets. Turn it into a true 6th grade science fair project by altering the variables to see if you can increase the speed, reduce the noise, or make other improvements.
Learn if room temperature affects candle burn rate
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
This is a simple experiment to conduct, and it’s inexpensive too. Burn birthday candles in a variety of temperatures to see if they burn faster in higher temps.
Determine how much money energy vampires are wasting in your home
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
So-called “energy vampires” use up energy even when they’re not in active use. And energy costs money. Determine how much energy is being wasted by energy vampires in your home, and figure out how much money you can save on an annual electric bill by getting rid of them.
6th Grade Science Classroom Demos and Hands-On Activities
Engage students with a live demonstration showing the concepts they’re studying. Even better, give them a chance to get hands-on and do the science themselves!
Assemble motorized tiny dancers
Babble Dabble Do
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Build a homopolar motor to make little spinning wire dancers. It takes a little practice to get it right, but it’s a really fun way to learn about motors and energy.
No Bluetooth speaker? No problem! Build your own from paper cups and a toilet paper tube. This is a 6th grade STEM challenge that’s sure to amaze kids.
This is a neat way to talk about our genes. Have each student add pony beads to their bracelet to represent different traits. Then they can compare their differences and similarities. It’s likely that no two students will have the same bracelets!
Students dissolve the calcium carbonate eggshell in vinegar and discover the membranes beneath that hold the egg together. It’s a unique and intriguing way to learn about acid-base reactions.
Learn more: Naked Egg at Making Memories With Your Kids
Experiment with naked eggs
Exploratorium
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Now, submerge those naked eggs in corn syrup and water to learn about osmosis. The eggs shrink or grow depending on the liquid they’re placed in. So cool!
Explore the properties of cohesion and adhesion with this simple experiment using only water and cotton string. Expand the learning by trying the same experiment with different materials and liquids.
The rockets used for space flight generally have more than one stage to give them the extra boost they need. This experiment uses balloons to model a two-stage rocket launch, teaching kids about the laws of motion.
Change the color of a liquid in an instant
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Want to see your kids gasp in amazement? Perform the iodine clock reaction. You only need a few drugstore chemicals to change the solution from clear to dark blue faster than students can blink.
Levitate a Ping-Pong ball
Buggy and Buddy
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Basic
Kids will get a kick out of this experiment, which is really all about Bernoulli’s principle. You only need plastic bottles, bendy straws, and Ping-Pong balls to make the science magic happen.
Build model lungs using a plastic water bottle and some balloons to learn more about the respiratory system. You can modify the experiment to demonstrate the effects of smoking too.
Learn more: Lungs Model at Surviving a Teacher’s Salary
Dissect an owl pellet
Gift of Curiosity
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium
Dig into an owl’s regurgitated meals (it’s not as gross as it sounds!) to discover what their diet consists of. Owl pellets are readily available online, and kids will be intrigued by what they find.
All you need is steel wool and a 9-volt battery to perform this science demo that’s bound to make their eyes light up! Kids learn about chain reactions, chemical changes, and more.
There are lots of cell model projects out there, but this might be one of the cutest ones we’ve seen! And it’s easier to assemble than you might think.
It’s surprisingly easy to pull a strand of DNA from this sweet fruit. Teach your kids about genetics and DNA with this 6th grade science project that uses only basic household supplies.
Design a biodome
Teach Engineering
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
There’s so much to learn in this 6th grade science project. Kids build a scale-model biodome to learn more about different environments and ecosystems, decomposition, the food web, and more.
This is another classic science demo that never fails to delight. Use the power of air pressure to suck a hard-boiled egg into a jar—no hands required.
Who knew such a simple material could be used to determine a substance’s acidity or alkalinity? Your students can explore acids and bases with this simple experiment.
Nothing gets kids more excited for science than hands-on experiments! Watch your 4th grade science students’ eyes light up when they try some of these activities. You’ll find physics, biology, engineering, chemistry, and more. These projects are easy to set up and really help drive the learning home. Get ready for some science fun!
To help you find the right 4th grade science projects and activities, we’ve rated them all based on difficulty and materials:
Difficulty:
Easy: Low or no-prep experiments you can do pretty much any time
Medium: These take a little more setup or a longer time to complete
Advanced: Experiments like these take a fairly big commitment of time or effort
Materials:
Basic: Simple items you probably already have around the house
Medium: Items that you might not already have but are easy to get your hands on
Advanced: These require specialized or more expensive supplies to complete
Jump to:
4th Grade Science Fair Projects
These 4th grade experiments also work well as science fair projects. Try changing up the variables to turn it into a real experiment, then form a hypothesis and find out what happens.
Blow unpoppable bubbles
Learning Resources
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium
A soap bubble you can hold in your hand? It’s true! A little glycerin makes the soap bubble layers stronger, so you can even toss them gently from person to person.
No list of 4th grade science projects would be complete without crystals! Kids of all ages love growing crystals, making this an ideal way to learn about supersaturated solutions. The classic experiment gets a new twist when you have kids shape pipe cleaners into their own names first.
Your students will truly feel like scientists when they perform this classic experiment. They’ll prep the dishes with agar, swab different surfaces, and see what bacteria they grow. It’s gross science, but it’s also easy and impressive.
