Anybody know science experiments for kids??

[Chintan]

Hey everyone,

I'm going to be going a camp counselor for a camp for underprivileged kids this summer. One of the programs that i was thinking about putting on was a science day sort of activity. there would be rotations for the kids and they could do different types of science experiments that would be fun, yet they would also learn something. I was thinking of doing something called "Grossology" based on a book with the same title that talks about the science of burping, farting, boogers, and all that stuff. but i wanted to have other types of experiments or demos that explode, or shoot into the sky, or things that will amaze kids. the kids are going to be from 6-10 years old.

I was hoping you ATers would remember some of the cool little experiments you did when you were in school.

Could you please help me out by posting some experiments and the materials you need for them? i'd really appreciate it and i'm sure the kids would have a blast. or links to sites with good experiments?

thanks a lot everyone!

 

[Chintan]

E=mc^2

^

 

[myputer]

http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/projects.html
http://nyelabs.kcts.org/openNyeLabs.html
http://www.spartechsoftware.com/reeko/
http://www.looklearnanddo.com/documents/projects.html
http://www.brighterkids.com/exper8.htm

Here are some, I hope they have some ideas you can use. Good Luck

 

[Electric Amish]

You could go with the good ol' Vinegar and Baking Soda volcano...

or, the sugar and sulfuric(or is it Nitric?) acid snake.

amish

 

[GasX]

Get the kids all crowded around and then do the classic bleach and ammonia experiment

 

[Pretender]

Na + H2O = Fun. Of cource you can't exactly let kids be playing with that sorta stuff



If you want to get them involved, it's tougher because they (little kids) can't really be trusted with chemicals that may be hazardous, and those are the only type of fun chemicals. Watching is usually fun as a little kid, so you could just do demos mixing, uh, highly reactive chemicals, and that should keep their attention.

 

[Linflas]

I remember doing one in elementary school for a science fair or something similar that used a 6 volt battery, a beaker of solution, and a thick copper wire. When hooked up I could electroplate a key or other metal object suspended in the solution with copper. I know the solution was made from water and an unremembered chemical we had to buy from the drugstore.

 

[kassy]

An Experiment
Mix together
.1 tablerSpoon of dried yeast
.1/2 teaSpoon of Sugar
.about 1 tableSpoon of warm
(not hot) water.

Pour the mixture carefully
into a bottle. Fasten a
ballon over the mouth of
the bottle and Stand it in
a Warm place,Such as on a
Sunny window Sill.Leave it
for an hour or so and watch
what happens.

 

[MrBond]

I've heard about this, but never seen it done. Apparently you can make a "water rocket" out of a two liter soda bottle. You fill it with water, invert it, and pump compressed air into the bottle. Then, after so much air goes in, you hit a release and the thing goes flying up into the air. Search on "Water rocket" and it should bring up plans. 4H clubs do it here, so it's relativly safe.

You might want to call a university chemistry professor and ask them. They're always doing demo's for kids, such as the exploding hydrogen baloon and such. There's one experiment you can do with iodine solution and one other chemical that makes "elephant foam" that snakes out of the container. I can't remember the other chemical offhand.

Sodium (works with potassium) in water is very very cool for little kids. A potato sized chunk explodes with a blast as loud as a shotgun, and will continue to explode as long as it's in water (until it's gone). It's great fun to toss out a chunk (you'll need your baseball arm here) into the middle of a lake (practice with rocks first so you can gauge the distance the kids need to be back) and watch it go.

Finding it's the hard part. Most places wont sell it to the average joe, so you're friendly university professor may be able to help. They won't be able to give you much, but even a tiney piece will pop and fiz in a beaker of water (goggles required!). And you can't let the kids play with it.

In my 8th grade science class, we made a kind of silly putty-esque slime. It was relativly east to make (elmer's glue, food coloring and borax, I have NO idea what proportions, sorry), and the kids could take it home if you had some sort of container for it. That was a looooonnnng time ago, so I don't remember how messy it was to play with. I remember you made it in a ziplock sandwhich bag

 

[TonTo]

at the science museam here in minnestoa they have this killer experiement place.... get to look at your own dna, molecules of yeast and stuff like that.... it's for lil kids, but, hey, i'm 21 and was sittin there with some 80 year old lady lookin at our own DNA.... hella fun

 

[crypticlogin]

Oh com'on, I can't believe nobody's mentioned 2H2 + O2 + heat ==> 2H20

My high school chem teacher would take empty cardboard milk cartons, flood them with proportionate parts of hydrogen and oxygen, and put a match (on a long stick) to the thing. It's loud, it's relatively safe if you keep your distance, and simple enough to explain to kids. For comparison and effect, show them what H2 and O2 sounds like separately.

And somebody must have a couple of Mr. Wizard episodes on tape. He blew up, burned up, shot up, destroyed stuff, too!