easy science experiment 2nd grade

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53 2nd Grade Science Projects: Experiments, Model Building, And Explorations

December 14, 2023 //  by  Sean Kivi

Science can easily become your students’ favorite class with these exciting hands-on projects! These lessons are a surefire way to get your kids thinking like scientists as they grasp concepts related to the earth, chemistry, conservation, plant life, and more! Some of these experiments involve growing plants, while others have your pupils create tools to track weather patterns. The fun continues when you pull out the magnets, slime, and invisible ink! Get ready to shock your 2nd-grade learners as they test their hypotheses on this long list of 53 science projects. Let the experimentation begin! 

1. The Amazing Growing Gummy Bear 

This fun science project doesn’t take long to set up, but your students will be able to observe the process of osmosis over 48 hours as they watch their gummy bears expand! Start by asking them to formulate a hypothesis about how the gummy bears will change over time before placing them in water. Then, get them to record their findings as they remove them from the glasses and measure their size every 12 hours. 

Learn More: Love To Know

2. Make a Model Steam Engine

Here’s a great earth science project that will help your students come to an understanding of how temperature works! All they’ll need to do is design a model steam engine using a few materials like bamboo sticks, plastic bottles, straws, and balloons. Their new engines can also serve to teach them about the water cycle once complete and operable.

Learn More: Steam Sci Proj

3. Dig Up Bones

Get your little archaeologists ready to do some excavating! You’ll need a sandbox and some toy bones to bury. After you’ve set up, provide your students with brushes and shovels so that they can carefully up the bones. Once found, ask them to compare and record the differences in the bones; playing out the process of a real archaeological dig!

Learn More: BrightHub

4. Learn How Leaves Get Water

Take your little learners outside to teach them how plants absorb nutrients and water through their roots! Task them with finding any tree or bush where they can secure a Ziploc bag around its leaves. Next, they’ll check the humidity in the bag each day; noticing how much water collects over time. This is a great example of plant adaptations and the perfect opportunity to teach the life cycle of various greens.

Learn More: Learn Play Imagine

5. Jumping Goop

This lesson in static electricity is sure to surprise your kids! They’ll begin making slimy goop by mixing ¼ cup of cornstarch and ¼ cup of vegetable oil. Then, they’ll blow up a balloon and bring a spoonful of the slime close to the balloon. As a result, the goop will start to move toward the balloon; displaying friction in action!  

Learn More: Frugal Fun For Boys

6. Kool-aid Rock Candy

Candy meets chemistry in this awesome project idea! Your students will follow the instructions to prepare a sugar solution mixed with Kool-Aid that’ll grow on bamboo sticks placed in a glass jar. After 2 weeks, they’ll be ready to try their home-grown treats! 

Learn More: Growing A Jeweled Rose

7. Magnetic Field Sensory Bottle

Invite your kiddos to bring the magnetic field to life! To do so, your students will need a plastic bottle with a child-proof cap, some special MICR magnetic ink, and water. They’ll also need to build a magnetic wand with a large straw, colored duct tape, and a strong magnet. Once designed, they’ll have hours of fun exploring magnetic fields as they draw the shards of ink together with their wand! 

Learn More: Left Brain Craft Brain

8. Learn How Water Moves Through Leaves

This simple project will help your kids visualize a plant’s food process in action and learn how nutrients are transported via their roots- through the xylem tubes to the leaves. By collecting leaves and placing them in water with red food coloring, they’ll be able to observe how the veins of the leaves begin turning red after a few days!  Don’t forget to have them record their daily discoveries in a science journal.

Learn More: Buggy and Buddy

9. Make a Water Rocket

If you haven’t tried water rockets, it’s sure to be a class favorite! Your students can build them using a plastic bottle, a nose cone, and some fins. Once designed, your kiddos will have the perfect model to see aerodynamics at play! How does it work you ask? – A reaction is forced out of the vessels because of pressurized gas; sending the rockets hurtling toward the sky! 

Learn More: Science Sparks

10. Rock Classification

We suggest this project be completed as a classroom demonstration as you’ll need to purchase a rock testing kit. In this geological lesson, your class will conduct different tests on rocks to classify which type of rock it is; igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic. To do so, they’ll need to look at the properties of the rock by analyzing elements such as texture, color, or hardness. 

Learn More: Pile Buck

11. Sprout House

This awesome project combines engineering with science by having your students create a miniature house from sponges and seed pods. First, task them with cutting sponges and attaching them in the form of a house using toothpicks. Then, they can mix chia and alfalfa seeds in some water before spreading the gummy substance along the roof, while wheat berries can be used to make the perfect lawn to spread along the bottom sponge. After a few days in the right temperature, with the proper amount of moisture- those babies will be sprouting new life!

Learn More: The STEM Laboratory

12. Build a Solar Oven

Take advantage of the heat by helping your kiddos build a solar oven to cook some s’mores and explore the effects of temperature! Your students will construct their ovens by placing black construction paper on the bottom of personalized pizza boxes, aluminum foil on the lids to reflect the sun, and some plastic wrap over the bottom of the box to trap the air. Once constructed, they’ll load their oven with s’mores and place it in the direct sun to watch their treats melt! 

Learn More: Solar Desert Chica

13. Egg-based Chalk

Your kids will lose their minds when they discover that they can make chalk out of eggshells! To do just that, get them to grind up 10 dried eggshells into a fine powder. Next, they can mix 2 teaspoons of flour, a food dye of their choice, and enough hot water to make a thick paste. Finally, get them to place the mixture in a paper towel and roll it into a cylinder-shaped mold before leaving it to dry for a few days and then putting it to the test. 

Learn More: Kidspot 

14. Hotdog Mummification

Definitely not an edible science experiment, but one to incorporate into your Egyptian unit is this hotdog mummification experiment! Your students will be able to conceptualize the process of ancient Egyptian mummification by covering a raw hotdog in baking soda and placing it in a sealed box for over a week. Once the time has gone by, get them to record how it has changed, before placing the same hotdog in fresh baking soda and letting it sit for another 7 days. They’ll be shocked to see how their hotdogs have been mummified!

Learn More: Science Buddies

15. Weathering Rocks

Breaking down rocks is an ocean science activity that will aid your students in learning about weathering rocks. Using a piece of chalk as a “rock”- they’ll swirl it around in a glass for 2 minutes and notice what has happened. Then, they’ll compare it to the chalk that’s been sitting in a 2nd glass of still water. 

Learn More: Science 4 Us

16. Create an Ecosystem

Show your kids how to build terrariums that don’t require any additional watering for their bean plants to grow! This can be done with just a water bottle, soil, bean seeds, and water. Depending on how long you let this experiment run, you can use self-sustaining ecosystem plant seeds to teach about the plant life cycle , too.

Learn More: Carly and Adam

17. Rainbow Jar

Different liquids have different weights, and you can demonstrate this fact to your students with rainbow jars! Looking through your pantry, gather liquids like olive oil, honey, dish soap, and a few others. The variety of colors will help portray the way that different molecules have different densities as the colors layer and settle in their jars.

Learn More: Playdough Plato

18. Polar Bear Blubber

Does blubber help arctic animals stay warm in cold weather? Your students will be able to answer this question for themselves with this experiment! Fill up a tub of ice water and let your kids test how cold the water feels to their bare hands. Then, give them a protective latex glove and have them stick their hand in a jar of shortening (the blubber). To avoid a mess, they wrap their hands in plastic. Lastly, encourage them to dip their hand into the ice bucket and notice how the temperature has changed! 

Learn More: I Can Teach My Child

19. Fireworks in a Jar

Create a firework spectacle for your class by filling a glass jar with water, some food coloring, and oil! As the color droplets dissolve, they’ll sink and resemble a tiny firework display;  the perfect project for exploring the idea of density with the use of liquid.

20. Magnetic Slime

Who doesn’t love slime? Your students will need to add iron to this mix, but they’ll be sure to enjoy learning about magnetic properties through slimy play thereafter.

21. Lemon Volcano

An alternate take on a traditional project, here’s a lemon volcano to teach your kids about chemical reactions! Mixing baking soda and dish soap with citric acid from a lemon will create a small, frothy eruption that your kids won’t be able to take their eyes off of! 

Learn More: Babble Dabble Do

22. Homemade Playdough

Here’s our favorite, long-lasting playdough recipe that your kids will be able to play with for months to come! This non-toxic dough can be made in under 5 minutes with just a few simple ingredients; educating your students about mixtures while they have fun!

Learn More: Living Well Mom

23. Fingerprint Patterns

Who doesn’t want to be a detective for a day? Introduce your students to their unique fingerprint patterns by having them press their fingers into ink and onto a piece of white recording paper. Next, have them investigate the whirls, loops, and arches that make each one uniquely theirs. 

24. The Egg Density Project

Let’s make eggs float—or sink! Challenge your students to discover the science of density by floating eggs in salt water and plain water. Extend the activity by discussing concepts like buoyancy and concentration with your students. They’ll be amazed at how a little salt can defy gravity!

Learn More: Gift of Curiosity

25. The DIY Lava Lamp Project

Unveil the magic of chemistry and art with these mesmerizing lava lamps! Watch your students’ eyes sparkle as they learn about density and chemical reactions when they mix oil, water, food coloring, and Alka-Seltzer tablets in a jar! 

Learn More: Inspiration Laboratories

26. The Shadow Tracking Adventure

Step outside with this real-time Earth science lesson about shadows! Using building blocks or other structures that can produce a unique shadow on a white background- your kids will study how the shadow changes throughout the day based on the sun’s movement. 

Learn More: Hands On As We Grow

27. A Race Against Heat

Which substance makes ice melt the fastest? When other substances are mixed with water, it can affect an ice cube’s freezing and melting points. Your students will enjoy discovering this principle as they experiment with adding sand, salt, and sugar into different bowls of ice cubes. 

28. Nature’s Weather Forecasting Tool

Engage your students in predicting the weather with a natural forecaster! By hanging a pinecone outside with yarn, they can look at its physical properties to conclude how the weather will be that day. If the pinecone is open, it’s generally a telltale sign of a fair-weather day. On the other hand, if it’s going to rain- that pine cone will appear more closed! 

Learn More: YouTube

29. A Static Electricity Experiment

Your class will be captivated by the marriage of science and art in this electrifying experiment. They’ll first create a tissue paper butterfly with the center of its body glued to cardboard. Then, they’ll hover a blown-up balloon over its loose wings and watch as static electricity takes effect!  

Learn More: I Heart Crafty Things

30. Timekeeping with the Sun

Here’s a lesson in the ancient methods of timekeeping that’s sure to help you solidify an understanding of Earth’s rotation in your learners. Guide them in crafting their own sundials by puncturing a straight stick or straw into a white circle cutout that’s pasted to cardboard. Each time they go outside they’ll see how the shadow line moves around like a clock and changes position depending on the time of day!  

Learn More: PBS

31. Exploring Aerodynamics

Ready, set, fly! Unleash your students’ creativity by having them design and race paper airplanes. Along with the fun, this simple paper project will help them dive into the intriguing physics of aerodynamics. 

