Activities | Science Buddies Blog (Page 19)

August 7, 2014 10:00 AM

Stay up late, or get up really, really early to catch nature's annual fireworks display. Students and families can extend Perseids fun with a hands-on science exploration of parallax. How far away are the things we see in the sky? By Kim Mullin Each August, a much-anticipated nighttime show plays live in our skies: the Perseid meteor showers. This annual event offers you the year's best opportunity to see meteors streaking across the sky, so long as you are willing to be awake well… Read more

Pizza Box Solar Oven: Weekly Science Activity

July 31, 2014 7:59 AM

In this week's spotlight: an energy-focused family science activity that doubles as an alternative energy experiment and a recycling project. Using a pizza box (or other shipping box), foil, a few other readily available materials, and the power of the sun, you can make a functional solar-powered oven. Cooking will take longer than in a kitchen appliance, but with some planning, you can cook a meal or prepare a campsite batch of s'mores with your own homemade solar oven! How does a solar… Read more

Marinade Science: Weekly Science Activity

July 10, 2014 9:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a food sciences family science experiment that investigates the way different ingredients make a difference in how well a marinade sticks to food. In this science activity, students simulate the process of soaking a food in a marinade by doing a controlled study with tofu, food dye, and four different ingredients that might be found in a marinade recipe. Setting up a set of standards for what the tofu looks like when soaked in different levels of dye concentration… Read more

Fun with Fireworks Science: When Chemicals Burn

June 30, 2014 7:00 AM

Fireworks displays are fun to watch and a tradition accompanying many community celebrations. With a simple family science activity, the mystery behind the dazzling night-time sky show can be explored. This is colorful hands-on summer science—minus the "boom" of fireworks explosions! What makes all the great colors you see during a fireworks display? Experiment with a fun backyard family science activity to see firsthand how different chemicals produce different colors when… Read more

Powering a Raft with Surface Tension: Weekly Science Activity

June 26, 2014 8:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a physics family science experiment that investigates the dynamics of surface tension. Surface tension may keep your soda from spilling over the cup when you fill it a bit too full, but can surface tension also be used to propel something? In this science activity, students build a small, lightweight raft and experiment to see how surface tension—and some dish soap—can help move it across the surface of water. Build a Bathtub Toy Raft Powered by… Read more

Families and Fingerprints: Weekly Science Activity

June 12, 2014 10:00 AM

Experiment to find out if fingerprint patterns are inherited or not! In this week's spotlight: a genetics and genomics family science experiment for Father's Day. Fingerprints are unique, but do family members share fingerprint characteristics? Are there patterns of inheritance that come into play when it comes to fingerprints? Put the question to the test with a visual examination of fingerprints among siblings and between different family… Read more

Expanding and Contracting Gases: Weekly Science Activity

June 5, 2014 10:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a chemistry family science experiment that guides students and families in an exploration of how gases behave, especially when they are cooled or heated. Many gases are invisible, but they are everywhere around us. By trapping gas in a balloon, you can investigate how the kinetic energy of a gas changes in response to temperature and how the change in the motion of the gas molecules makes the balloon shrink or expand. With some hands-on measurements, a bit of air… Read more

Bringing Science Magic to the Classroom

June 4, 2014 10:00 AM

A magic milk rainbow may be all about what's happening at the surface level between milk and soap, but when kids create the magic, the learning excitement is palpable. For Lily Arendt, hands-on science activities are a great way to help kids uncover the magic of science. We couldn't agree more! Above: Lily Arendt and a class of students explore surface tension with the Make a Milk Rainbow science activity. For Lily Arendt, a biology student at DePaul University in Chicago and a… Read more

Science Activities: Fun Science Perfect for Home or School

June 2, 2014 6:00 AM

Science Buddies has added a new "activities" section to its award-winning science education website. The new science activities complement the existing library of science fair project ideas but bridge the gap between science "assignment" or "independent project" and doing science just for fun at home or in the classroom. These new activities appear just as summer break begins for many students, making the timing perfect for families looking to keep kids engaged with science all summer… Read more

Geodesic Gumdrop Dome: Weekly Science Activity

May 30, 2014 8:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a civil engineering family science experiment that guides students in building a simple geodesic dome from candies and toothpicks (or tubes made from newspaper) and then exploring the shape. How strong is a geodesic dome? How much weight can it hold? Where in nature and architecture can you find examples of dome shapes? Build a Gumdrop Geodesic Dome (Science Buddies activity) Dome Sweet Dome (full Science Buddies Project Idea) Family Math: Making a Geodesic… Read more

Science Buddies Blog (249 results)

Explore Our Science Videos