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Trying to come up with a series of simple science labs/experiments to do w/ my science infatuated 4 year old.

I want to stay away from bunsen burners and other hazards and any complex apparatus (I want my DS to be a participant, not a spectator). I can think of a few (maybe static and dynamic friction by pulling blocks off a table etc), making (and sinking) boats out of foil etc. Any ideas are welcome.

Does your child have specific science interests?

There are many homeschool websites with science projects and labs. Kits are also available, with different tools such as magnets and prisms. Building models also helps demonstrate simple principles of physics.

The website Neuroscience for kids has a section of "experiments" which contains a list of links to science fair websites. NFK also offers a monthly e-newsletter.

Yes! This is wonderful! I am ordering some of this stuff as we speak. I want to keep it hands on and child directed (and safe ... we do use protective eyewear when appropriate).

I'm going to add a few to the list that DS3 loves for experimenting with sound and light:

- Testing the movement of sound waves off different surfaces. Which surfaces promote echoes, and which dampen sound?

- Building rockets out of plastic bottles with baking soda and vinegar. Which ratio of soda to vinegar creates the longest shot? How full should the bottle be? How heavy can your projectile be? (Alton brown had a show recently on opening champagne bottles with swords. You could buy a few bottles and test out different methods of opening the bottle, trying to minimize spill or maximize cork travel distance-- who says these experiments can't be something parents get excited about, too?)



- More rockets: you'll need a bike pump, some foam tubing, duct tape, and foam/cardboard to make wings. Work on calibrating design to launch farther, curve toward a target, carry a load, etc. Test out his different trajectories.

- Cooking has endless options. Harvard has a great free video series on the science of cooking on topics like transglutaminase and the maillard reaction. You could pick up some agar and make juice "caviars or make something unusual, like salmon noodles.)

http://www.seas.harvard.edu/cooking

What a fun thread! A mash-up of ideas from posts upthread (sound + PVC pipe) reminded me of this PVC pipe instrument (adult assistance required).

If that's too much work, these marshmallow shooters are a lot of fun.

If you google "chemistry kids" or "science experiments kids", you'll quickly be drowning in tons of ideas (I used to have hundreds of these bookmarked, but they have not been called for on the newest computer, alas, so i'm having trouble finding our old go to's). Our absolute favourite experiment was "hot ice", a supersaturated, supercooled liquid that will instantly solidify if you joggle or touch with a seed crystal. The science behind, from how clouds work to chemical hand warmers, kept our DS busy exploring for weeks (plus finding ways to sneak "Bose Einstein Condensate" into every conversation for months).

You can't make too much Ooblek, either.

http://static1.squarespace.com/stat...06-02ClassroomChemistry-HotIceMHNews.pdf (not the best site, but a good basic description of hot ice)

http://www.housingaforest.com/dancing-oobleck/ (best ooblek site out there!)

http://www.chem4kids.com/ (and related science sites are good starters)

http://coolsciencevideos.com/ActivitiesDemos/Activities_Demos.html (another good starter site)

Thanks! This is all so great! We did the Bernoulli hair dryer with a ping pong ball today (which morphed into pushing hot wheels around with the hair dryer). It's a good one (as long as the hair dryer stays set on "cold").