Fun Classroom Experiments with Everyday Science Lab Equipment

“We’re going on a field trip, we’re going to see the stars, we’re going on a field trip, so pack your science jars!”

If you remember these catchy tunes from Little Einsteins, you know that science is all about exploration and fun! With the right science lab equipment, you can turn your classroom into a thrilling laboratory adventure where the Little Einsteins can unleash their inner scientists.

So buckle up, beloved teachers! We’re learning about some fun experiments that will spark curiosity and creativity in your students. Read on to learn about exciting school experiments using everyday lab equipment, so you can provide engaging ideas to inspire your students in scientific discovery.

5 Fun Experiments for Your Students 

The Australian science curriculum encourages teaching the subject to be more fun. Exploring the world around us isn’t just about memorising facts, after all. With these simple and exciting experiments, kids and teens can witness firsthand how things work in their everyday lives.

For instance, Australian schools focus on encouraging students to build inquiry skills. The curriculum includes Science Inquiry Skills, which help students develop critical thinking by learning and understanding context through experiments.

From mixing colours to growing crystals, these activities will engage your students and make their learning unforgettable. Let’s jump right in!

1. Egg in a Bottle

A classic trick that’s sure to impress your students. This experiment demonstrates air pressure in action, as the egg gets sucked into the bottle seemingly by magic.

What you’ll need:

  • A glass bottle with an opening slightly smaller than a hard-boiled egg
  • A peeled hard-boiled egg
  • A small piece of paper
  • A lighter or matches (teacher supervision required)

Instructions:

  • Step 1: Light the piece of paper and quickly drop it into the glass bottle.
  • Step 2: Immediately place the hard-boiled egg on the bottle’s mouth.
  • Step 3: As the flame goes out, the egg will be pulled into the bottle with a “pop!”

Why it works?

The burning paper heats the air inside the bottle, which causes it to expand. When the flame goes out, the air cools rapidly, which creates a low-pressure area inside. The higher pressure outside pushes the egg down, forcing it into the bottle.

2. Dancing Raisins

Have you ever seen raisins dance? This delightful experiment demonstrates buoyancy and the explanation behind carbonation. It's a perfect way to get your students excited about density and how gases interact with solids.

What you’ll need:

  • A clear glass
  • Soda (any carbonated drink like Sprite or soda water)
  • A handful of raisins

Instructions:

  • Step 1: Fill the clear glass with soda, leaving some room at the top.
  • Step 2: Drop a few raisins into the soda and watch what happens!

Why it works?

As the raisins sink, bubbles from the carbonation cling to the rough surface of the raisins. These bubbles act as tiny flotation devices that lift the raisins to the surface. Once the bubbles pop, the raisins sink again. This cycle continues and creates the appearance of dancing.

3. Colourful Milk Magic

This experiment showcases how dish soap affects surface tension in milk, which produces swirling colours. It’s a fun way to introduce students to the concept of molecular interactions and surface tension.

What you’ll need:

  • A shallow dish (like a pie plate)
  • Whole milk
  • Food colouring (several colours work best)
  • Dish soap
  • Cotton swab

Instructions:

  • Step 1: Pour enough milk into the dish to cover the bottom.
  • Step 2: Add drops of different food colouring around the milk’s surface.
  • Step 3: Dip the cotton swab into dish soap and touch it to the milk’s surface, right in the centre of the colours. Watch as the colours swirl and move.

Why it works?

Milk has fats and proteins that react with the dish soap, which breaks the surface tension and causes the colours to spread. This effect creates a display of moving colours that show how molecules interact on a surface.

4. Crystal Growing

Transform your classroom into a crystal palace with this fun experiment. Growing crystals is a great way to teach students about saturated solutions, evaporation, and molecular structures.

What you’ll need:

  • A glass jar or container
  • Warm water
  • Sugar (or salt)
  • A spoon for stirring
  • String (or a wooden stick if growing rock candy)
  • Food colouring (optional for coloured crystals)

Instructions:

  • Step 1: Dissolve sugar (or salt) in warm water until it becomes saturated (the water can’t dissolve any more sugar).
  • Step 2: Pour the solution into a glass jar.
  • Step 3: If using string, dip it in the solution and hang it in the jar with a pencil across the top to hold it in place.
  • Step 4: Let the jar sit undisturbed for several days. As the water evaporates, crystals will form on the string or stick.

Why it works?

As the water evaporates, the solution becomes supersaturated, meaning it can’t hold the dissolved sugar anymore. This causes the sugar molecules to crystallise and attach to the string or stick, which forms geometric shapes. This experiment shows the principles of solubility and molecular structure.

5. Homemade Lava Lamp

Create a groovy lava lamp effect with just a few common household items. This experiment introduces the concepts of density and polarity to help students understand why oil and water don’t mix and how gases can affect liquid movement.

What you’ll need:

  • A clear plastic bottle
  • Water
  • Food colouring
  • Vegetable oil
  • Alka-Seltzer tablets (or other effervescent tablets)

Instructions:

  • Step 1: Fill the bottle about one-third full with water, then add a few drops of food colouring.
  • Step 2: Fill the rest of the bottle with vegetable oil, leaving a little space at the top.
  • Step 3: Break an Alka-Seltzer tablet in half and drop it into the bottle. Watch the colourful bubbles form and float to the top.

Why it works?

Oil is less dense than water and doesn’t mix with it because of polarity differences. The Alka-Seltzer reacts with the water to produce carbon dioxide bubbles. These bubbles carry bits of coloured water upward, which creates the lava lamp effect.

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