Learn More: Science Friday

32. Exploring Buoyancy

Your kids will surely love this hands-on water play project that’ll help them explore the concept of buoyancy! Ask them to predict and test which objects will sink or float; allowing them to bring in some items from their homes to test their hypothesis!  

33. Invisible Ink Experiment

Ready for some spy action? Have your students write secret messages using lemon juice on paper before letting it dry completely. Then, they’ll reveal the secrets when they apply the heat of a blow dryer to their sheets. 

Learn More: Seven Oaks

34. Surface Tension in Action

Time to break some barriers—surface tension, to be exact! In this fascinating experiment, your students will test what happens to pepper in a bowl of water when a variety of other liquids are introduced into the same bowl. If there’s surface tension when they dip a toothpick with oil or dishwashing soap into the bowl- the water molecules will clump together because of the bonds in their hydrogen atoms. They’ll write their observations after testing 5 different liquids in fresh bowls of water and pepper; exploring the magical world of fluid dynamics.

Learn More: Scientific American

35. Finding Direction

We’ve chosen this DIY compass project to help your students grasp the magic of the Earth’s magnetic poles. This activity requires some water in a shallow bowl, a sewing needle attached to a piece of paper labeled with North and South, and a magnet! To experiment, they’ll rub a magnet onto the needle 20 times before placing it in the water and allowing it to align with the North and South poles. Have them check its accuracy with an actual compass!   

36. The Homemade Rain Gauge Project

Your students can learn how to track rainfall with a DIY rain gauge. They’ll need to apply their knowledge of measurement to accurately write inches along the side of their upcycled plastic bottles. Once designed, they can be placed outside and your littles can report the amount of rainfall each day! 

Learn More: Steam Powered Family

37. Chromatography Butterflies

Chromatography is the separation of chemicals from a mixture. Teach your 2nd graders how this works with this fun butterfly art project! They’ll begin by using dark, felt-tip pens to draw lines and dots at the base of cut-open coffee filters. Then, they’ll dip those into a shallow glass of water and watch as the color moves up the filter. Finally, they’ll use craft sticks, googly eyes, and pipe cleaners to form their colorful butterflies! 

Learn More: Small Science Club

38. Dancing Raisins Experiment

Here’s another lesson on buoyancy, but this time your kids will delight as raisins dance in a carbonated drink! With this experiment, your students will learn that different liquids can have a changing effect on solids! 

Learn More: Simple Living Creative Learning

39. Visualizing Evaporation, Condensation, and Precipitation

This self-contained ecosystem offers your students a microcosmic view of the Earth’s water cycle. Your kids will simply observe a miniature water cycle by collecting water in a plastic bag; gaining a hands-on understanding of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. 

Learn More: Mobile Ed Productions, Inc.

40. DIY Water Filter Project

We love this fantastic project that’ll foster conversations about water conservation and environmental responsibility in your classrooms. In this DIY water filter project, your students will purify water through the top half of a plastic bottle that’s layered with coffee filters, sand, and 2 types of gravel. They’ll pour dirty water into the opening and let the clean water drip through to the 2nd bottle, or the base; providing a practical lesson on the process of filtration.  

Learn More: A Mom’s Tale

41. Food as Battery: Powering a Clock with a Lemon

Tick-tock goes the lemon clock! Here, your students will power up a clock using 2 citrus fruits, copper wires, copper pennies, and nails. Guide them to follow the instructions and watch as they are amazed when their clock powers up!  

Learn More: Scout Life

42. Homemade Glue Project

This project invites your students to make their own glue to delve into the chemistry of adhesion and cohesion. Simply mix corn syrup, vinegar, cornstarch, and water and your 2nd graders get ready to apply it to their next project! 

Learn More: One Little Project

43. Mold Exploration: Watching Fungi at Work

This moldy experiment offers a biology lesson that your students can watch unfold day by day. Your students will simply observe bread mold over time; learning about the fascinating process of decay and fungi. 

44. Winter Wonders: Snowflake Catching and Study

Let’s catch a frozen masterpiece! Weather permitting; your students will collect and study snowflakes to reveal the magical symmetry of ice crystals. Begin by letting dark pieces of construction paper sit in the freezer for 2 hours. When the snow begins to fall, have your kiddos catch a few snowflakes on their papers. Next, take them inside and get them to observe the shapes under a magnifying glass! 

Learn More: Lemon Lime Adventures

45. Solar Power in Action: Magnifying Glass Experiments

Your class will need adult supervision and a lesson on safety before playing with fire! Invite them to explore solar energy by using magnifying glasses to burn various objects, like candy and pickles. Your class can then choose which objects to burn and predict if it will actually do so under the sun’s rays! 

46. Smell Science: Olfactory Recognition with Scented Jars

Stimulate your students’ senses and observational skills with the use of their little noses! First,  cover a few glass jars so that your kids can’t see the contents inside. Then, place different items in each- like onions, bananas, oranges, and flowers. Finally, blindfold your kiddos and have them sniff each jar; guessing what’s inside each one as they move along from one to the next! 

Learn More: Things To Share And Remember

47. Bug Observation: Exploring Insect Life

Bug lovers will enjoy this fun science project! Ask your students to build small environments for insects by making holes in a sealed container, and replicating the outside world. Once they’ve put sticks, leaves, and cotton balls soaked with water inside- they’ll be ready to start the bug hunt! Let them capture bugs with a net and place them in their new environments; studying their features and classifying them before releasing them back into the wild!  

Learn More: Home Science Tools Resource Center

48. Soap Clouds: Heating Up to Expand

This experiment is sure to bubble up discussions on molecular motion and states of matter. Begin by placing a bar of Ivory soap in the microwave for 90 seconds. Your students can watch as the soap heats up and expands into a cloud-like formation. Let your little scientists then record the changes while it cools before digging their hands in!

Learn More: A Dab of Glue Will Do

49. Churning History: Making Butter in Class

For this project, your pioneers will learn how to make butter! Begin by pouring some heavy cream into a container and tightly sealing it shut. Then, pass the container around your class and ask each of your students to shake, shake, shake! Finally, open it up and show your class the solid formation they’ve created. You can even spread the butter on crackers for your students to enjoy! 

Learn More: Play to Learn Preschool

50. Feather Study: Soaring into Bird Learning

We chose this tactile venture because it plays with aerodynamics in a fun way! Provide your students with a variety of feathers and lengths of straws. They should then be tasked with sticking the quill into the straw and blowing until they take flight!

Learn More: Life Ov er C’s

51. Exploring Sound Waves with a Homemade Kazoo

Let the classroom resound with homemade kazoos! Your students will build their own musical instruments by covering one side of an empty paper towel roll with wax paper and a rubber band. Then, they’ll poke a hole in the roll and get ready to explore sound waves by blowing into the open end of their kazoo! 

52. DIY Wind Vane for Weather Prediction

This functional craft turns your students into meteorologists; forecasting the weather like pros! First, provide them with the required materials and allow them to craft these awesome cardboard wind vanes! Once complete, gather your class outside and let them discover the concept of wind direction using their new tools. 

53. Static Electricity and Salt & Pepper Separation

Shock your kids with this static electricity lesson! To start, they can simply combine 2 tablespoons of salt and a tablespoon of pepper on a dry plate. Then, they’ll take a comb and run it through their hair a few times before running it over the plate; watching what effect static electricity has on the spices!

Learn More: Cool Science Experiments HQ

50 Fun and Easy 2nd Grade Science Experiments & Activities

Kids love science, especially when it involves hands-on experiments. These 2nd grade science projects, experiments, and activities are guaranteed to bring excitement and enthusiastic vibes into your classroom. Your students will learn basic concepts about physics, chemistry, biology, and more while having a blast!

To make it even easier to find the best 2nd grade science projects, we’ve given each a rating based on difficulty and the materials you’ll need.

Difficulty:

• Easy: Low or no-prep experiments you can do pretty much anytime
• Medium: These take a little more setup or a longer time to complete
• Advanced: Experiments like these take a fairly big commitment of time and/or effort
• Basic: Simple items you probably already have around the house
• Medium: Items that you might not already have but are easy to get your hands on
• Advanced: These require specialized or more expensive supplies to complete

Nature and Earth Science 2nd Grade Science Projects

Explore animals, ecosystems, geology, plate tectonics, and more with these interesting and interactive 2nd grade science activities.

Pollinate like a bee

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Use pipe cleaner bees to discover how these pollinators pick up and move cheese powder “pollen” from one juice box flower to the next. Simple, fun, and adorable!

Learn more: Cheese Powder Pollination Activity at Around the Kampfire

Simulate a landslide

This NASA video shows you how to create an indoor landslide in a milk carton, showing students the power of weather, erosion, and nature in action.

Grow a sprout house

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium

This two-part science project first challenges kids to use their engineering skills to construct a miniature house made of sponges . Then, they plant chia, alfalfa, or other quick-sprouting seeds and keep the sponges moist until they start to grow.

Learn more: Sponge Garden at The STEM Laboratory

Re-create the water cycle in a bag

This simple but effective experiment explores the water cycle. Fill a plastic bag partway with water and set it on a sunny windowsill to see how the water evaporates up and eventually “rains” down.

Learn more: Water Cycle Bags at Grade School Giggles

Create an earth model from play dough

Play-Doh has so many uses in the classroom! Use it to teach 2nd grade science students about the layers of the earth by building a fun and colorful model.

Learn more: Layers of the Earth at The Crafty Classroom

Explore erosion with sugar cubes

Simulate the effects of erosion by shaking sugar cubes in a cup with some pebbles to see what happens. Get more ideas for 2nd grade science activities about erosion and weathering at the link.

Learn more: Weathering and Erosion at The First Grade Roundup

Find out which liquid is best for growing seeds

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

As you learn about the life cycle of plants , explore how water supports their growth. Plant seeds and water them with a variety of liquids to see which sprout first and grow best.

Learn more: Watering Experiment at Lessons for Little Ones

Build a folded mountain

This clever demonstration helps kids understand how some types of mountains are formed. Use layers of towels to represent rock layers and boxes for continents. Then pu-u-u-sh and see what happens!

Learn more: Towel Mountain at The Chaos and the Clutter

Explode a balloon seed pod

After you learn about pollination, take the next step and explore how plants disperse their seeds far and wide. One way is with exploding seed pods. Use a balloon to see how it works.

Learn more: Seed Dispersal Activity at Around the Kampfire

Watch a leaf “breathe”

Plants “breathe” through transpiration, and you can see the process in action simply by submerging a leaf in water.

Learn more: Leaf Transpiration at KC Edventures With Kids

Grow a self-sustaining ecosystem

Plant seeds inside a sealed plastic bottle and observe both the water cycle and the plant life cycle in one simple 2nd grade science experiment.

Learn more: Plastic Bottle Planter at Carly and Adam

Compare and contrast animal habitats

Build a variety of habitats (woodland, arctic, savanna, etc.). Then have kids compare to see how they are similar (all have water) and how they are different (trees, temperatures, etc.).

Learn more: Animal Habitats at KC Edventures With Kids

Discover plate tectonics with graham crackers

Use graham crackers as the Earth’s crust floating on a bed of whipped topping “mantle” to learn about how tectonic plates interact.