Early chemistry experiments with acids and bases are always a lot of fun. This one uses the natural acids of lemon juice and adds a little food coloring to up the wow factor.
Adding items like salt or sugar to water changes its density, as does the temperature itself. Turn this into a 4th grade science fair project by experimenting with different solutions and forming hypotheses about the results.
Colorful, simple, and impressive: It’s the trifecta of 4th grade science experiments! Wow your students by layering colored sugar water as you learn about density, adhesion, and cohesion.
Transform milk into plastic
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Basic
Plastic seems incredibly modern, but people have been making casein plastic from milk for centuries. In this 4th grade science project, students experiment to create the formula for the best milk plastic. They’ll be amazed at the results!
Simulate an earthquake
Teaching Science
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Basic
The ground under our feet may feel solid, but an earthquake changes that pretty quickly. Use Jell-O to simulate the Earth’s crust, then see if you can build an earthquake-proof structure for a practical and fascinating 4th grade science fair project.
Kids will really get into this project, indulging their creativity as they invent a plant or animal that’s never been seen before. They’ll need to be able to explain the biology behind it all, though, making this an in-depth project you can tailor to any class.
Yup, it’s gross … so kids will love it! Seal food items in a plastic bag and experiment to see what factors affect their decomposition, helped along by a heaping dose of mold.
With just a few supplies including balloons and a plastic bottle, you can make an impressive working model of human lungs. This makes a very cool 4th grade science fair project.
Explore the causes of tooth decay
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium
They hear it from their parents all the time, but this experiment will prove to your students once and for all what can happen to their teeth when exposed to different drinks such as soda and milk. This is one of those classic 4th grade science fair projects every kid should try.
4th Grade STEM Challenge Science Projects
For students who love to tinker, STEM challenges can spark incredible 4th grade science fair projects. Here are some of our favorites for this age group.
Who knew electricity could be so adorable? Explore the science behind batteries and motors by creating a simple “wigglebot.” Experiment with weights to throw the motor off balance and create fun designs.
You’ll only need a few supplies to guide your students in building their own LED flashlights. They’ll learn how electricity travels and the way circuits work. The slideshow available through the link makes this lesson a breeze for teachers too.
It’s not exactly the same model the military uses, but this simple hovercraft is a lot easier to build. An old CD and a balloon help demonstrate air pressure and friction in this fun 4th grade science experiment.
No projector in your classroom yet? No problem! Have your students help you construct one for your smartphone using a cardboard box and large magnifying glass. They’ll learn about convex lenses and how the brain processes images too.
Engineering activities make for amazing hands-on learning. Challenge your 4th grade students to build an elevator that can safely lift a certain amount of weight.
Make a model seismometer
Science Sparks
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Basic
Explore the science of seismology and learn how scientists study earthquakes and their effects. This model seismometer is easy to build and fun to experiment with.
Here’s one more classic to add to our list of 4th grade science experiments: the egg drop! The great thing about this project is that kids can do it at any age, with different materials and heights to mix it up. Hit the link below to get an egg drop project designed just for 4th graders.
Demonstrate Newton’s laws of motion with balloon rockets
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Who doesn’t love balloon rockets?! Your students will have a blast(off) displaying Newton’s third law of motion while learning about physics.
4th Grade Motion and Energy Science Activities
Many 4th grade science standards include units on energy and motion. These energy science activities offer cool hands-on ways to spice up your classroom lessons.
Flick marbles to learn transfer of energy
Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
This experiment is a bit of a thinker: What will happen when one moving marble hits several stationary marbles sitting in a row? Flick the first marble and find out!
Place a tennis ball on top of a basketball and bounce them together to see how energy transfers from one object to another. This one is very easy, and kids will love seeing how high they can get the balls to bounce!
Go an on energy scavenger hunt
The Science Penguin
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Emphasize the fact that energy is all around us in one form or another with this easy, free printable energy science activity. For a more advanced version, help students identify each kind of energy (kinetic, stored, heat, etc.) they find.
See a heat-powered windmill demonstrate convection
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Basic
Heat rises, and its interaction with cooler air creates convection currents. Find out how we can put convection to work for us with this 4th grade science craft project.
Capture waves in a bottle
What I Have Learned Teaching
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Here’s a quick and easy way to show wave action in a no-mess way. You don’t need to add a little ship to the bottle, but it does make it more fun!
Turn this one into a class cooperative activity, or try it as a science fair project idea. Either way, it’s an incredibly fascinating way to demonstrate the energy science of waves.
Use a Slinky to demonstrate types of waves
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium
A Slinky is more than just a toy—it’s also a terrific science manipulative! Use it to see waves in motion, both longitudinal and transverse.
Watch gravity beads prove Newton’s laws
Teach Beside Me
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium
You’ll need a loooooooong string of beads for this experiment. Make your own by taping dollar-store strings together, or buy a long bead garland. Pile them in a cup and get the beads going; it’s fascinating to watch inertia and gravity at work.
Glue together marbles in a variety of pyramidal patterns to form tops, then form hypotheses about which will spin best. Afterwards, kids will have fun new toys to play with!
Newton’s second law, concerning acceleration, force, and mass, can be a little hard to understand. This easy 4th grade science demo makes it a little easier to visualize.
More 4th Grade Science Projects and Activities
Use these cool science experiments to encourage a love of science, at home or in the classroom!
