Science fairs are a long-standing tradition that provide kids with the opportunity to better understand practical concepts in fun and innovative ways. The great thing about the experiments presented at these events is that they don’t have to be too complicated to showcase the wonders of science. There are plenty of easy science fair projects for kids, such as naked eggs, plastic milk, and even the classic baking soda volcano.
If you’re in a pinch, fun science kits for kids, like the ones from Home Science Tools, can save the day! Here’s a quick list of easy science fair projects for kids.
Naked Eggs is an easy science fair project for 7th graders that only requires an egg and some vinegar. Simply submerge the egg in a jar of vinegar, making sure it’s fully covered. After about twelve hours, you should notice a white foam forming on top of the container–that’s the eggshell! Leave it a couple more days in the jar, and you’ll end up with a completely naked egg.
The shell of an egg is primarily made up of calcium carbonate. When you soak it in vinegar, which is about 4% acetic acid, you start a chemical reaction that dissolves the shell. The acetic acid reacts with the calcium carbonate in the shell and releases carbon dioxide, which you’ll see as bubbles forming on the shell. The egg inside, however, stays intact thanks to the fragile membrane just inside the shell.
You end up with a bouncy, almost translucent egg. When you hold it up to the light, you can even see the yolk within. You’ll probably notice that the naked egg is also slightly bigger than when you started–this is because of a process called ‘osmosis.’
You can help your kid make their own plastic toys at home with just two ingredients: milk and vinegar. When these two combine, the milk solidifies into curds, which you can dry and mold into different shapes.
First, heat a cup of milk until it bubbles. In a separate container, pour about a tablespoon of vinegar. Pour the heated milk immediately into the vinegar and watch it almost immediately form into curds, with the liquid separating itself. Strain out the solids with a cheesecloth; if you don’t have one, you can use a sieve layered with a couple of thick paper towels.
Leave this to strain for about thirty minutes, then squeeze out as much liquid from the curds as you can. When your curds are mostly dry, you can start forming them into a flat mass. Then, you can shape this into whatever you’d like. (Pro tip: use a cookie cutter.) Leave this on a windowsill to dry for a day, and you’ll have a new plastic-like toy!
The baking soda volcano is a classic home science experiment for preschoolers. It demonstrates a chemical reaction between sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and acetic acid (vinegar), which produces carbon dioxide gas, water, and sodium acetate. You simply have to mix the two ingredients in a jar enclosed in a papier mache volcano (bonus points if you add a little dish soap to make the ‘lava’ foamier) and you get an eruption!
Home Science Tools has designed a variety of easy science fair projects that your kids can prepare themselves and still wow a crowd. Check out the variety of available kits on our website today!