Learn more: Graham Cracker Plate Tectonics at Playdough to Plato

Collect and classify rocks

Take a nature walk to pick up rocks of all kinds. Bring them back and have kids examine them closely and sort them into groups by properties (color, size, shape, texture, and so on). This is a fantastic lead-in to learning about the types of rocks.

Learn more: Classifying Rocks at Rhythms of Play

Make edible dirt cups

Help your students remember the four types of soil with this tasty 2nd grade science experiment. Layer pudding, graham crackers, and Oreos for a mouthwatering, memorable lesson.

Learn more: Edible Soil Cups at The Kitchen Is My Playground

Food Science Activities and Projects for 2nd Graders

Raid the pantry and try these kitchen science experiments with your second graders! They all use common food items to explore all sorts of fascinating science concepts.

Power up a lemon battery

Here’s another classic science experiment every kid should try. They’ll be amazed to learn a citrus fruit can generate an electric current!

Learn more: Lemon Battery at Education.com

Conduct a cookie dunk experiment

Introduce or review the scientific method with a fun and easy experiment to determine which cookies float or sink when dunked in milk. Then you can eat the results! ( Find more great edible science experiments here. )

Learn more: Milk and Cookies Scientific Method Experiment at Around the Kampfire

Use bread to learn about handwashing

There’s never been a better time for an experiment involving the importance of washing your hands! All you need for this one is bread, plastic bags, and some dirty hands.

Learn more: Moldy Bread Experiment at Parenting Isn’t Easy

Drink root beer floats to learn about states of matter

What’s easy to make, delicious to eat, and demonstrates all three states of matter at once? Root beer floats! This will easily be your students’ favorite science lesson of the year.

Learn more: Root Beer Float Science at Learning Lab Resources

Mix flavors in a lollipop lab

Candy science experiments are always a hit with kids! In this one, they’ll dissolve sugary lollipops in water, then mix flavors to make something new.

Learn more: Lollipop Lab at Fantastic Fun and Learning

Learn about osmosis with gummy bears

This is one of those classic experiments your 2nd grade science students will love to see in action. Soak the gummies in water to watch them grow through the power of osmosis.

Learn more: Osmosis Gummy Bears at Nurture Store UK

Freeze and observe liquid expansion

As you explore the states of matter, experiment to see if some types of liquid expand more than others when frozen.

Learn more: Freezing Liquids Experiment at Education.com

Use crackers to learn about properties of matter

Practice sorting, comparing, and classifying using properties of matter in this tasty experiment. All you need is a variety of snack crackers and inquiring minds! (These magnifying glasses would be fun too.)

Learn more: Properties of Matter Cracker Lab at Around the Kampfire

Demonstrate heat energy with chocolate kisses

Give each student two chocolate kiss candies to hold onto for five minutes. Students should keep one palm open, while closing their other around the kiss. See what happens simply from our body heat.

Learn more: Chocolate Kiss Experiment at Sandy Fiorini/TPT

Explode a watermelon

How many rubber bands does it take to make a watermelon explode? Find out while observing the concepts of potential and kinetic energy with your students.

Learn more: Exploding Watermelon Science at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Turn an egg into a bouncy ball

Simply soak an egg in vinegar for 48 hours for this amazing chemical reaction. This is guaranteed to blow your students’ minds!

Learn more: Bouncy Egg Experiment at Cool Science Experiments Headquarters

Build a solar oven to make s’mores

Observe the power of solar energy while baking a delicious, gooey dessert in the process. Yum!

Learn more: Solar Oven Project at Desert Chica

Conduct an egg drop

In this STEM project, your students will create a protective egg holder from simple materials. They will love seeing if their contraption keeps their egg in one piece during the competition.

Learn more: Egg Drop at Buggy and Buddy

Drop a Mento in soda and watch it erupt

Here is another 2nd grade science experiment that will make your students explode with excitement. Drop a Mento candy in different types of soda, and see which one causes the tallest geyser.

Build marshmallow-and-pretzel structures

Get creative while practicing engineering skills by building structures with marshmallows and pretzels. Sweeten the deal by eating them afterwards!

Learn more: Pretzel Marshmallow STEM Challenge at The STEM Laboratory

More 2nd Grade Science Experiments and Activities

Kids will love these 2nd grade science ideas, from making their own slime to projecting stars on their ceiling, and everything in between!

Brew up tie-dye slime

Slime is more than just an ever-popular toy. It’s also got a lot of great science behind it. Mix up some eye-popping tie-dye slime and take the opportunity to learn about polymers and non-Newtonian fluids.

Learn more: Tie-Dye Slime at I Heart Arts and Crafts

Dissect a seed

Soak a large seed (beans are ideal) in water, then carefully take it apart to see what’s inside. Draw a diagram to label parts like the seed coat and plant embryo.

Learn more: Seed Dissection at The Applicious Teacher

Use cereal to learn about states of matter

Learn how atom arrangements affect the states of matter with this easy 2nd grade science activity that doubles as a snack!

Learn more: Cereal States of Matter at The First Grade Roundup

Make a bouquet of chromatography flowers

Use chromatography to split secondary paint colors into their original hues. The results are both pretty and fascinating!

Learn more: Chromatography Flowers at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Concoct a foaming rainbow

Every kid loves the classic baking soda and vinegar chemical reaction experiment. This version makes a foamy rainbow, thanks to some added food coloring.

Learn more: Foamy Rainbow at Messy Little Monster

Sculpt pipe cleaner constellations

Help kids find the constellations in the night sky by making these models from pipe cleaners . The little star beads are such a clever touch!

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Constellations at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Tell time with a sundial

How did people tell time before clocks and watches? Help 2nd grade science students find out by making their own sundials from paper plates.

Learn more: DIY Sundial at Paging Supermom

Race clothespin cars

Explore simple machines by building race cars from basic supplies like clothespins and drinking straws . It’s a really fun way to learn about wheels and axles.

Learn more: Clothespin Cars at The Primary Brain

Build a body from play dough

Play-Doh activities are always fun to do! Visit the link below for free printable mats to use as you have your 2nd grade science students sculpt the bones, organs, and muscles of the body.

Learn more: Play-Doh Body at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Turn pom-poms into crystal balls

Every kid loves making crystals! They’ll learn about supersaturated solutions as they make these cute little crystal pom-pom balls.

Learn more: Crystal Pom-Poms at A Dab of Glue Will Do

Test sunscreen for effectiveness

Kids might wonder why they need to wear sunscreen when they’re at the park or playing soccer. This experiment shows them the power of the sun’s rays and the protection sunscreen provides.

Learn more: Sunscreen Experiment at JDaniel4’s Mom

Design and build an index card tower

Challenge your 2nd grade science students to a little early engineering. Given only index cards , how tall and/or strong of a structure can they build?

Learn more: Index Card STEM Challenge at Education to the Core

Repel glitter with dish soap

Every teacher knows that glitter is just like germs … it gets everywhere and is so hard to get rid of! Use that to your advantage, and show students how soap fights glitter and germs.

Bend objects to test flexibility

Explore one of the properties of matter with this easy experiment. Kids plan how to test flexibility, then try it out with a variety of basic objects.

Learn more: Flexibility Experiment at Around the Kampfire

Discover density with saltwater solutions

This simple experiment covers a lot of 2nd grade science concepts. Learn about solutions, density, and even ocean science as you compare and contrast how objects float in different water mixtures.

Learn more: Water Density at The Science Kiddo

Blast off drinking-straw rockets

Engineer rockets from drinking straws and have a blast when you send them flying! Kids can tweak the design to see whose can fly the highest.

Learn more: Straw Rockets at Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

Create a solar system out of play dough

This is a perfect culminating project for your space unit. Your students can display their models at home when the project is complete.

Learn more: Play Dough Solar System at Good to Know

Count how many water drops will fit on a penny

How many water drops fit on a penny? Find out with this fun and easy experiment that focuses on surface tension. Your students will be amazed by the results!

Learn more: Penny Surface Tension at Little Bins for Little Hands

Project stars on the ceiling

Everyone loves visiting a planetarium. Turn your very own 2nd grade science classroom into one with this simple DIY star projector.

Learn more: Star Projector at Mystery Science

Write secret messages with invisible ink

Make your own invisible ink from just baking soda and water, then have your students write messages to one another. Reveal the secret messages with a flashlight once the ink is dry.

Learn more: Invisible Ink at ThoughtCo

Looking for more? Try these 25 Second Grade STEM Challenges To Help Kids Think Creatively .

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Students play while learning with this free “characteristics of feelings” lesson, bmcc and john jay college team up to create prison-to-college pathways program for incarcerated students, north dakota joins national coalition of states working to raise college completion rates, four hbcus receive national science foundation grants to expand their research ecosystems, penn’s amy wax punished for statements but won’t lose job, what one mom says is ‘the smartest way to save for college’, three locals malls will host college nights this week to learn about higher education, gao releases initial findings from fafsa investigation, fewer low-income students applied for college financial aid after botched fafsa rollout, 18 of the best 2nd grade science projects and experiments.

Are you looking for science activities to do with your 2nd graders? No sweat. We have you covered. Check out our list of 18 science projects and experiments that you can try with your 2 nd graders this month.

• Hand-Eye Coordination and Age | All-Science-Fair-Projects.com – Grades 2-5, Use a stopwatch and ping-pong ball to find out how hand-eye coordination changes as children get older.
• What Do Yeast Eat…and How Can You Tell? | Education.com – Grades 2-5, The objective of this project is to examine which foods yeast cells eat.
• Can plants be nourished with juice, soda, or milk instead of water? | Education.com -Grades K-3, Learn whether plants can live and grow when ‘watered’ with juice, soda, or milk.
• How Does Color Affect Eyesight? | Education.com – Grades 1-5, Find out which colors are easier and more challenging to read at a distance. This super simple project requires volunteers and color charts you can print from the web.
• A Battery That Makes Cents | Sciencebuddies.org – Grades 1-2, Can you make a battery from 24 cents? Make a battery from a pile of coins and find out how different amounts of coins affect the amount of energy produced.
• Sandwich Test: Wrap it Up | Easy-Science-Fair-Projects.net -Grades 1-2, Play with your food by testing how well different kinds of sandwich wraps keep bread fresh. Is the most expensive one the best? Or does the cheapest work just as well?
• How Many Letters? | ScienceBuddies.org – Grades 1-4, How much memory does a computer use to “remember” a series of letters? Find out how much memory a computer uses to remember 1000 letters.
• Jumping For Geodes: Can You Tell the Inside from the Outside? | ScienceBuddies.org Grades 1-4, Can you tell what’s inside a geode from looking at the outside? Learn more out these unique rocks and crack some open to discover the surprises inside.
• How Water Beats Rock | Education.com – Grades 1-5, Discover how water is more potent than rocks.  Experiment with ways that water can break the stone.
• Soil Type and Liquefaction | All-Science-Fair-Projects.com – Grades 1-5, Experiment with sand, clay, and loam and find out which type of soil dissolves most easily.
• Effects of Temperature and Humidity on Static Charges | Education.com – Grades 1-5, Use balloons, a rubber ball, and a scarf to investigate why those socks stick together when you take them out of the dryer and how conditions in the air affect static electricity.
• Ready, Set, Search! Race to the Right Answer | ScienceBuddies.org – Grades 2-5, Find out how Internet search engines work and how you can get different results depending on the type of information you request.
• Paper Airplane Science | Easy-Science-Fair-Projects.net – Grades 2-5, Put your paper airplane making and flying skills to the test. Design and fly a variety of different planes and determine which design flies the farthest.
• Mag-nificent Breakfast Cereal – Grades 2-5, Use a blender and a magnet to find out how much iron is in different kinds of breakfast cereal.
• The Big Dig | Sciencebuddies.org – Grades 2-5, Find out which materials are biodegradable, and which ones are not. How can you use this information to help the environment?
• Weather-Related Science Projects | Hubpages.com – Grades 2-5, Learn more about the weather and other aspects of meteorology by using instruments you build. Make a barometer, hygrometer, anemometer… even lightning!
• Hero’s Engine and Newton’s Third Law | Education.com – Grades 2-5, Build an aeolipile(Hero’s Engine) to explore Isaac Newton’s Third Law – for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.  Can you predict the movement of the Hero’s Engine?
• Rocky Secrets: Where Does Oil Hide? | ScienceBuddies.org -Grades 2-5, Can you get petroleum oil from a stone? Find out which kinds of rocks can soak up and store the most fat. Learn how petroleum geologists and engineers use this information to find the best places to get oil from the earth.

