Science Games & Activities for Kids

Bubbles can be used to teach basic science principles.

There is almost an unlimited number of science games and activities for kids, so you will never run out of learning opportunities. Science games and activities should be fun, but they should also be based on actual science principles so that children learn as well. Keep in mind that the idea behind playing these games is to get kids excited about science, so they associate science with a fun and positive experience.

Forces Activities

There are a large number of activities for kids that help teach about forces. One of these is to divide kids into groups and hand each group some newspaper and rolls of masking or duct tape. Challenge the children to build a bridge between two chairs, using only the paper and tape, that will hold the weight of one person for one minute.

Another activity demonstrating forces in action is the egg drop. Have students design a container that will allow a raw egg to be dropped from a tall height without cracking.

Density and Pressure Activity

This activity helps to teach children the science of density and atmospheric pressure. Have the children fill an empty 2-liter soda bottle with water. Fold a ketchup packet in half and carefully push it into the bottle. Screw on the cap. Kids squeeze the sides of the bottle, increasing the pressure in the bottle, to make the packet sink. Let go and the packet rises. The packet does this because it has some air inside. As the bottle is squeezed, the air in the packet is compressed and the packet sinks. Let go, the air expands, and the packet rises.

Bubble Challenge

The bubble challenge gives kids the opportunity to learn about the properties of different materials while blowing bubbles. Have kids mix up a batch of bubble solution, using 1 cup of distilled water, 2 tablespoons of a strong dishwashing detergent and 1 tablespoon of glycerin. Give kids a piece of string and some pipe cleaners and challenge them to see who can make the biggest bubble. Kids can also play bubble volleyball. This works best if their hands are wet.

Science Jeopardy

This game can be used with any science subject. Choose a subject the kids are studying and divide it up into five or more separate categories. For example, earth science can be broken up into the Earth, the water cycle, rocks and minerals, climate and biomes. For each category, write five or more questions on one side of an index card. On the other side of each card, write how much the answer is worth, for example $200, $400, $600, $800 and $1,000. The hardest questions should be worth the most money. Divide children into groups and have each group, in turn, chose a category and an amount. If they answer the question correctly, they are "awarded" the money. The group with the most money once all the questions have been answered is the winner.

References

• California State University-Northridge: Games for the Science Curriculum
• PBS: Resources for the Classroom
• Steve Spangler Science: Science Experiments