Parents play an important role in fostering enthusiasm for science in their children.
Doing science projects together at home can make a wonderful weekend or "day off"
activity. The following list of projects contains projects from our library of science
Project Ideas
that meet the following criteria:
- Use readily available materials.
- Can be completed in a few hours.
To find other projects you and your student would enjoy, browse the
complete library or use the
Topic Selection Wizard to see a list of recommendations that match up to your interests.
The Brains Behind 'Where's Waldo?'
The Brains Behind 'Where's Waldo?'
| Difficulty |
|
| Time Required |
Very Short (≤ 1 day) |
| Prerequisites |
None |
| Material Availability |
Readily available |
| Cost |
Very Low (under $20) |
| Safety |
No issues |
What makes you notice someone in a crowd? Why do some things stand out, while others melt into the background? In this science project you can investigate the psychology of how things get noticed, by studying how our brains perform a visual search.
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Tightening the Turns in Speed Skating: Lessons in Centripetal Force & Balance
Tightening the Turns in Speed Skating: Lessons in Centripetal Force & Balance
| Difficulty |
|
| Time Required |
Very Short (≤ 1 day) |
| Prerequisites |
None |
| Material Availability |
Readily available |
| Cost |
Very Low (under $20) |
| Safety |
Minor injury possible |
Enjoy the thrill and pace of speed skating, do you? Well, this project's for you. Fast turns around the track become your laboratory tests in these experiments whether you skate on ice, wood, or pavement. The goal is to determine which type of turns are best in a race—tight, medium, or wide—and then to figure out why. You'll analyze the speed and stability of your turns and compare your results with those of a few fellow skaters. This is a…
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Twirls, Whirls, Spins, & Turns: The Science & Reflexes of Dizziness
Twirls, Whirls, Spins, & Turns: The Science & Reflexes of Dizziness
| Difficulty |
|
| Time Required |
Very Short (≤ 1 day) |
| Prerequisites |
None |
| Material Availability |
Readily available |
| Cost |
Very Low (under $20) |
| Safety |
Minor injury possible |
Tilt-A-Whirls, Merry-Go-Rounds, Spinning Tea Cups...does just the thought of them make you dizzy? Why should something so fun make our heads spin so long even after the ride has stopped? Learn about spins, turns, and the mixed signals that fire in our brains when the sensation of dizziness takes over. Weak stomachs, beware. This project has tests that will make your head spin!
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A Change in the Winds: Studying Bernoulli's Principle
A Change in the Winds: Studying Bernoulli's Principle
| Difficulty |
|
| Time Required |
Very Short (≤ 1 day) |
| Prerequisites |
None |
| Material Availability |
Readily available |
| Cost |
Very Low (under $20) |
| Safety |
No issues |
Did you know that you can actually make objects come together by blowing air between them? Find out how wind changes air pressure to bring to objects together in this easy and fun science fair project!
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Don't You Fret! Standing Waves on a Guitar
Don't You Fret! Standing Waves on a Guitar
| Difficulty |
|
| Time Required |
Very Short (≤ 1 day) |
| Prerequisites |
To do this project, you'll need a guitar (or other stringed instrument). You'll need to know enough about playing the instrument to produce clear harmonics by picking (or plucking) the string while lightly touching it in just the right place. |
| Material Availability |
Readily available |
| Cost |
Average ($50 - $100) |
| Safety |
No issues |
In this project, you'll investigate the physics of standing waves on guitar strings. You'll learn about the different
modes
(i.e., patterns) of vibration that can be produced on a string, and you'll figure out how to produce the various modes by lightly touching the string at just the right place while you pick the string. This technique is called playing
harmonics
on the string. By the way, we chose a guitar for this project, but you can do…
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