Easy Science Experiments for Kids: A DIY Project You Can Do In Your Garage

Finally, the weekend is here! And what a better way to spend the free days at home with your kids than by doing something fun yet educational. Learning is made easy when your kids get to enjoy a hands-on experience. Not only will they nurture intellectual curiosity, but doing science projects will also help them develop skills and abilities such as resourcefulness, problem-solving, and planning. And as parents, joining them in these easy experiments will boost their confidence and pique their interest in the activities. They will find new interests and form new hobbies. This is especially good for your developing child. By performing these experiments at home, the child will feel less pressured and competitive, and just freely enjoy the learning process. With you, of course. To begin, know your child’s interests. Ask questions. From there, you will be able to determine what kind of science project is fit for your child. Your first goal is to make your child be interested in engaging in this kind of activity. Then you can introduce new ideas that are yet to be explored by your child. Who knows, maybe you are rearing a child who is bound to be an ecologist, physicist, scientist, or engineer. When choosing the kind of activity, it will be most convenient if you can source materials that are readily available at home. In this way, you can jumpstart the project with ease, and will also develop your child’s resourcefulness. Dedicate a space wherein the whole family can join. It will be a good idea to build a corner or convert your garage into your science haven. Making a dedicated space will make it easier for a child to associate the space with fun learning; A living room is a space for casual talks and watching programs or movies; A bedroom is a space for sleeping or resting; A dining room is a space for eating. Likewise, the garage-turned-science lab is a space for fun learning. Here are some easy science experiments you can do in your garage:

Repel glitter with dish soap

This little experiment is very apt for the current global health situation. How do you make your child understand the COVID-19 pandemic or how viruses generally work or spread. We are reminded that regular washing of hands will repel germs. And a good way to visualize it is by this little experiment. In a bowl of water, let your child sprinkle a good amount of glitter. Then let him watch how fast the glitter spreads on the water surface. Ask him to describe the movement of the glitter. Next, have him pour a small amount of dishwashing liquid. He will be amazed at how fast the glitter repels the dishwashing liquid. Of course, some glitters will stick on his hands. And it will be hard for him to remove them even if he will be washing his hands with water. By having him use hand soap and cleanse it with water, it will take for more than 20 seconds to thoroughly clean his hands. This will help him develop a good habit of how to correctly wash his hands.

Eggs-periment with sugar water

Having a hard time teaching your kids to control their sugar intake, cola drinking, or chocolate binge eating habits? Or does it take a lot of nagging and pushing for your kid to brush his teeth? Then this experiment will help you visualize what sugar can do to their teeth. In this experiment, you only need a cup or bowl, eggs, and sugary drinks. Eggs with white shells are a good replacement for your teeth as they are both made of calcium. Prepare one cup or bowl for each sugary drink. You can use a dark-colored sugar-free drink like Gatorade G, a dark-colored fruit juice like blueberry or grape juice, a light-colored fruit juice like orange or mango juice, and a dark-colored soda. And also have a cup of water. Label each cup according to the type of liquid. Then pour the drink into the cup with the correct label. Then store the cups in a safe spot. A good workbench from FlexiMounts is a good option as it is sturdy and can be stable even on uneven flooring with that of the garage. After a few hours, head back to the cups. Have your kid remove the eggs from each cup. And watch his facial expressions at how each egg darkens, while the egg submerged in the water stays the same. Ask him why the shell has darkened. Then explain that the sugar and acids present in the drinks actually dissolve the enamel and the bacteria in the sugary drinks promote decay or develop cavities in the case of the teeth.

Project the stars on your ceiling

Here’s a cool experiment you can do at night. Your child is full of questions and curious about a lot of things. One of which is why stars appear at night but disappear during the day. And what a better way to explain this phenomenon is to visualize it through this DIY activity. Prepare paper cups, push pins, and LED flashlights. A printed copy of constellations is optional if you also want to educate your child about it and have a guide when pinning holes in the paper cups. Exercise caution when using the pins. Glue your eyes onto the child when putting holes so as not to create accidents. Then hand over the LED flashlight and let him cover it with the paper cup. Have him turn it on while the garage room is still brightly illuminated. Have him verbalize his observations. Then turn off the lights in the room, while the flashlight is still switched on. Again, let him explain what he sees. You can also have him project the light at the wall. Have him stand away, like a few meters from the wall, then make him move a few inches closer to the wall. This can also teach him how distance affects how light travels.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot more experiments you can explore and do with your child. These will stimulate his interests while spending quality time with you.