Measure a magnet’s attraction force
Ashleigh’s Education Journey
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Fourth grade science students already know that magnets attract metal objects. In this experiment, they’ll measure to see how close a magnet needs to be to an object for the attraction to work. Mix things up with different sizes of magnets and objects of various weights.
This is another one of those mind-blowing science demos that kids will want to try over and over again. Draw on a shallow bowl or plate with dry-erase markers, then slowly add water. The marker (which is insoluble in water) will float to the top!
Paint with sunscreen
Team Cartwright
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Prove that sunscreen really does provide protection from harmful UV rays. Turn this into a full-blown experiment by trying different SPFs or comparing it to other creams or lotions without SPF.
Choose a sunny day and grab some sidewalk chalk—your students are about to become sundials! They’ll practice measuring skills and learn about the movement of the sun across the sky.
If you’re learning about mineral resources, this quick hands-on activity is an interesting way to explore the effects of mining. Kids have two minutes to find as many chocolate chips as they can in a cookie. Will they smash it up and destroy it entirely? Pick them out one by one? This experiment can lead to intriguing discussions.
Use licorice sticks, four different-colored candies or fruits, and toothpicks to build an edible strand of DNA. Learn about chemical bonds and the helix shape, then eat your creation!
Digging in the dirt is fun, but it’s even more fun when you can eat the dirt when you’re finished! Create edible soil-layer models, complete with gummy worms, for a simple earth science project. (Find more edible science projects here.)
Experiment with simple chemical reactions as you turn pennies green using vinegar. (Don’t forget to tell students that the Statue of Liberty is green for this very same reason!)
Seeing Boyle’s law (which relates pressure and volume of gasses) in action makes it a little easier to understand and remember. This simple 4th grade science experiment uses marshmallows to make a great visual.
Learn more: Boyle’s Law at Hojo’s Teaching Adventures
Form ocean currents
Life Over C’s
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Learning about oceanography? Demonstrate how ocean currents form using warm and cold water (and a few plastic sea creatures for extra fun!).
This is a neat Earth Day activity. Discuss the differences between renewable and non-renewable resources, then have your class form “companies” to “mine” non-renewable resources. As they compete, they’ll see how quickly the resources are used. It’s a great tie-in to energy conservation discussions.
Use simple kitchen supplies to create a jar full of “blood” that includes plasma, platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells. (You can even snack on the blood cells along the way!)
Learn about diffusion in the sweetest way! Grab a bag of Skittles for this quick and easy 4th grade science project.
Wow them with glowing water
Cool Science Experiments Headquarters
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium
Your students will ooh and aah at the result of this exploratory way to show phosphors in action with a black light, different types of water, and a highlighter. The results of this experiment might surprise both you and your students!
Want to see your students’ eyes light up? Tell them they’re going to do an experiment! These 3rd grade science projects are easy enough for any classroom or kitchen, and they’re full of science concepts kids need to learn.
To make things even easier, we’ve rated every one of these 3rd grade science experiments based on difficulty and materials:
Difficulty:
Easy: Low or no-prep experiments you can do pretty much any time
Medium: These take a little more setup or a longer time to complete
Advanced: Experiments like these take a fairly big commitment of time or effort
Materials:
Basic: Simple items you probably already have around the house
Medium: Items that you might not already have but are easy to get your hands on
Advanced: These require specialized or more expensive supplies to complete
Jump to:
3rd Grade Science Fair Projects
Use these ideas to build a 3rd grade science fair project. Form your own hypothesis, alter the variables, and see what happens!
Discover the chemistry of slime
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium
Kids adore slime, and it’s actually a terrific way to teach them about polymers. Learn the basics of slime chemistry, then experiment with the formula to make your own unique concoctions.
Make sun prints to display
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium
You’ll need special sun-print paper for this project, but it’s inexpensive and easy to find. Kids learn about chemical reactions as they use the power of the sun to create unique works of art.
Experiment with ice, salt, and water temperature
123 Homeschool 4 Me
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
This simple experiment requires only water, ice, salt, and a thermometer. Your 3rd grade science class can explore how ice and salt affect the temperature, a simple but effective lesson on heat transfer and freezing points.
Play around with colors, mix them together, and then use a little science magic to pull them apart again. This chromatography science project requires only simple supplies like coffee filters and markers.
Compare the effects of “rain” on hills of bare soil vs. those covered with grass. Have your 3rd grade science students predict which they think will stand up to erosion better and then test their hypotheses.
There’s never been a better time to learn about the way germs spread! Take samples from a variety of surfaces, then watch bacteria grow in petri dishes just like grown-up scientists.
Your students will love pulling their way across the floor as they discover more about friction and its effects on motion. Build your own “sled” or use a premade box or tray.
Craft fossils from glue
Education.com
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium
Create clay molds of natural objects, then fill them with school glue to make your own “fossil” casts. This is a great project to try before a trip to the natural history museum.
We talk a lot about recycling and sustainability these days, so show kids how it’s done! Recycle old worksheets or other papers using screen and picture frames.
Potatoes grow from tuberous roots, and under the right conditions, new shoots appear from those roots. This 3rd grade science experiment explores the biological science behind cloning.