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26 of the Best 5th Grade Science Projects and Experiments

All Science Fair Projects

1000 science fair projects with complete instructions.

67 Second Grade Science Experiments

We believe in the importance of early exposure to science. A hands-on activity or science experiment is the best way to introduce kids to science! We've handpicked a variety of second grade science experiments that will teach kids science and ignite their curiosity to the world around them.

2nd Grade Science Project FAQ

What are some easy 2nd grade science fair projects.

Each of these second grade science experiments are easy to do with household items. They make a lasting impression on kids, from the classic baking soda volcano to making Oobleck from the Dr. Seuss' book. An easy second grade science experiment is a great way to teach kids about chemical reactions and nature!

Changing the Color of Flowers

Rocket Film Canisters

Popping Popcorn

Make Your Own Fossil

Magic Milk Painting

Sparkling Rainbow Crystal

Making Oobleck: Liquid or Solid?

Baking Soda Volcano

Explosive Elephant Toothpaste

Growing Mold

Science fair project details right above the FAQ!

What is the best 2nd grade science project ever?

We love the Changing the Color of Flowers science fair project for 2nd graders! It's a fun project for 2nd graders to explore transpiration, the way water moves from a plant's stem to its flowers and leaves. Plus, you'll get to make any colored flower you choose!

If you're looking for more 2nd grade science experiments, check out the 2nd grade science fair projects at the top of this page! 

Check out more Best Science Fair Projects →

What are some cool 2nd grade science fair projects?

Get ready to be amazed by these super cool science projects for 2nd graders! With just a few simple things, you can be fascinated by science and have tons of fun with these cool 2nd grade science projects!

What are 5 testable questions for 2nd grade?

A testable question is a question that we can answer through a science experiment. To do this, we do a control science experiment, then we change one thing in the experiment to see how it affects what happens. This is how we can discover the answer to our question!

What makes a cloud form?

Can drink and food taste different just by changing its color?

Does the color of light affect photosynthesis?

Does temperature affect seed sprouting?

What makes popcorn pop?

Here are more testable questions along with their science projects →

What are the top 10 science projects for 2nd grade?

These are our top 10 science projects for 2nd grade, with projects from Biology, Chemistry and Earth Science. These projects can be used as science fair project ideas or as a fun experiment to explore different areas of science!

Watering Plants: Does it Make a Difference?

Powering Up with Potatoes

Sprout Success: Soil Temperature Experiment

Does Milk Help Plants Grow?

The Greenhouse Effect in a Jar

How Much Water is in an Orange?

Science project details right above the FAQ!

Can I do a 2nd grade science fair project in a day?

Yes! Quick experiments can be a great option for a science fair project! If you want to explore quick reactions, we have science project ideas on various topics to get you started.

Acid-base reactions: Mixing acids with bases quickly makes carbon dioxide gas!

Make a rocket fly sky high with just baking soda and vinegar! Rocket Film Canisters

Chromatography reactions: Separate out colors!

Did you know that some Skittles have a secret rainbow hiding inside them? Colors of Skittles Experiment

Heat reactions: Heat speeds things up!

Do you want to find out which color candle burns the fastest? Which Candle Burns the Fastest?

What are some hands-on ways to find inspiration for my science fair project?

There may be free admission days or free passes to a science museum near you! Check your local library for free museum passes, nearby science museums for free entrance days and your credit card for offers.

Find a science museum near you and prepare to be awed by all that you can learn there! I always learn something new and am inspired whenever I go to a science museum!

How do I start a science fair project?

What should I do after I have a science fair project idea?

How do I make a science fair board?

What is the scientific method?

What is the engineering design process?

Where can I find a science fair competition?

The www Virtual Library: Science Fairs website also has a collection of science fairs from all over the world, as well as national, state, regional, local, and virtual competitions!

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15 Simple and Fun 2nd Grade Science Experiments and Activities

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Science experiments and activities are a great way to engage and inspire 2nd grade students in the fascinating world of science. Here are 15 simple and fun experiments that you can try with your 2nd graders:

1. Sink or Float: Fill a tub with water and gather various objects like a rock, a feather, a coin, etc. Have the students predict whether each object will sink or float, and then test their predictions.

2. Rainbow Walking Water: Fill three glasses with water and add different food coloring to each glass. Place a paper towel strip from one glass to another, creating a bridge. Watch as the colored water travels up the paper towel, creating a rainbow effect.

3. Balloon Magic: Blow up a balloon and rub it against a woolen cloth. Then, hold it near a wall or your hair. Observe how the balloon sticks to these surfaces due to static electricity.

4. Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano: Create a volcano by molding a cone shape out of clay or playdough. Add baking soda to the volcano’s crater and pour vinegar on top to create a volcanic eruption.

5. Magic Milk: Pour whole milk into a shallow dish and add drops of different food coloring. Dip a cotton swab into dish soap, then touch it lightly to the milk. Watch as the colors swirl and mix together.

6. Walking Water: Fill three clear glasses with water and add different colors of food coloring to each one. Place an empty glass between them. Fold paper towels and connect the glasses, making sure the towels touch the water. Observe how the colored water travels and “walks” through the paper towels to fill the empty glass.

7. Floating Egg: Fill a glass with water and gently place an egg in it. Note how the egg sinks. Then, add salt to the water and stir until it dissolves. Watch as the egg starts to float due to the increased density of the water.

8. Oobleck: Mix cornstarch and water in a bowl until you have a gooey mixture. Let the students experiment with it, observing how it behaves as a solid when pressure is applied and as a liquid when left alone.

9. Magnetic Objects: Provide various objects made of different materials, such as plastic, wood, and metal. Give the students a magnet and let them explore which objects are attracted to it, noting that only certain materials are magnetic.

10. Solar Oven: Have the students build a simple solar oven using a cardboard box, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and tape. Place a snack like a s’more inside and leave it in the sun. Observe how the sun’s heat melts the chocolate and marshmallows.

11. Color Changing Flowers: Cut the stems of white flowers, such as carnations or daisies, and place each stem in a different cup of colored water made with food coloring. Over time, observe how the flowers change color as they absorb the colored water.

12. Invisible Ink: Have the students write secret messages on a white piece of paper using lemon juice as ink. Let the messages dry and then hold the paper near a light bulb or heat source to reveal the hidden messages.

13. Popcorn Science : Conduct an experiment to determine which conditions (microwaving, air-popping, stove-popping) result in the most popcorn kernels popping. Let the students make predictions and record their observations.

14. Exploring Shadows: Provide various objects and a flashlight. Have the students shine the light on the objects to create shadows. Ask them to experiment with changing the distance between the object and the light source to observe how it affects the size and shape of the shadow.

15. Germination Maze: Give each student a small pot, a seed, and a maze-shaped paper with a clear path. Instruct the students to plant the seed and observe how it grows while following the maze’s route. Measure the growth over time.

These 15 science experiments and activities are sure to engage and excite your 2nd grade students while teaching them valuable scientific concepts. Have fun exploring the wonders of science!

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27 Easy Stem Activities for 2nd Graders

Engaging stem activities for 2nd graders (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) activities is a fantastic way to spark their curiosity and foster a love for learning.

At this age, children are naturally inquisitive and eager to explore the world around them. STEM activities not only satisfy their curiosity but also help develop critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a strong foundation in these essential subjects.

We will explore a variety of hands-on STEM activities designed to captivate the minds of 2nd graders, making learning a fun and interactive adventure.

Whether it’s through experiments, building projects, or creative challenges, these activities are sure to ignite their passion for science and discovery.

So, let’s dive into the world of STEM and inspire the young scientists and engineers of tomorrow!

DIY Rainbow Slime Experiment

Slime-making is not only a fun activity for 2nd graders but also a great way to introduce them to basic chemistry and science concepts. You can create a DIY Rainbow Slime Experiment where kids mix different color dyes into a clear slime base. This activity allows them to learn about color mixing and the properties of non-Newtonian fluids while having a blast. Encourage them to experiment with different colors and observe how they blend and change as they knead the slime.

Paper Airplane Engineering Challenge

2nd graders can embark on a paper airplane engineering challenge where they learn about aerodynamics and design principles. Provide them with different types of paper, markers, and instructions on folding various airplane designs. Then, let them test their creations by launching them from different heights and measuring how far they can fly. This hands-on activity not only teaches STEM concepts but also encourages problem-solving as kids modify their designs for better performance.

Building a Solar-Powered Oven

Introduce 2nd graders to the world of renewable energy by guiding them in building a simple solar-powered oven. You can use materials like cardboard, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap to construct the oven. Afterward, have them bake s’mores or heat up marshmallows using the sun’s energy. This activity not only teaches about solar power but also engages kids in practical applications of science and engineering while making delicious treats. Related: 20 Easy 2nd Grade Classroom Ideas

Coding with Blockly

Basic coding skills are essential in today’s digital age, and 2nd graders can start learning the fundamentals through visual programming languages like Blockly. Provide them with a computer or tablet and introduce them to Blockly, where they can drag and drop code blocks to create simple programs. Encourage them to solve puzzles and challenges, fostering problem-solving and computational thinking skills while having fun.

Egg Drop Engineering Challenge

Engage 2nd graders in a hands-on engineering challenge by asking them to design a protective container for an egg. Provide various materials such as cardboard, bubble wrap, and tape, and challenge them to create a structure that will keep an egg safe when dropped from a certain height. This activity not only teaches principles of physics and engineering but also encourages creative thinking as kids devise unique solutions to protect their eggs.

Nature Scavenger Hunt and Classification

Take 2nd graders on an outdoor adventure with a nature scavenger hunt. Provide them with a checklist of various natural items like leaves, rocks, flowers, and insects to find. After the hunt, guide them in classifying and categorizing their discoveries. This activity introduces kids to biology and the concept of classifying living organisms, promoting an appreciation for the natural world.

