12 Easy Science Experiments for Kids at Home (Kitchen Items Only)
Science at Home
12 fun, safe science experiments kids can do at home with kitchen items: volcano, walking water, lava lamp, oobleck and more. Tested by our science hosts.
You don't need a lab to raise a little scientist. Our hosts have run 10,000+ science events for kids, and these are the 12 experiments kids ask to repeat most. All of them use things already in your kitchen. Keep an adult nearby for every experiment.
12 easy experiments
1. Baking soda volcano - Put 2 spoons of baking soda in a cup, add a drop of dish soap and food colour, then pour in vinegar. The science: acid + base makes carbon dioxide gas, which foams up.
2. Milk colour explosion - Pour full-cream milk on a plate, add drops of food colour, then touch the centre with a cotton bud dipped in dish soap. The science: soap breaks the milk's surface tension and pushes the fat around.
3. Walking water - Place 3 glasses in a row: coloured water, empty, coloured water. Bridge them with folded tissue paper and wait an hour. The science: capillary action pulls water up through tiny gaps in the paper.
4. Homemade lava lamp - Fill a bottle three-quarters with oil, top up with coloured water, then drop in a piece of an effervescent tablet. The science: oil and water don't mix, and gas bubbles carry the coloured water up and down.
5. Oobleck - Mix 2 cups of cornflour with 1 cup of water. Punch it fast and it feels solid; hold it gently and it flows. The science: it's a non-Newtonian fluid.
6. Dancing raisins - Drop raisins into a glass of clear soda and watch them rise and sink. The science: bubbles stick to the raisins, lift them up, then pop at the top.
7. Pepper and soap - Sprinkle black pepper on water, then touch it with a soapy finger. The pepper runs away. The science: surface tension.
8. Rainbow in a glass - Make 4 cups of coloured water with 0, 1, 2 and 3 spoons of sugar. Layer them gently with a spoon, heaviest first. The science: density.
9. Invisible ink - Write with lemon juice on paper and let it dry. An adult then warms it with an iron or bulb to reveal the message. The science: heat browns the lemon's sugars faster than the paper.
10. Balloon static - Rub a balloon on your hair and hold it near torn paper bits or a thin stream of tap water. The science: static electricity.
11. Colour-changing flowers - Put white flowers or celery in coloured water overnight. The science: plants pull water up through tubes called xylem.
12. Rubber egg - Leave a raw egg in vinegar for 2 days. The shell dissolves and the egg turns bouncy. The science: vinegar reacts with the calcium in the shell.
Safety tips
- An adult should supervise every experiment.
- Never taste the experiments, and wash hands afterwards.
- Keep eyes away from fizzing reactions.
Want 30+ experiments in one box?
Our Science Experiment Kit for Kids has 30+ ready experiments with all materials and a guide, for ages 3 to 15 - find it in our shop. Or let our trained hosts bring the whole lab to your child's science birthday party. Call or WhatsApp +91 70730 71334.