Use flowers to learn about acid rain
Little Bins for Little Hands
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Have you ever wondered what happens to plants when they are exposed to acid rain? Your students can find out by conducting a simple acid rain experiment using flowers and vinegar!
Fizzy fantastic fun! Learn about chemical reactions by mixing water and effervescent antacid tablets to see what happens, comparing the time it takes for whole tablets and small pieces.
Drop objects to learn about gravity
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Do heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones? Try this hands-on gravity activity for 3rd graders to find out!
3rd Grade STEM Challenge Projects
Use these STEM challenges as the basis for science fair project ideas, or try them as in-class science activities your 3rd graders will love!
Design a candy-delivery machine
123 Homeschool 4 Me
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Learn about inclined planes with this fun simple-machines project. Kids can get creative and develop any kind of delivery system they like!
Crack open a pool noodle or two and create your own marble racetracks. Experiment with angles, force, and surface materials to find the fastest way to get the marble to the bottom. (Find more fun ways to use pool noodles in the classroom here.)
Challenge students to engineer the best possible umbrella from various household supplies. Encourage them to plan, draw blueprints, and test their creations, using the scientific method.
Fling some sweet treats in the name of science! All you need is an old tissue box, pencils, rubber bands, and a few other supplies to learn about trajectory, air resistance, gravity, and more.
With carefully placed scissor cuts on an index card, you can make a loop large enough to fit a (small) human body through! Kids will be wowed as they learn about surface area.
Sir Isaac Newton came up with rules about how things work in the world. One of these rules is called Newton’s third law. It says that “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Do an experiment with your 3rd graders to learn more about this rule!
Model the effect of air drag
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
To learn about the role of drag in flight, students can fold paper planes in different styles and observe how these changes affect the distance and flight pattern of the planes. Turn this 3rd grade science project into a fun competition to see which plane flies the farthest or stays in the air the longest.
Put together an anemometer
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Basic
This very simple weather instrument is easy enough for kids to build, allowing them to observe and think like a real meteorologist.
Magnet and Electricity Science Experiments for 3rd Grade
These shocking (OK, not literally!) electricity experiments will fit nicely into many 3rd grade science curriculum programs. Give them a try in the classroom, or encourage an interest in science at home.
Assemble a simple circuit
Science Projects
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
To test the conductivity of different materials, your students can use a simple electric circuit. Invest in a few of these inexpensive gadgets to allow for all kinds of 3rd grade science projects.
Looking for an even easier simple circuits project? This one requires only a few supplies you can grab at the hardware store and an ordinary everyday safety pin.
Investigate how liquids affect magnets
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium
Are magnets equally effective in water? What about oil or a thicker liquid like, say, a milkshake? This would make for an easy 3rd grade science fair project that’s fun too.
Ask a magnet to dance
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
This is so cool! Make a magnet dance without touching it in this activity that’s part STEM challenge, part magnet experiment, and 100% amazing.
Capture lightning in a bottle
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Well, it’s not quite that dramatic, but this cool electricity experiment for 3rd grade will still wow your students.
Separate salt and pepper with static electricity
Science Kiddo
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
When you mix up salt and pepper, you’d think it would be almost impossible to separate them again. But using a little static electricity and a plastic spoon, it’s surprisingly simple.
Your students have probably tried rubbing a balloon on their heads to create static electricity with their hair. This experiment is even cooler to see, as a mix of cornstarch and oil seems to leap off the spoon in front of their eyes!
This weather science experiment never fails to impress. Use a stopwatch to measure the difference between the flash and the sound of lightning and thunder, then calculate the distance between you and the strike.
Find your way with a DIY compass
STEAM Powered Family
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Here’s an old classic that never fails to impress. Magnetize a needle and float it on the water’s surface—it will always point north.
These science experiments for 3rd graders explore all sorts of concepts, from the laws of motion to earth and planetary science and beyond.
Flick pennies to learn about inertia
Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
This is one of those science experiments that kind of looks like magic, but it’s really all about the laws of motion. It might take a little practice to get the index card flick just right, but the results are always cool!
Learn more: Penny Inertia at Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls
See the temperature rise in a chemical reaction
123 Homeschool 4 Me
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
When iron meets oxygen, rust forms. Use vinegar to remove the protective coat from steel wool and watch the temperature rise from the chemical reaction.
Use a balloon to make an iceberg, then float it in a dish of water to learn how much you can see above and below the waterline. Try experimenting with salt water to see how the density changes things.
Learn more: Core Sampling at Line Upon Line Learning
Spin a disappearing color wheel
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Color a paper disk with the six primary and secondary colors. Then thread a string through the middle and make it spin. The colors will seem to disappear!
Crystallize some pretty fall leaves
STEAMsational
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium
Every kid loves making crystals. In this 3rd grade science project, learn about supersaturated solutions by crystallizing some colorful fall leaves. Then use them as fall classroom decor!
Have your 3rd grade science students put on gloves and watch the bubbles bounce! Then encourage them to experiment with their own bubble solution. Try different soaps, mixing up the ratios to make the strongest bubble possible.
Project the stars on your ceiling
Mystery Science
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Use the video lesson in the link below to teach 3rd grade science students why stars are only visible at night. Then create a DIY star projector to explore the concept hands-on.