DIY Volcano Eruption

Create excitement in the classroom or at home with a DIY volcano eruption experiment. Using simple materials like baking soda, vinegar, dish soap, and clay, 2nd graders can build their own volcanoes and witness the chemical reaction that causes them to erupt. This hands-on activity teaches the basics of chemical reactions and geology while sparking curiosity about Earth’s processes. Related: 100 2nd Grade Questions of The Day

LEGO Robotics

Engage 2nd graders in the world of robotics by introducing them to LEGO Robotics kits. These kits allow kids to build and program robots using LEGO pieces and simple coding blocks. Encourage them to complete challenges and missions with their robots, teaching them the basics of engineering, programming, and problem-solving in an interactive and creative way.

Water Cycle Exploration

Teach 2nd graders about the water cycle through an engaging hands-on experiment. Provide materials such as a clear plastic container, water, a heat source (like a lamp), and a lid. Have them create a mini water cycle model by observing how water evaporates, condenses, and precipitates inside the container. This activity helps kids grasp fundamental concepts in earth science.

Math Puzzles and Tangrams

Enhance 2nd graders’ math skills through puzzles and tangrams. Provide them with age-appropriate math puzzles and tangram sets, which are geometric puzzles that require arranging seven flat pieces into specific shapes. These activities encourage spatial reasoning, problem-solving, and critical thinking while making math more enjoyable and hands-on.

Seed Germination Experiment

Teach 2nd graders about plant biology by conducting a seed germination experiment. Provide them with different types of seeds (e.g., beans, sunflower seeds), soil, small pots or cups, and water. Have them plant the seeds and observe how they sprout and grow over time. This hands-on activity introduces concepts of botany and the plant life cycle, fostering an appreciation for nature.

Magnet Exploration

Explore the fascinating world of magnets with 2nd graders. Provide various magnets and objects made of different materials (e.g., metal, plastic, wood) for them to experiment with. Encourage them to observe how magnets attract or repel different materials and even create magnetic art. This activity introduces basic physics concepts and helps kids understand magnetic forces.

Weather Observation and Recording

Turn 2nd graders into amateur meteorologists by setting up a weather observation station. Provide tools such as a thermometer, rain gauge, and anemometer (for wind speed). Have them record daily weather conditions, temperature, and precipitation. This ongoing activity teaches kids about climate, data collection, and introduces them to the scientific method.

Simple Circuit Building

Introduce 2nd graders to basic electronics and circuitry by providing them with materials like batteries, wires, light bulbs, and switches. Guide them in building simple circuits and experimenting with different connections to light up bulbs or activate buzzers. This activity helps them grasp fundamental electrical concepts while encouraging creativity.

Geometric Shape Art

Combine math and creativity with a geometric shape art project. Provide 2nd graders with various geometric shapes (circles, triangles, squares, etc.), colored paper, and glue. Encourage them to create unique artwork by arranging and layering the shapes. This activity reinforces geometry skills and spatial reasoning while fostering artistic expression.

Sink or Float Experiment

Teach buoyancy and the concept of density through a sink or float experiment. Provide a variety of objects with different materials (e.g., plastic, metal, wood, rubber) and ask 2nd graders to predict whether each item will sink or float in a container of water. Encourage them to test their predictions and record their observations. This activity helps them understand basic principles of physics and properties of matter.

Solar-Powered Toy Cars

Teach 2nd graders about solar energy and mechanics by having them build their own solar-powered toy cars. Provide small solar panels, DC motors, wheels, and various craft materials. Guide them in constructing a simple car and attaching the solar panel. Once built, they can test their cars under sunlight or a desk lamp. This activity combines elements of engineering, physics, and sustainability.

Pattern Recognition with LEGO Bricks

Enhance mathematical and problem-solving skills by engaging 2nd graders in pattern recognition using LEGO bricks. Provide them with a set of LEGO bricks in various colors and sizes. Challenge them to create and extend patterns, such as color sequences, size sequences, or geometric patterns. This activity reinforces math concepts and logical thinking.

Recycled Material Art and Engineering

Encourage creativity and environmental awareness by organizing a recycled material art and engineering project. Gather a variety of clean recyclable materials like cardboard, plastic bottles, and egg cartons. Challenge 2nd graders to use these materials to build structures, sculptures, or artistic creations. This activity promotes engineering skills, recycling awareness, and eco-consciousness.

Solar System Exploration

Take 2nd graders on a journey through the solar system by creating a scale model. Use various objects to represent the planets and the sun and place them at appropriate distances to maintain scale. Teach them about the order of the planets, their sizes, and unique characteristics. This activity introduces astronomy concepts and inspires curiosity about space exploration.

Math Mystery Challenges

Turn math into an exciting adventure with math mystery challenges. Create age-appropriate math puzzles and riddles that 2nd graders need to solve to uncover clues and solve a mystery. These puzzles can involve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, helping kids reinforce their math skills while having fun.

Rainbow in a Jar Density Experiment

Teach 2nd graders about the concept of density by conducting a “Rainbow in a Jar” experiment. Provide differently colored liquids like honey, corn syrup, dish soap, water, and vegetable oil. Have the students carefully pour these liquids into a clear jar, layering them based on their densities. This activity not only demonstrates the principle of density but also creates a visually stunning rainbow effect.

Simple Machines Exploration

Introduce 2nd graders to the world of simple machines by setting up exploration stations. Provide materials to create simple machines like levers, pulleys, and inclined planes. Let them experiment with these machines to understand how they make work easier. This hands-on activity fosters an understanding of physics and engineering.

Butterfly Life Cycle Observation

Bring biology to life by exploring the butterfly life cycle. Provide 2nd graders with caterpillars and create a butterfly habitat in the classroom. Encourage students to observe and document the stages of the butterfly life cycle, from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. This activity connects science with real-world observations and the concept of metamorphosis.

Recycled STEM Challenges

Promote sustainability and problem-solving skills with recycled STEM challenges. Provide a variety of recycled materials such as cardboard, paper rolls, and plastic containers. Challenge 2nd graders to use these materials to solve specific engineering challenges, like building bridges, towers, or vehicles. This activity combines creativity, engineering, and recycling awareness. Related: 30 Fun Stem Projects for Middle School

Recommended:

• 21 Easy Social and Emotional Activities for Preschoolers
• 23 Fun Indoor Obstacle Course Ideas for Kids
• 20 Fun Disney Activities for Preschoolers

Sohaib Hasan Shah

Sohaib's journey includes 10+ years of teaching and counseling experience at BCSS School in elementary and middle schools, coupled with a BBA (Hons) with a minor in Educational Psychology from Curtin University (Australia) . In his free time, he cherishes quality moments with his family, reveling in the joys and challenges of parenthood. His three daughters have not only enriched his personal life but also deepened his understanding of the importance of effective education and communication, spurring him to make a meaningful impact in the world of education.

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27 Fun and Easy Second Grade Science Experiments and Activities

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25 Second Grade STEM Challenges To Help Kids Think Creatively

So much fun, they won’t realize they’re learning!

We’re a big fan of STEM challenges for kids and the way they give students a chance to grow through hands-on learning. This collection of second grade STEM challenges encourages young learners to problem-solve as they explore more about how the world works.

Plus, these activities are so easy to set up! Post one of these second grade STEM challenges on your whiteboard or projector screen and give kids the simple supplies. Then step back and watch them go!

Want this entire set of STEM challenges in one easy document? Get your free PowerPoint or Google Slides bundle of these second grade STEM challenges by submitting your email here, so you’ll always have the challenges available.

Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!

25 Second Grade STEM Challenges

Use plastic straws, masking tape, and construction paper to make a raft with a sail..

• TOMNK 500 Multicolored Plastic Drinking Straws

Build the tallest tower you can with uncooked spaghetti and mini marshmallows.

Stack 5 paper plates and 10 toilet paper tubes to make a structure that can support the most books..

• Stock Your Home 9″ Paper Plates, 500 Count

Use newspapers and masking tape to build a table that can hold a cup full of water.

• Lichamp 10-Pack of Masking Tape 55 Yard Rolls

Design a domino chain reaction that climbs up a pile of books.

• Lewo 1000 Pcs Wood Dominoes Set

Build the tallest possible tower using one roll of aluminum foil.

Make a marble track using aluminum foil, plastic straws, and duct tape., find a new use for a cardboard box. you can use scissors, masking tape, and crayons too., stack 50 plastic cups into the tallest tower you can..

• Clear Disposable Plastic Cups, 500 Pack

Construct a basket from one paper plate, one sheet of copy paper, and masking tape. It must have a handle and be able to hold 20 jelly beans.

Design and build a bird feeder out of lego bricks., build a bridge between two desks using only plastic forks..

• 400 Light-Weight White Disposable Plastic Forks

Use a roll of twine to construct a spiderweb between two chair legs.

• 15-Pack Multicolored Jute Twine

Find three ways to pop a balloon without poking it with something sharp.

Use pipe cleaners to design a new kind of cup holder..

• Zees 1000 Pipe Cleaners in Assorted Colors

Construct the tallest tower you can using clothespins and wood craft sticks.

• Whitmore 100 Natural Wood Clothespins
• Pepperell 1000 Natural Wood Craft Sticks

Build a model of an animal using toothpicks and marshmallows.

• 1000 Count Natural Bamboo Toothpicks

Use newspaper and masking tape to make a shirt you can put on and take off again.

Make a new toy from cardboard tubes. you can use other supplies like crayons, glue, scissors, etc., design a kite that really flies using a plastic grocery bag, drinking straws, string, and scotch tape., build 12 different shapes using pipe cleaners., assemble a stack of 10 plastic cups. then find three different ways to knock the stack down without touching it with any part of your body., use one sheet of copy paper to make a container that holds the most popcorn. you can use scissors and tape, too., build a pyramid of 10 plastic cups without touching the cups with your hands. you can use 3 rubber bands and 5 one-foot pieces of string., work in a group to put together a simple puzzle. all members of your group except one will be blindfolded and not allowed to talk. the person who isn’t blindfolded may speak, but cannot touch the pieces..

Like these second grade STEM challenges? Try these 20 Simple and Fun Second Grade Science Experiments and Activities .

Plus, 50 Easy Science Experiments Kids Can Do With Stuff You Already Have .

Yes! I Want the Second Grade STEM Challenges

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20 Easy Stem Activities for Second Grade Students – K-2 Stem Activities

• Lauren Chiangpradit
• November 1, 2022
• Reviewed by Sean Barton
• Reviewed by Haley MacLean

Table of Contents

Rain Cloud in a Jar

2nd grade spring math activity - math mystery, ice cream in a bag, my five senses sorting cards, popsicle stick catapult, spring themed math activities, binary code writing experiment - no screens, stem activity a top of a tower, stem pattern block challenge, jelly bean engineering challenge, the marshmallow team stem challenge, colorful rainbow density jar, can you save fred, force and motion science activity, making paper - introducing the recycling process to students, spaghetti tower stem challenge, oil spill stem activity, animal engineers bundle, lego volcano, stem multi-sport k-2 kit, learn more about stem education with stem sports®.

