15+ Science Experiments to Do at Home

I earn a commission from products purchased through links in this post.

Sharing is caring!

Kids seem to learn more about their environment through science experiments than they do by reading textbooks. Thankfully, there are a ton of science experiments to do at home.

Please don’t think I am totally anti-textbook. I certainly think there can be a time and a place for them.

This past year I used a public school high school science textbook for my daughter’s science curriculum. I wanted her to gain experience and practice using a standard textbook before she goes off to college in a few years. Knowing how to get information from a typical textbook is a skill that needs to be developed.

The textbook and accompanying workbook worked well, but the lab manual was a flop. I suppose it was written for teachers who have large science experiment cabinets and easy access to expensive equipment and chemicals.

That isn’t me . . . or any homeschool family I know!

I couldn’t rely on the suggested experiments in the book, so I found other experiments online.

These are all science experiments to do at home. They do not require any fancy equipment or hard-to-find materials. Most of the supplies are things you probably already have in your home, but some might require an Amazon order.

Science Experiments to Do at Home

Extract DNA from a Strawberry – DNA is in every living thing, but it isn’t often that we can see it with our own eyes. This fun science experiment to do at home uses simple items that you likely already own. If you don’t have any fresh strawberries, frozen works well too.

My family has done this experiment a few times with great results.

How Does a Leaf Breathe – This science experiment lets you actually see photosynthesis take place. All you need is a leaf, a clear bowl or cup, and water.

Grow a Germ Farm – Find out how much bacteria is really all around you with this germ experiment.

My family did this science experiment at home a few years ago, and my kids still talk about it. They loved being able to check on the growth each day, and they felt like ‘real scientists’ with their petri dishes.

Gummy Bear Osmosis – My kids are always more interested in schoolwork if the lessons include food. This is an easy and fun science experiment to do at home because it uses easy-to-find materials – gummy bears and water.

Make Oobleck – Study non-Newtonian fluids with this hands-on experiment for kids. This in-depth article explains how to do this science experiment at home, but also why it works.

Sharpie Solubility – Explore the concept of solubility with Sharpies. Kids use the permanent markers to draw simple lines on coffee filters and place them in three common substances. It doesn’t take long to see which substance helps break down the ink.

Elephant Toothpaste – This experiment creates a big foamy mess . . . something kids always seem to enjoy! Messes are worth it if they lead to learning, though. Kids can learn all about exothermic reactions with this cool experiment.

How to Clean Pennies – Do your kids ever want to just play with random condiments? My kids loved to do this when they were little. Sometimes they were pretending to be chefs, and sometimes they were pretending to be scientists.

Let your little scientists experiment with a few kitchen staples (lime/lemon juice, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, and salt) and see if they can remove the patina from dirty pennies.

Test PH Level – This science experiment to do at home is really simple but seems impressive. Use red (purple) cabbage to create an indicator solution. Then kids can test just about anything to determine the pH level and whether something is an acid or a base.

Make Ice Cream in a Bag – Kids can observe changing states of matter while they make dessert. This is a win-win!

Create Hot Ice Crystals – This experiment will blow your kids’ minds! It only uses two common household supplies, but produces a crystal ‘ice’ tower that is hot to the touch.

Related: 7 Fizzy Baking Soda and Vinegar Science Experiments

Make Rain Clouds – This cute science experiment is perfect for little ones on rainy days. Shaving cream, water, and food coloring combine to show kids how gravity is involved in making rain fall from clouds.

Watch Water Travel – Test the properties of cohesion and adhesion with this quick experiment. Kids will get a kick out of watching water travel from one container to another via string.

Turn Milk Into Plastic – This science experiment to do at home uses vinegar to turn milk into plastic. It is part science experiment and part craft project.

Make a Lava Lamp – Explore the relationship between oil and water with this fun kid-friendly science experiment. My kids had a blast doing this experiment a few years ago.

Awesome Science Kits

Don’t want to gather the materials for experiments from around your home? That is totally okay!

These science kits can be ordered online and come with everything you need for science experiments you can do at home.

Thames and Kosmos Chemistry Chem C500 – Thames and Kosmos make some of the best chemistry sets for kids. This set contains just about everything needed to complete 28 science experiments at home.

Crystal Growing Science Experimental Kit – This highly rated kit contains everything needed to conduct 7 crystal growing experiments at home.

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Volcano Science Kit – Creating an erupting volcano is one of the classic science experiments you can do at home. Kids all seem to love it! This kit has everything needed to craft and then erupt a volcano. It even includes a few volcanic rocks.

Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Keep reading . . .

• Online Homeschool Chemistry Lab Videos
• 6 Fun Ways to Teach Science Without a Curriculum
• How to Grow a Germ Farm: A Bacteria Experiment
• How to Create a Cell Cake

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.