If there’s a more fun 3rd grade science project about surface tension than bubbles, we haven’t found it yet! Create a soap solution by using dissolved sugar and discover more about elasticity and volume as you blow bubbles inside bubbles inside bubbles …
Use water balloons to explore buoyancy
123 Homeschool 4 Me
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Fill water balloons with different solutions (oil, salt water, plain water, etc.) and place the balloons in a large bucket of water to see if they sink or float. This is a cool project to do with your 3rd grade science class on the playground on a sunny day.
Looking for a simple, quick, and colorful science experiment? This one just requires some mason jars, hot and cold water, and food coloring. Kids will be amazed at the results!
Teach your 3rd grade science class about the differences between physical and chemical changes with this quick and easy experiment involving Styrofoam cups.
Get kids up and moving when they shake their way to ice cream, made from scratch using ice and plastic zipper bags! Talk about heating and cooling as well as condensation while you enjoy your snack.
Pine cones can sense changes in humidity and adjust their scales in response. Gather several pine cones, glass containers, tweezers, and both hot and cold water to conduct a fun experiment to discover what makes pine cones open and close.
Every day is chock-full of new discoveries when you are a kindergartner! These hands-on kindergarten science experiments and activities take advantage of kids’ boundless curiosity. They’ll learn about physics, biology, chemistry, and more basic science concepts, gearing them up to become lifelong learners.
To make things even easier, we’ve rated every one of these kindergarten science experiments based on difficulty and materials:
Difficulty:
Easy: Low or no-prep experiments you can do pretty much any time
Medium: These take a little more setup or a longer time to complete
Advanced: Experiments like these take a fairly big commitment of time or effort
Materials:
Basic: Simple items you probably already have around the house
Medium: Items that you might not already have but are easy to get your hands on
Advanced: These require specialized or more expensive supplies to complete
Jump to:
Food Science Experiments for Kindergarten
What better way to dive into the world of science than to play with your food? These food science experiments for kindergartners are sure to grab their interest.
Use apples to learn what science is all about
Preschool Play & Learn
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
This apple investigation is a great way to start. It encourages kids to examine an apple using a variety of techniques to learn its properties. Get a free printable worksheet for this activity at the link.
Layer a variety of foods to represent the soil layers, from bedrock on up. If candy doesn’t fit your school’s nutritional guidelines, use fruits, yogurt, granola, and other healthy options. Either way, the results are scrumptious!
Have students dry grapes in the sun over a period of days to see them turn into raisins. Then talk about the process of dehydration as a method of preserving food.
Just like real glass, this edible glass is made from tiny opaque grains, but in this case from sugar instead of sand. Cooked and then cooled, it becomes what’s known as an “amorphous solid.” So cool!
OK, little learners probably won’t remember the word “hygroscopic,” but they’ll enjoy watching the salt absorb and transfer colors in this neat kindergarten science experiment.
Sometimes science seems like magic! In this case, dish soap breaks down milk fats and causes a colorful swirling reaction that will mesmerize little learners.
Expand your exploration of buoyancy with this cool demo. Kids will be surprised to learn that even though an orange feels heavy, it floats. That is, until you peel off the skin!
Sound may be invisible to the naked eye, but you can see the waves in action with this demo. The plastic wrap–covered bowl is the perfect stand-in for an eardrum.
Engage your students in the steps of the scientific method to create these stunning lab-grown geodes. Compare the results using sea salt, kosher salt, and borax.
Water play is a kindergarten favorite, so use it to engage them in these projects and activities. They make science for kindergarten students to much fun!
Change the color of flowers
Fun Learning for Kids
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium
This is one of those classic kindergarten science activities everyone should try at least once. Learn how flowers “drink” water using capillary action, and create beautiful blooms while you’re at it!
Help your students make their very own lava lamp using simple household ingredients. Then personalize the lamps by adding a couple of drops of food coloring to each bottle.
Create a tower of instant ice
Only Passionate Curiosity
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Place a water bottle in the freezer for a couple of hours, but don’t let it freeze all the way through. Then, pour some of the water onto a couple of ice cubes perched on top of a ceramic bowl and watch a tower of ice form.
Learn more: Instant Ice at Only Passionate Curiosity
Watch colored water walk
Messy Little Monster
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Fill three small jars with red, yellow, and blue food coloring and some water. Then place empty jars in between each. Fold paper towel strips and place them in the jars as shown. Kids will be amazed as the paper towels pull the water from full jars to empty ones, mixing and creating new colors!
As you fill in the weather during daily calendar time, you might have a chance to talk about severe storms and tornadoes. Show your students how twisters form with this classic tornado jar experiment.
Lots of kindergarten science activities involve water, which is terrific because kids love to play in it! In this one, show your students how air pressure keeps water in a jar, even when it’s upside down.
Here’s an activity that always feels a bit like magic. Drop an Alka-Seltzer tablet into a glass of water with popcorn kernels, and watch as the bubbles cling to the kernels and make them rise and fall. So cool!
Kids learn about the property of buoyancy and get some practice making predictions and recording the results with this easy experiment. All you need is a container of water to get started.
Here’s another neat weather-related science experiment. Make shaving cream “clouds” on top of the water, then drop food coloring in to watch it “rain.”
Light refraction produces some incredible results. Your students will think it’s magic when the arrow on the paper changes direction … until you explain that it’s all due to the way water bends the light.