STEM is an essential part of a child’s education. Especially in the early stages of education, providing students access to quality STEM lessons positively impacts their comprehension, retention, and willingness to continue learning STEM in the future. Parents and educators have the unique opportunity to introduce STEM to K-2 students for what could be the first time. This first-time experience can be used to create a positive connotation with STEM learning and build student confidence when interacting with complex concepts. In this article, STEM Sports® has compiled a list of twenty (20) STEM activities for second grade students. 

The Rain Cloud in a Jar experiment is easy to implement with second grade students at home or in the classroom. Fun Learning for Kids also includes a printable worksheet students can use to track their progress and comprehension of the lesson. Throughout this lesson, students will learn more about the weather system and how rain leaves clouds and interacts with air as it falls toward the ground. 

Learn more about this activity at Fun Learning for Kids 

The math mystery assignment on Teachers Pay Teachers introduces second grade students to math through play. This Common Core State Standards (CCSS) aligned lesson plan exercises students’ skills in counting, patterns, and more during this progressive lesson. As students’ skills improve, they can continue working through the lesson until they have collected all of the clues and can solve the mystery! 

Learn more about this activity at Teachers Pay Teachers

Creating ice cream in a bag is a delicious and engaging way to introduce students to key science concepts. Throughout the lesson, second grade students will learn about chemistry concepts, such as phases of matter and material freezing points.

Learn more about this activity at Science Buddies

When students are starting out in their education, they will likely have questions about why something is happening and how. Using the Five Senses Sorting Cards, students will learn to differentiate what things interact with each of their senses. This is a foundational element students will use as they continue science learning in the future. 

Download the Five Senses Sorting Cards at The STEM Laboratory

Creating a catapult using popsicle sticks is a great way to transform students into engineers. In this lesson, students will build their base and test the effectiveness of their catapult when launching their bottle cap and cotton ball. This is a great lesson to introduce students to the Engineering Design Process (EDP). They will work through the process to figure out how to make their catapult more efficient and usable. 

At the kindergarten to second grade level, students are beginning to exercise their math skills and learn key concepts they will use throughout their education. It is important that parents and educators help second grade students to improve their math literacy skills both at home and in the classroom. The Spring Math activities kit is a free download on Teachers Pay Teachers that includes math board games, math worksheets, and math practice lessons.

Learn more about this activity at Teachers Pay Teachers 

To implement this lesson, educators or parents will print the code cards and worksheets that students will use to practice their binary coding without screens. Students will practice implementing their code strings and adding their answers to their worksheets. At the end of the lesson, students can compare their code with classmates and have their teacher provide correct answers and guidance when needed. 

Learn more about this activity at Play Dough to Play

The ‘A Top of a Tower’ STEM activity uses common household and classroom supplies to help students exercise and improve their engineering skills. This can become a challenge between family members or classmates to see who can make the sturdiest building. Once students have completed their towers, you can use pennies to see how much weight each student’s structure can hold. 

Teacher Tip: Before testing the structures, students can write predictions about how many pennies they think their structure can hold before breaking. 

Learn more about this activity at Elementary Island Blog

Pattern block activities are a great way to introduce STEM into the classroom – especially at the kindergarten, first grade, and second grade levels. Students exercise their problem solving, critical thinking, and motor skills while creating their pattern blocks. The STEM Laboratory has included all necessary cards and printed materials for free. If you have access to blocks, students can use those and, if not, they can color their own paper cut-outs and use those to execute the lesson. 

Learn more about this activity at The STEM Laboratory

In this engineering challenge, students are tasked with building a structure using only jelly beans and toothpicks. This activates the creative side of students’ brains and teaches fundamental problem-solving skills. This activity can be changed depending on the time of year to make it a seasonal STEM challenge! For example, as the holidays approach, students can use Christmas colored candy to build their structures. 

Learn more about this activity at Lemon Lime Adventures

The Marshmallow STEM challenge is a great way to introduce second grade students to engineering in a fun, engaging setting. This group activity gives students the opportunity to work together to improve their 21st century skills and practice working within the Engineering Design Process (EDP).

The Rainbow Density Jar experiment is a great way to introduce students to density in a colorful, engaging way! As students add additional liquids to their jar, they can see it move to a specific layer. To complete this activity, have students rank the density of the materials they used and compare their answers with classmates.

Learn more about this activity at STEAMsational 

This activity is based on the idea that Fred the gummy worm needs to be saved. The catch is that students (the rescue team) only have paper clips. Students are tasked with working in teams to think creatively about how they can save Fred using their limited materials. This disguised learning activity turns students into engineers while teaching 21st century skills without them even knowing! 

Learn more about this activity at Growing a STEM Classroom

The Forces and Motion Science lesson is a Teachers Pay Teachers lesson for second grade through fifth grade students. In this Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) lesson, students learn about key physics concepts. This easy to implement lesson is a great way to bring creativity into the STEM curriculum and give students control over their education. 

The Making Paper STEM activity is a great way to introduce students to STEM using a real world example. In this lesson, students will follow the recycling process to repurpose the original piece of paper supplied to them. This can become a cross-curricular lesson plan by connecting the science lesson to a history or literature lesson about global warming and recycling. 

Learn more about this activity at STEAMsational

Using only four ingredients, students are able to exercise their engineering skills during the Spaghetti Tower Challenge. This can be done individually or in a group depending on the number of supplies and desired outcome. Educators can promote students to look at their design, identify weaknesses, and rework the design based on their findings.

Learn more about this activity at Sunny Days in Second Grade

During this STEM lesson, second grade students will mimic an oil spill and work with their classmates to clean up the environment they have created. This STEM activity connects to real world examples and is a great way to show students what they are learning impacts the world around them. This is also an opportunity to apply cross-curricular learning methods in the classroom. When working through the oil spill STEM activity, educators can print literature about major oil spills in history. 

Learn more about this activity at The Coalition for Science After School

The Animal Engineers Bundle introduces students to six (6) lessons about animals and the environment. During this lesson, students begin to see how STEM concepts connect to the world around them. For example, students will work to create a beaver dam to stop the flow of water on the river. 

The Lego Volcano experiment combines engineering and science lessons during this hands-on lesson. First, students use Legos to build their volcano structure. Then, students create a chemical reaction, causing their volcano to erupt. 

Learn more about this activity at Little Bins Little Hands

STEM Sports® is an education company that provides STEM curriculum for K-8 students. Each curriculum uses sports as a way to facilitate STEM learning with real world, hands-on examples. The STEM Multi-Sport K-2 Curriculum uses basketball, football, golf, and soccer to facilitate eight (8) lessons. This curriculum and kit aligns with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and K-12 Physical Education standards when applicable. 

Learn more about the STEM Sports Multi-Sport K-2 Kit at STEM Sports®

If you are interested in learning more about STEM education and how to best prepare students for their future, read these blogs:

• What is STEM Teaching and Why is it Important?
• Tips for Teaching STEM to K-2 Students 
• Why Teach STEM: The Importance of STEM Education 
• 4 Ways Parents Can Support STEM Learning 
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Managing Science Experiments

Seashell experiment, ice melting experiment, water cycle in a bag, making snow, states of matter, easily fit science into your schedule.

A lot of science experiment opportunities are lost due to the time, materials and classroom chaos managing that is required. Hands on activities do require a bit more management and preparation, but the learning that ensues is worth it, I promise!

Teach Experiment Routines & Procedures

Just like any other classroom activity, the routines and procedures for the science experiment need to be explicitly taught. Procedures to teach include:

• Getting materials
• Following the experiment directions in order.
• Filling out experiment worksheets
• Monitor class volume and discuss the appropriate levels for the activity.
• Putting away materials & cleaning up work space
• Stick to your group role

Assign Roles

As mentioned in the above section, you should assign group (or partner) roles for students to stick to. This gives them a focus, keeps the group on task and squashes the arguments over who does what.

Use partner cards to assign roles in a snap.

Before sending students off to complete their experiment, model how to gather their supplies. Safely hold or use them, and what each member of the group will be doing. Do not model the entire experiment, as this takes away the science magic!

Let's kick off our science experiment list with one that will make you think of long walks on the beach.

Materials Needed:

• Seashells (They can be gathered, purchased at craft or dollar stores, or ordered on Amazon .)
• Jars or cups

Directions:

• Place a few seashells in a jar.
• Fill the jar with vinegar.
• After a day or two, observe what happens to the shell.
• Replace the vinegar and observe for another day or two.

We all know ice melts, but are there materials that melt it faster than others? Students will get excited watching this melting “race”.

• 4 ice cubes
• 4 cups or bowls
• 1/2 cup of 3 different materials like warm water, cold water, salt, sugar, sand, flour, etc
• Put an ice cube in each cup.
• Pour 1/2 cup of a material on the first 3 cubes.
• Leave just the ice cube in the last cup.
• Check on the ice cubes every 5-10 minutes.

Tell your students you can make it rain inside a Ziplock bag. They will be astounded! This science experiment is a great visual of the water cycle in action.

• Ziplock gallon bags
• Sharpie markers
• Food coloring
• Optional: have students draw a design on their baggie, such as clouds, raindrops or waves.
• Fill the bag 1/4 of the way with water.
• Add food coloring.
• Seal the bag.
• Hang in a sunny window & observe the water cycle!

Bonus tip : a hair dryer can speed up the process, just don't hold it too close to the baggie!

For more water cycle activities, check out our Lucky to Learn Science unit.

Get Water Cycle resources exclusively on All Access

Join All Access to download everything we've ever made.

No matter the time of year, or where you live, you can bring a little snowy magic into your classroom.

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 3 tablespoons white hair conditioner

1. Pour baking soda into a bowl.

2. Have students identify what state of matter the baking soda and conditioner are.

3. Predict what state of matter it will be when the two materials are mixed.

4. Stir the two together to make the snow. Identify the new state of matter.

Many states list states of matter as a 2nd grade science standard. Why not use a science experiment that will last a few days and demonstrates all states of matter?

• A cup or bowl
• Discuss the states of matter using pictures of each state. Here is a ready to go unit.
• Start with the solid state: put an ice cube in a cup. Discuss which state of matter will occur when you leave the ice in the cup.
• Observe when the ice cube has melted. Then, discuss which state of matter will occur as you leave the water. (Evaporation-gas!)
• Observe how long it takes for the water to completely evaporate.

For more states of matter activities, check out our Lucky to Learn Science unit.

Get States of Matter resources exclusively on All Access

See Low Prep Science Experiments in Action!

Let Katie from Team Lucky Little Learners show how quickly and easily you can fit science experiments into your schedule. This video is a quick walk through three ideas.

Having trouble fitting science into your daily schedule? Check out our solution to teaching science in just 30 minutes a day !

Now it's time for your little scientists to begin their experiments! Don't forget to share pictures with us in our facebook groups for 1st grade or 2nd grade teachers.

Happy teaching!

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45 Easy Science Experiments for Kids

Hello, STEM! These simple DIY activities can be done at home or in school.

