5-6 Year Olds

Want even more science fun?

Here are some cool science experiments, demonstrations and explorations that I’ve found from around the web, that I think would be perfect for 5 and 6 year olds (and older children too):

• Left Brain Craft Brain has a really cool heat-sensitive (thermochromic) colour-changing slime, which looks like it would be so much fun to play with.
• Let your daughter raid the pantry for a bit of child-led liquid density exploration. Like potions, but in pretty layers! From Life Over Cs.
• Science craft idea: make some pretty chromatography butterflies! From Buggy and Buddy.
• Or for more chromatography ideas, Kids Minds has five different ways you can experiment with chromatography at home, including one with sprinkles!
• Can you use chemistry to change the colour of grape juice? This one is from There’s Just One Mommy.
• Have you got any of those plastic eggs left over from Easter? Make egg parachutes with them! Try a few design modifications to see which works best. From JDaniel4’s Mom.
• I love the simplicity of this idea to visually demonstrate how fold mountains are formed. It’s an easy way to explain earth science. From The Chaos and the Clutter.
• Here’s an easy backyard experiment that looks at water pressure and water flow, from JDaniel4’s Mum.
• Did you know you can use science to blow up a balloon without touching it? From Laughing Kids Learn.
• If your kids love arts and crafts, then Rhythms of Play has an art science activity they might enjoy, experimenting with which mediums will resist watercolour paints and the different effects you can achieve. Very pretty!
• Learn about storms, hot and cold weather fronts. Here’s one version from Preschool Powol Packets, and a second version from Frogs and Fairies. Life Over Cs has a similar activity that looks at ocean currents and eddies.
• Here’s an easy science demonstration on which material is the best conductor of heat. Bonus points that it uses items you’ll have already in your kitchen. From Look, We’re Learning.
• Can you make a cloud form inside a jar? This would be great to do on a rainy or foggy day! From There’s Just One Mommy.
• Here’s a few fun experiments with jelly (or Jello as my American and Canadian friends tend to call it). From The Chaos and the Clutter.
• Try this refraction of light activity – you probably have everything you need already in your handbag! From Look, We’re Learning!
• Buggy and Buddy has a great idea for observing and recording bulb plants growth. You can see the roots pushing down and everything!
• Can you design a Lego boat that floats? For how long? Can it hold weight too? How many coins can it hold? From JDaniel4’s Mom.
• Have you heard of the Egg Drop Challenge? It has to be one of the most iconic science challenges for older kids, but there’s no reason young kids can’t try it too! You can see how Buggy and Buddy did the egg drop challenge with their kindergartener.
• How cool is this self-inflating monster from Artsy Momma? I reckon it would be an awesome science trick for a Halloween party.
• Explore the density and buoyancy of fruit and vegetables, with this fun (and healthy) twist to the classic sink and float experiment. From KC Edventures.
• While you have the ice out, you could also see you can pick up an ice-cube with a piece of string? With science you can! From Mess For Less.
• Are you game to handle bleach around young children? If so, they’ll be amazed when you make colour disappear. Perhaps wear old clothes for this one, just in case. From Mess For Less.
• Have you tried making a tornado? Planet Smarty Pants has this version, and Artsy Momma has this one, each with subtle differences.
• Another weather idea, is to make a backyard rain gauge, and then compare your findings with the local weather forecast. How do they know what to predict? From NurtureStore.
• Or get creative with ice and coloured salt, to create your own ice art! From NurtureStore.
• Draw a human sundial! Or try creating some shadow art. Both are great ways for kids to learn about shadows and how the earth rotates. From Rhythms of Play.
• Here’s how you can make your own stethoscope – that actually works! So cool. From Fantastic Fun and Learning.
• Another crafty idea – make a melted pony bead solar system, like this one from Schooling A Monkey. I reckon it would be really cool if you could figure out a way to make the planets different sizes, so they were (very, very roughly) to scale.
• And one for the colder months: can you do a science experiment with hot chocolate? Of course – food science is awesome! Creative Family Fun came up with this idea, testing variables and recording results.
• Kids Minds has some water resistance experiment ideas – with playdough and aluminium foil.
• Bring our your inner detective with this exploration of family finger prints and forensic science. From KC Edventures.
• Here’s an easy telescope craft that you can look through to ‘see’ sticker constellation stars. From Math Geek Mama.
• Artsy Momma has some more fun constellation ideas that cover each of the STEM pillars, including one that involves marshmallows. Yum!

Want even EVEN more?

You could check out the ideas on our Science for 3-4 Year Olds page – many of these ideas are completely appropriate for 5 and 6 year olds as well. If you’re looking to challenge the kids a little bit further, you can usually extend almost any activity by encouraging kids to follow the scientific method. They can hypothesize, plan and set up the activities for themselves, experiment with changing one variable at a time, document the process, revise their hypothesis, etc.

We also have a Science for 7-9 Year Olds page, if you’re looking to up the ante. (You’ll likely need to help with those activities though).