We’ve got even more ideas about teaching science to kindergarten students here, from plant and dirt science to static electricity and more.
Craft some recycled paper
The Craftaholic Witch
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Teach your kindergartners how to transform something old into something new. Use scrap paper, old newspapers, and magazine pages to create beautiful handcrafted paper.
Kids love to play with balloons! Find out all about the properties of static electricity with these three fun and super-easy balloon experiments. (Get more fun balloon experiments here.)
Create a model of the human spine
Mombrite
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Kindergarten science students love to learn through play. Make this simple egg carton spine model to encourage your students’ interest in the human body and how it works.
Teach your students the magic of chemical reactions using a plastic bottle, vinegar, and baking soda to inflate a balloon. This classic experiment is a wonderful way to explore science for kindergarten kids.
Introduce little ones to the laws of motion with easy-to-make balloon rockets. When the air shoots out one end, the balloons will sail off in the other direction. Whee!
You’ll need helium balloons for this one, and kids are gonna love it. Ask them to guess (hypothesize) how many balloons it will take to lift various items in a bag attached to the strings.
There’s never been a better time to add a handwashing experiment to your list of kindergarten science activities. Use glitter as a stand-in for germs, and learn how important washing your hands with soap really is.
Explore the properties of mystery items
Raising Lifelong Learners
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Mystery bags are always a hit with kids. Tuck a variety of objects inside, then encourage kids to feel, shake, smell, and explore as they try to determine what the items are without looking.
Learn more: Mystery Bags at Raising Lifelong Learners
Play with fizzing ice cubes
The Play-Based Mom
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
While kinders may not entirely understand the concept of acid-base reactions, they’ll still get a kick out of spraying these baking soda ice cubes with lemon juice and watching them fizz away!
Here’s another way to engage the senses. Drop essential oils onto cotton balls, then seal them inside spice bottles. Kids sniff the bottles and try to identify the smell.
Magnet play is one of our favorite kindergarten science activities. Place a variety of items into small bottles, and ask kids which ones they think will be attracted to the magnets. The answers may surprise them!
This experiment lets kindergartners try their hand at “waterproofing” a boot with a variety of materials. They use what they already know to predict which materials will protect the paper boot from water, then experiment to see if they’re right.
Perhaps no book leads so perfectly into a science lesson as Dr. Seuss’s Bartholomew and the Oobleck. Just what is oobleck? It’s a non-Newtonian fluid that looks like a liquid but takes on the properties of a solid when squeezed. Weird, messy … and so much fun!
No list of kindergarten science activities would be complete without a crystal project! Use pipe cleaners to make the letters of the alphabet (numbers are good too), then grow crystals on them using a supersaturated solution.
You don’t need a microscope to look at fingerprints up close! Instead, have each student make a print on a balloon, then blow it up to see the whorls and ridges in detail.
Tell kids they’re going to move a marble without actually touching it, and watch their eyes widen in surprise! They’ll have fun drawing mazes to guide a metal marble through with a magnet from underneath.
There’s something about seeing a seed develop roots and shoots with your very eyes that’s just so incredible. Sprout bean seeds in paper towels inside a glass jar to give it a try.
Every day is a new opportunity for toddlers to ask “Why?” over and over. Tap into that curiosity with these fun and engaging science activities for preschoolers. These simple experiments incorporate many preschool favorites like playing with bubbles or water, making arts and crafts, and, of course, making a mess!
To make things even easier, we’ve rated every one of these preschool science activities for preschoolers based on difficulty and materials.
Difficulty:
Easy: These are low- or no-prep experiments you can do pretty much any time.
Medium: These take a little more setup or a longer time to complete.
Advanced: Experiments like these take a fairly big commitment of time or effort.
Materials:
Basic: Simple items you probably already have around the house.
Medium: Items that are easy to get your hands on, but you might not already have.
Advanced: These require specialized or more expensive supplies to complete.
Jump to:
Water Preschool Science Experiments
These water activities for preschoolers help teach little learners a variety of science concepts. (These can get a little messy, so you might want to try them outside.) Find even more water science activities here.
Make music with xylophone bottles
Mama Papa Bubba
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
The classic experiment using varying levels of water in glasses or bottles is even more fun when you add some food coloring. Experiment with different water depths and mallet styles to make all kinds of beautiful music!
Kids (and let’s face it, adults too) will definitely get a kick out of this fun science experiment. While you’ll only need a kiddie pool, some dish soap, and a Hula-Hoop to make this a reality, the payoff will be big.
There are lots of cool baking-soda-and-vinegar experiments out there (ever made your own volcano?), but this one is always a favorite with little ones. The acid-base reaction causes the rice to dance and jump around in the water for an effect that is just so cool!
Preschool science experiments often include a combination of baking soda and vinegar like this one. Fill muffin tins with a drop of food coloring, then top it with baking soda. Finally, let kids squirt in vinegar to reveal fabulous foamy hues! (Be sure to wear eye protection for this one.)
Engage in more water play by having kids predict which items will dissolve in water and which ones won’t. Have kids keep track of the results so they can see if they have anything in common.
This early exploration into the concept of density is always impressive to see in action. Have kids discover how hot water rises and cold water sinks. Explain that the same applies to air, and see if kids can think of a way to observe that in action too.