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Imagine blowing the biggest bubbles imaginable — or even making bubbles within bubbles. Or sending vessels — rockets, tea bags, airplanes — soaring through the sky for impossible distances. Now imagine making things explode, or change colors, or reveal hidden messages with just a few simple mixtures.

None of this is magic. It's all science that you can do at home, most likely with ingredients you already have in your house. So, next time you need a boredom-busting indoor activity on a rainy day or a DIY project to get their minds humming, try one of these best at-home science experiments for kids , which cover topics like cover magnetism, surface tension, astronomy, chemistry, physics and more.

First off, it's good to start them off with the scientific method. Give them a journal to record their observations, questions, hypotheses, experiments, results and conclusions. As always, safety counts: wear goggles and coats or aprons if need be (sometimes kids get a kick out of how scientific the protective gear makes them look), and always make sure that the kids are supervised when doing them. (Warning: Some of these are messy!)

These experiments are mostly designed for preschoolers through elementary schoolers — with a couple that are either demonstrations or better for older kids — but if you have a younger one, you can check out these 1-year-old learning activities , toddler learning activities and preschool/kindergarten learning activities , some of which also cover STEM subjects.

Floating Fish

Here's another one that deals with solubility and density.

• Draw the outline of a fish on the bottom of a glass plate or tray in dry-erase marker. Retrace your drawing to make sure all the lines are connected. Let dry for a minute or two.
• Fill the measuring cup with tap water. Place the pour spout just inside the corner of the dish and add water very slowly until it just covers the bottom. Be careful not to pour water directly onto your drawing or make splashes near it. The water will move toward your drawing, eventually surrounding it. Observe what happens. If the water splashes or it doesn’t work on your first try, empty the dish, erase the drawing with a paper towel, dry off the dish, and try again.
• Tilt the dish slightly from side to side. What happens? Jot it down.

The ink in dry erase markers is engineered to be slippery. It’s made with a chemical that causes it to easily release from surfaces. (Permanent markers are made with a chemical that makes the ink stick to surfaces, so be sure not to use these in your experiment!)

The easy-release ink lets go from a surface, but why does it float? There are two reasons. First, dry erase ink isn’t soluble, which means it won’t dissolve in water. Second, dry erase ink is less dense than the water, so it becomes buoyant, meaning it can float. When you tilt the dish, the fish moves around on the water’s surface.

From Good Housekeeping Amazing Science: 83 Hands-on S.T.E.A.M Experiments for Curious Kids! See more in the book »

Brush, Brush!

This one will really get them into brushing their teeth once they scientifically prove all the good things that toothpaste can do.

• Write on sticky notes: Soda 1, Soda 2, Juice 1, and Juice 2. Place them in a row on a counter.
• Fill two glasses halfway with brown soda and place behind the Soda 1 and Soda 2 sticky notes. Fill two glasses halfway with lemon juice and place behind the Juice 1 and Juice 2 sticky notes.
• Carefully place one egg in the bowl. Squeeze a big dollop — about one tablespoon — of toothpaste on top of the egg and gently rub the toothpaste all around with your hands until the egg is completely covered in a thick layer of toothpaste. Repeat with a second egg.
• Gently submerge the toothpaste-covered eggs into the liquids: one egg in the glass labeled Soda 1 and the other egg in the glass labeled Juice 1. Wash and dry your hands.
• Gently submerge the remaining eggs, without toothpaste on them, in the remaining glasses: one in the glass labeled Soda 2 and the other in the glass of juice labeled Juice 2. Wash and dry your hands. Leave the eggs in the glasses for 12 hours.
• After 12 hours, remove the eggs from the glasses of soda one at a time. Rinse them in cool water and pat them dry with the towel. Place each egg by the sticky note of the glass it was in. Are the eggs the same or different colors?
• Remove the eggs from the glasses of juice one at a time. Rinse them under the faucet and pat them dry. Place each egg by the sticky note of the glass it was in. Feel the eggs gently. Does one feel stronger or weaker than the other?
• Write down your observations in your science notebook.

The eggshells in this experiment represent the enamel (outer coating) on your teeth. Toothpaste cleans your teeth and prevents stains: it removes food and drink particles that are stuck on your teeth. Teeth can be stained easily by dark-colored liquids like cola, coffee or tea. The egg without toothpaste will be brown and discolored. The egg covered in toothpaste was protected from turning brown.

Toothpaste also protects your pearly whites from decay (breaking down). The egg without toothpaste left in the lemon juice was worn down and soft to the touch, while the egg that was protected with toothpaste is stronger. The lemon juice is acidic, and those acids broke down the shell just as acidic drinks can wear away your tooth enamel. When a tooth is worn down, a cavity can form more easily. But the fluoride in toothpaste mixes with your saliva to create a protective coating around your tooth enamel. It helps keep your teeth strong and cavity-free.

Grow an Avocado Tree

For an easy lesson in Earth Science, your family can grow an avocado tree from a pit. You can buy an AvoSeedo kit , or just peel the seed and suspend it over water with toothpicks.

Get the tutorial »

Milk Bottle Xylophone

No for an experiment in sound!

• Arrange six glass jars or bottles, all the same size with no lids, in a line. What will each jar sound like when you tap it with a spoon? Make a prediction, then tap each jar. Record your observations.
• Next, put water in each of the jars. Pour 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) of water into the first jar. Add 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) of water to the second jar. Continue in 1⁄4-cup increments, adding 3⁄4 cup (180 ml) of water to the third jar, 1 cup (240 ml) of water to the fourth jar, 11⁄4 cups (300 ml) of water to the fifth jar, and 11⁄2 cups (360 ml) to the sixth jar. Add a couple of drops of food coloring to each jar.
• What will each jar sound like? Will they sound the same or different than when the container was empty? Will they sound the same or different from one another? Record your predictions.
• Tap each jar with a metal spoon. Write down your observations about each jar’s pitch (how high or low a sound is) in your notebook.

Sound waves are created by vibrations, which are back-and-forth movements that are repeated again and again. Pitch depends on the frequency of the waves — how many are created each second. A high pitch is created by high-frequency sound waves, and can sound squeaky. A low pitch is created by low-frequency sound waves, and sounds deep and booming.

When you tapped the jar, it vibrated. The vibrations traveled from the jar to the water to the air and eventually to your ears. The jars with more water had a low pitch. The sound waves vibrated more slowly because they had more water to travel through. The jars with less water had higher pitches. The sound waves vibrated faster because they had less water to travel through. A jar with no water in it makes the highest pitch because it has the least substance to travel through.

"Elephant Toothpaste"

Okay, elephants don't really brush with this stuff, which is made from a chemical reaction between hydrogen peroxide, yeast, dish soap and a few other simple ingredients. But this experiment has a big "wow" factor since, when the substances are mixed, the "toothpaste" foams out of the bottle. You can use it to teach kids about catalysts and exothermic reactions.

Get the tutorial at Babble Dabble Do »

DIY Compass

Explore the way magnetism works, and how it affects everyday objects, by magnetizing a needle and making a DIY compass. You can even spin the compass in the water, and it'll end up pointing the right way again.

Get the tutorial at STEAM Powered Family »

Craft Stick Chain Reaction

Kids can learn about the differences between potential and kinetic energy with this chain reaction. It makes a big impact: Once the tension is released, the pom poms go flying through the air!

Get the the tutorial at Science Sparks »

Color-Changing Invisible Ink

Kids will feel like super-spies when they use this heatless method to reveal pictures or colors written with "invisible ink." You can try different acid/base combinations to see which one makes the most dramatic result.

Get the tutorial at Research Parent »

Paper Bridge

Get the engineering back into STEM with this activity, which challenges kids to create a paper bridge that's strong enough to hold as many pennies as possible. How can they manipulate the paper to make it sturdier? (Hint: Fold it!)

See the paper bridge tutorial at KidsActivities.com »

Challenge your little scientist to lift up an ice cube with just a piece of string. It's possible ... with a little salt to help. Salt melts the ice and lowers the freezing point of the ice cube, which absorbs the heat from the water around it, making the water cold enough to re-freeze around the string.

Get the tutorial at Playdough to Plato »

Marshmallow Catapult

Another lesson in potential and kinetic energy, kids will love sending mini marshmallows flying in the name of science. Change some of the variables and see how that affects the marshmallow's trajectory.

Get the tutorial at Hello, Wonderful »

Leaf Breathing

It's hard for kids to picture how plants and trees "breathe" through their leaves — until they see the bubbles appear on a leaf that's submerged in water. You can also teach them about photosynthesis by putting different leaves in different spots with varying levels of sunlight.

Get the tutorial at KC EDventures »

Hoop-and-Straw Airplane

We all remember how to fold those classic, triangular paper airplanes, but these hoop-and-straw airplanes fly way better (and straighter). Experiment by changing the length of the straw and the size of the hoops and see how it affects the flight.

Get the tutorial at Mombrite »

Film Canister Rocket

Blast off! You don't need jet fuel to make these rockets go, just Alka-Seltzer tablets and baking soda, but they'll be amazed when they achieve lift-off! (Note: If you can't find old film canisters, tubes of Airborne work, too.)

Get the tutorial at Raising Lifelong Learners »

Coin Inertia

Stack up about five or so coins on a piece of cardboard and place it over a glass of water. Then, flick the cardboard out from on top of the glass. Do the coins drop into the water, or ride with the cardboard? Due to inertia, they drop into the water — a very visual (and fun!) demonstration of Newton's First Law of Motion.

Get the tutorial at Engineering Emily »

Apple Oxidation

What works best for keeping an apple from turning brown? Test to find out! Slice up an apple, and let each slice soak in a different liquid. Then take them out, lay them on a tray, and check the brownness after three minutes, six minutes and so on. Not only does this test the properties of different liquids, it also helps students practice the scientific method if they create hypotheses about which liquids would be most effective.

Get the tutorial at Jennifer Findley »

RELATED: 50 Fun Activities for Kids Will Keep Them Entertained for Hours

Coffee Ground Fossils

By making a salt dough with coffee grounds and pressing various shapes into it (toy dinosaur feet, seashells), kids can get a better understanding of how fossils are made. If you poke a hole in the top before it dries, the kids can hang their "fossils" up in their rooms.

Get the tutorial at Crafts by Amanda »

Chromatography Flowers

Chromatography is the process of separating a solution into different parts — like the pigments in the ink used in markers. If you draw stripes around a coffee filter, then fold it up and dip the tip in water, the water will travel up the filter and separate the marker ink into its different pigments (in cool patterns that you can display as a craft project). This family made the end-result even brighter by adding an LED circuit to the center.

Get the tutorial at Steam Powered Family »

Water Walking

You'll need six containers of water for this one: three with clear water, one with red food coloring, one with blue coloring, and one with yellow coloring. Arrange them in a circle, alternating colored and clear containers, and make bridges between the containers with folded paper towels. Your kids will be amazed to see the colored water "walk" over the bridges and into the clear containers, mixing colors, and giving them a first-hand look at the magic of capillarity.

Get the tutorial at Fun Learning for Kids »

Sunscreen Test

This experiment puts the A (art) in STEAM: Paint different designs on construction paper with different sunscreens, leave the papers out in the sun and compare the results. Then, hang your "conclusions" on your fridge.