“Capillary action” might be a real mouthful for preschool science students, but they don’t need to remember the term to be impressed by this experiment! All you need are markers, a paper towel, and two glasses of water.
This is a classic science activity every kid should try at least once. It helps them understand how clouds become so saturated with water that they must release it in the form of rain.
There are lots of fun science activities you can do with bubbles to explore concepts like surface tension. Or you can just have a blast seeing who can make the tallest tower with bubbles and straws.
STEM challenges give students a chance to try solving problems on their own. Give them some basic supplies and instructions, then let them experiment until they find a solution to the challenge.
Rescue toys from hot lava
Forward With Fun
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
While you might not want pre-K kids climbing all over the classroom furniture to play “The Floor Is Lava,” they can do the same thing with their toys in this cute STEM challenge.
Challenge students to build a catapult using just three items: Popsicle sticks, elastics, and a plastic spoon. You’ll definitely want to have an extra set of adult hands available as this can prove challenging for pre-K kids. Finally, bring plenty of marshmallows or pom-poms to launch.
Learn shapes while also practicing some basic science. Fold paper into various shapes to form columns and ask kids to predict which will be able to support the most books.
Teach kids about buoyancy and physics while having fun in the process. First, give your students some tinfoil and challenge them to build a sturdy boat. Then, challenge them to fill the boat with as many pennies as they can without it sinking.
Ask kids to select various materials and tape them over the free boot printable found at the link. Then, test their hypotheses to see which ones work best.
Round up all your building blocks and try this whole-class project. What will students need to do to be able to construct a tower that reaches all the way to the ceiling?
This incredibly easy preschool STEM activity really gets kids thinking. The challenge? Create the longest possible paper chain using a single piece of paper. So simple and so effective.
Kids absolutely love stacking cups! Turn the play into a STEM challenge by adding index cards into the mix. Kids can experiment to see if they can build taller towers with or without the cards.
No snow where you live? Make some yourself! Find easy recipes for “snow” using baking soda, shaving cream, cornstarch, and other household items. Experiment to find the one that works best.
Ask little ones if mittens are warm, and they’ll likely answer yes. But when they measure the temperature inside an empty mitten, they’ll be surprised by what they find. Learn about body heat and insulation with this easy experiment.
Two inches of snow is not the same as two inches of rain. This easy winter science experiment measures the amount of water actually found in an inch of snow.
What’s more fun than a preschool science experiment that doubles as a craft? You’ll need eggs, soil, grass seeds, water, and a permanent marker to bring this project to life. Kids will especially love personalizing their eggshell.
Use magnets along with a few other supplies to make a tissue ghost seem to float in midair! It’s the perfect spooky Halloween science activity for preschoolers.
Pick up a package of marshmallow Peeps (they’re available during many seasons of the year now), and try turning them into little boats. Experiment with different sail sizes and types, and figure out how to make the candy boats go faster.
Baking soda and vinegar experiments are always popular, and this one is so cute for the Thanksgiving season. Build your own little turkey with baking soda feathers, then watch them foam up and dissolve when you add some vinegar.
These science activities and experiments give preschoolers a chance to explore all sorts of science concepts, from plants and animals to germs and gravity and beyond.
Slice apples to learn about oxidation
Teaching With Jennifer Findley
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Here’s another classic preschool science activity: using apple slices to learn about oxidation (and how to prevent it). When you’re done, you’ve got a tasty snack to eat too.
Learn more: Apple Oxidation at Teaching With Jennifer Findley
Show why sunscreen is important
123 Homeschool 4 Me
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
First, have your students make four construction-paper people, each with varying conditions. Wrap one in plastic wrap, cover another in sunscreen, put a hat on one and a set of sunglasses on another. Ask kids to hypothesize what will happen when they’re left out in the sun, then see if they’re right!
Learn about animals and shadow science with these adorable and easy puppets. Use them to act out some scenarios involving these creatures in their natural habitats.
Learn more: Shadow Science at Little Bins for Little Hands
Mix up some “magic” milk
Laughing Kids Learn
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
A drop or two of dish soap will make food coloring dance and swirl across the surface of a shallow bowl of milk. Preschool science experiments often seem like magic, but this one is all about surface tension and chemical reactions.
This wax paper experiment is interesting from both a science and art perspective. Ask kids to think about why wax paper behaves differently than other paper they use for art projects.
You’ll need a hot sunny day for this preschool science experiment. Help students choose a variety of items to place into a muffin tin and have them predict which ones will melt. Set the tin out in the sun for an hour or two, then bring it in and record your results.
Learn more: Melting Science at Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls
Drop balls to introduce gravity
Inspiration Laboratories
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
Gravity can be a complicated subject, but all pre-K kids need to understand the basics. Drop balls of all sizes to discover that they all fall in the exact same way.
Head to the playground to explore gravity and friction
Buggy and Buddy
Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic
What goes up must come down! A playground slide is the perfect place to help kids understand gravity. This is a good chance to learn about friction too.
Magnets are undeniably a source of fascination for kids. At this stage, you can worry less about explaining how magnets work and instead just let kids explore which items are attracted to magnets and which aren’t. Sort the items into categories, then see if the items have anything in common.
This series of simple experiments lets kids see sound waves at work. Start by making waves with a Slinky, then move on to tuning forks and bouncing confetti.
Preschoolers love science activities that involve food. While crystal experiments are a hit with kids of any age, this one is perfect for the young crowd. It requires a little patience, but kids get to eat the yummy results!
Understanding the idea that air can have enough force to move objects can be a little challenging, but this simple experiment brings that concept to life. We love that this experiment is affordable since most people (especially teachers) already have these materials on hand.
This simple balance scale is so easy to make yet provides endless opportunities for weighing all kinds of objects. Have kids assemble a scale from a plastic hanger, a few paper cups, and some string, then let them hypothesize which items will be heavier and which will be lighter.
Pipe cleaners have long been a staple classroom supply. They’re colorful, inexpensive, and have so many uses. Try out one of these pipe cleaner crafts with your students to add a vibrant, colorful effect to your classroom, and have some fun in the process! Check out this list of 50 of our favorite pipe cleaner crafts.
Before getting started, round up colorful pipe cleaners and beads to match. Twist the pipe cleaners into a tree shape, then let kids string the matching beads to the right branches for some color-recognition practice.
Kids often get bored while learning letters, so take a break from writing and try twisting pipe cleaners into letters instead. Then, use those letters for fun spelling practice.
Use star-shaped beads along with pipe cleaners to map out the constellations of the night sky. Bonus tip: Hang them from the ceiling for cool classroom or bedroom decor!
Make simple but effective math manipulatives to help kids see addition and subtraction in action. These are great in the classroom and also for extra practice at home.
Sure, you could just use the wands that come with bubble solution, but these are so much cooler! Experiment with different shapes while also personalizing your own wand with colorful bead patterns.
Give a toddler some pipe cleaners and a colander and you’ll keep them busy for hours. Not only will it buy you some much-needed quiet time, but it will also give them excellent fine motor skills practice.
Thread pipe cleaners through straws and use them to create a wide variety of 3D shapes. This is good for geometry review, but they make fun building toys.
Learn more: Platonic Solid at The Map Is Not the Territory
You may be surprised to find this out, but pipe cleaners are the perfect medium for growing crystals in supersaturated solutions made with borax. This is one of those pipe cleaner activities that never fails to amaze.
Like the pipe cleaner letters above, this activity gives kids fine motor skills practice while teaching them their numbers. You can also string beads onto the letters for more counting practice.
Here’s a fun way to work on physical fitness. Have kids bend pipe cleaners to represent their favorite yoga positions and then have them explain how the pose makes them feel.
How cute are these floating jellyfish decorations? Using multiple colors for the tentacles creates such a vibrant look. We especially love pipe cleaner crafts that double as classroom decor!
Grab some alphabet beads and then get to work on sight words, CVC words, or whatever’s on the spelling list this week. The hands-on component encourages whole-brain learning since it engages all the senses.
Once you’re done crafting, you can hang a host of sparkling dragonflies by the window to catch the light! Learn how to make these pipe cleaner crafts at the link.
Fidget toys are a terrific way to help kids work off some physical energy while staying focused on the subject at hand. These DIY pipe cleaner fidget sticks are easy and inexpensive enough to make a batch for the whole class.
Send a message of love with this easy-to-make pipe cleaner garland. Once you’re done crafting, you can hang them to celebrate Valentine’s Day or any day.
Kids love superheroes so we have no doubt that your students will adore these little crime-fighting crafts. After your class is done making their superheroes, you can spark a fun debate by asking them their favorite superpowers.
Create a buzz with these adorable little bees. Wrap the pipe cleaners around a wooden clothespin and add some googly eyes for an un-bee-lievable craft.
Twist up some holiday spirit with these holiday trees that are both easy and attractive. Just shape your green pipe cleaners into a tree shape and then glue pom-poms throughout.
These alien pipe cleaner friends are so cute and so easy to make.
43. Create some creepy crawlers
These spiders may not be the easiest craft on our list, but they might be the coolest! Choose your secondary color of pipe cleaners and beads and then follow along with the video. Finally, add some googly eyes and enjoy your new creepy-crawly bestie.
44. Spin a spider web
Once you’ve made your spiders in the craft above, you’ll need a home for them! This web is a perfect project to further hand-eye coordination while having fun!
With the cost of glasses being what it is, who wouldn’t want to make their own pair (wink, wink)? While they may not help you see any better, they sure do look cute!
Select your color snake and then create the three body sections by coiling them around a pencil. Then, thread a red pipe cleaner throughout to act as that hissing tongue. Finally, glue on a pair of a googly eyes and name your new slithery friend.
Grab some crafting foam blocks, a large supply of pipe cleaners, and all your crafting odds and ends, and then get to work sculpting. Kids will love personalizing their sculptures with beads, tape, and more!
Since headbands are a great way to look stylish in a pinch, the more the merrier! We love the idea of buying a few plain ones and then jazzing them up with pipe cleaners and pom-poms. Be sure to have an adult assist with the hot-glue gun!
49. Crown someone king or queen
Odds are that the little ones in your life love to play dress-up and love to craft, so why not combine those things? These pipe cleaner crowns are oh-so adorable and can be embellished with beads and other supplies.
Wooden peg people are one of the best crafting materials to buy in bulk since the possibilities are endless. We especially love the idea of using some glitter and pipe cleaners to transform them into magical fairies.