Get the tutorial at Tonya Staab »

Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother . She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.

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DIY Solar Oven Smores

August 26, 2024 · Karen · 63 Comments

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S’mores are one of my favorite desserts, combine that with my background in science and naturally, I have been dying to make solar oven smores. Solely in the interest of science education of course. 😉 

Easy Solar Oven Smores

It has been CRAZY hot lately, so we took advantage of the scorching sun this past weekend and made the best solar oven. Why is it the best? We already had all the supplies on hand, I love it when a fun plan comes together inexpensively!

Solar Oven DIY

The base of the project was a couple of personal size pizza boxes I saved in my craft stash just for this project. The boys loved making and decorating their own personal solar ovens but a big pizza box would work too.

How to make a solar oven for kids

This project is fairly easy and older kids can do most of the steps themselves. Just have an adult use a craft knife or scissors to cut the solar oven door.

1) Cut the “oven door” flap on the top of the pizza box. The size depends on what you are cooking and how much access you need. Our door was large to maximize our s’mores capacity!

2) Decorate your solar oven with sharpies . This is a fun *optional* step.

DIY Solar Oven For Kids

3) Glue black construction paper  to the bottom of the box. The black color absorbs the heat inside of the box.

4) Glue aluminum foil to the inside of the door. The foil reflects the sun into the oven.

5) Tape the plastic over the opening of the door. This will allow the air inside the box to heat up but keep the heat trapped inside the box.

How to make a solar oven

6) Add a graham cracker, marshmallow, and piece of chocolate inside the oven.

7) Place your oven outside in the sun. I taped a wooden skewer to prop the lid open at an ideal angle.

This project works best on hot summer days. The chocolate naturally started melting quickly.

Our ‘done’ indicator was the marshmallows, we waited until they had puffed up from the heat. It took about 90 minutes to bake our s’mores.

When making these in less extreme temperatures, we just waited until the chocolate melted and called it good enough.

Easy Solar Oven Project

This project was easy, a lot of fun and perfect for preschool through middle school. Older kids could design their own boxes, or conduct scientific experiments by varying factors like the box size, oven door size, construction paper color, cooking time, outside temperature, etc. We talked about what was happening while we waited for the s’mores to bake.

Easy Solar Oven Project Supplies:

• Cardboard pizza box
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic wrap or bag
• Black construction paper
• Pencil or wooden skewer
• Scissors or utility knife
• S’mores supplies: chocolate bar, graham crackers , marshmallows

Then we feasted on our solar oven s’mores, I’m pretty sure everyone can get behind that scientific result. 😉

Your own solar cooker will not get as hot as a conventional oven but it can still be hot enough to need an oven mitt.

STEM Solar Oven Project Discussion Points

• The sun as a heat source
• “A process called nuclear fusion converts hydrogen to helium deep in the sun’s core, where temperatures hit a balmy 18 million degrees Fahrenheit (15.7 million degrees Celsius). Fusion creates energy that travels to the sun’s surface in a journey that lasts a million years. ” Learn more from National Geographic Kids
• We use a sheet of black paper to help absorb the heat. Black absorbs the most heat (white absorbs the least) so any other color would absorb less heat and negatively affect the success of the solar oven.
• The sun’s rays are collected by the reflective panel and concentrated inside the box. This converts the sun’s energy into thermal energy which is how solar ovens work.
• The plastic wrap helps trap the sun’s heat in the pizza box ovens and lessens heat loss.
• Direct sunlight gives the best result, cloudy days will lessen the success of solar cooking.

Books about Solar Power

• The Kids’ Solar Energy Book is recommended for grades 3-7.
• Running on Sunshine: How Does Solar Energy Work? is recommend for preschool through grade 3.
• Solar Energy! How Does It Work? is another science book recommendation.

Have you made a DIY solar oven before?

Post originally published August 15, 2012

More fun learning activities like Solar Oven Smores:

• Pi Day Activities
• Cardboard Box Party
• Jelly Bean Activities

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Ashley @ Mama Of All Trades says

August 16, 2012 at 7:15 am

Seriously, this is genius! I am so going to try this out next week with the kids! Learning and s’mores? Can’t go wrong with that!! Much better than using a flame, too.

Adiah Mayo says

February 16, 2017 at 3:24 pm

I loved making it☺????

February 22, 2017 at 11:23 pm

Sara @ Mom Endeavors says

August 16, 2012 at 7:28 am

Gah–Karen, I LOVE this!!! What a super fab idea in this crazy AZ record heat! This science loving mama will have to do this too! 🙂

August 16, 2012 at 8:00 am

That is the coolest thing I have ever seen for not only making S’mores, but put education into it too, awesome!

Jenny F says

August 16, 2012 at 8:17 am

I had never heard of this! What a great idea! I will tuck this away for next summer, brilliant!!!!

Carrie with Children says

August 16, 2012 at 9:40 am

This is so super cool – I love it! What a fun way to incorporate learning into a fun activity… and even better with yummy Smores!

ericka says

September 20, 2016 at 11:53 am

yep in our class were bout to make smores in our solar oven its going to be cool.

Cassie says

August 16, 2012 at 12:26 pm

This is really cool! I would have never thought about something like this.

August 16, 2012 at 9:06 pm

Food and science equals fun! Great idea!

August 20, 2012 at 8:44 pm

Yum!!! My boys would LOVE this!!!!

Michelle L. says

August 21, 2012 at 6:04 pm

Oh, this is fantastic! And your ‘feasting’ pictures are the cutest. Thanks for a great idea!

chaderz says

June 2, 2017 at 5:41 am

this is so ool dude

August 27, 2012 at 10:41 pm

I used to do this with my 8th graders as a fun inquiry project. We’d change all kinds of variables. Makes me miss those days as teacher…

Jennifer says

May 3, 2013 at 1:16 pm

Visiting from Let’s Hear it For the Boys. I’d like to invite you to my Friday Flash Blog, where you can share your best blog entry of the week! The party goes on ALL weekend. And who knows, you may just get featured next week.

Jennifer thejennyevolution.com

May 21, 2013 at 4:49 pm

Do pizza boxes work well for this? Or are cereal boxes better? My son’s class is doing these soon. Thank you!

May 22, 2013 at 8:37 am

I think cereal boxes would work better. I’d love to hear how they turn out for your son’s class!

July 6, 2017 at 4:43 am

Thanks for letting me know about this I’m gonna do it with the boys and girls club for. science thank you

July 21, 2017 at 7:30 pm

How did you keep ants and flying insects out?

July 22, 2017 at 8:01 pm

We don’t really have a big bug problem here in Arizona, so there was never any problems with that. The plastic wrap does keep anything out that would randomly fly by accidently.

Bella Ward says

March 16, 2018 at 2:57 pm

I’m in 6th grade and my class is doing a “Solar Oven” project. This is perfect for me because we have to build and research about Solar Ovens! Thanks! -Bella Ward 6th Grade California

April 9, 2018 at 9:00 pm

I’m so glad I could help!

May 3, 2018 at 7:04 pm

also try #10 metal can stove

May 11, 2018 at 11:21 am

Hi i’m Isaac and i love this solar cooker its a amazing design

August 6, 2018 at 9:51 am

Worked great- we did jourals to explain the experiment! Sun was 105° needed coffee cups to keep oven from blowing in the wind! Will use cereal box vs pizza box next time.

August 6, 2018 at 9:30 pm

Great idea for next time!

Isabella The Girl Who Didn't Have Science Project Ideas says

April 8, 2019 at 11:00 am

THIS GOT ME AN A

April 8, 2019 at 11:12 am

Awesome! Great job on your project.

seqoia says

June 5, 2019 at 5:17 pm

that looks yummy

Cecelia M Teague says

July 12, 2019 at 11:09 am

I don’t have black construction paper but I do have black paper cake plates (from a 50th birthday party). I’m going to try this with grandsons tomorrow!

July 12, 2019 at 1:36 pm

That sounds like a reasonable substitution. Good luck!

Tacopants Kid says

September 30, 2019 at 10:21 am

This is going to be great! Our STEM class is using many types of solar oven recipes, and this looks perfect!

October 1, 2019 at 7:14 am

So glad I can help!!

E.J Allen says

November 25, 2019 at 11:46 am

This Is awesome. This is my science project

November 26, 2019 at 8:54 am

Glad I can help!

Scarlet says

January 24, 2020 at 7:08 am

What a great idea to cook smores in the solar oven. That makes science is more fun!

March 10, 2020 at 1:50 pm

I’m using this for my 5th grade science fair so I hope it will be good.

March 11, 2020 at 9:57 am

Kitty Mainia says

April 26, 2021 at 1:09 pm

Our class is getting ready to do this. I can’t wait to try it out!

April 29, 2021 at 7:03 pm

June 2, 2021 at 9:28 am

I use this activity as a summer literacy activity. We read a book about solar power and did this activity. The kids enjoyed it. Super fun.

June 2, 2021 at 2:06 pm

That’s a great idea!

Zantaniel Priel says

October 9, 2021 at 1:42 am

Thanks. This’s gonna be awesome.

October 15, 2021 at 10:04 am

October 3, 2022 at 9:25 am

That looks so cool

October 16, 2022 at 8:14 am

Rahil Ahmadi says

October 8, 2022 at 10:11 pm

I loved making this! Super fun and sooooooo educational. It was also a great treat. I liked how the materials were everyday materials. But what else can our kids make with this solar oven?

We haven’t tried anything else but nachos should be easy enough to melt.

March 4, 2023 at 11:14 am

Is there no way to print the directions?

March 17, 2023 at 5:33 pm

You can print the webpage, I’ll consider adding a printable pdf in the future.

Tinley says

April 16, 2023 at 8:54 am

Will the project work in 60 degree weather I am in 4th grade and using this as a science project for my science fair it’s not that hot in Montana right now. P.S. this is a genius idea for any age.

April 17, 2023 at 7:04 pm

I think it would work eventually on a sunny day, it might take a lot longer. But if its for the science fair, you can just test the theory. Good Luck!

May 24, 2023 at 7:51 am

Thank you for this simple and very cool idea. I now have the perfect activity for the end of the year for my science students. This will be a sanity saver for me.

May 24, 2023 at 1:48 pm

So happy I could help!!

Mollie says

August 30, 2023 at 6:45 pm

Hello! Thank you So much for this! I am doing this as my First Ever meeting for a STEM club at my elementary school! Well actually 2 meetings, first meeting they are decorating, then the next week we are makin’ the s’mores!

August 31, 2023 at 3:31 pm

That’s so awesome! You can’t go wrong with s’mores! 🙂

Hi, I’m Karen!

I’m a mom to two boys, Arizona native, and travel lover. Desert Chica is my place to share a peek into our life and the easy and inexpensive costumes, crafts and desserts I like to make. “If I can do it, anyone can!” Learn more about me here

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Last updated by Linda Kamp on December 9, 2022 • Leave a Comment

Properties of Matter Science Experiments for Second Grade

This post is a roundup of hands-on and fun properties of matter science experiments and STEAM activities that address second grade science standards. All of the materials used are easy to find and available at the dollar store.

Properties of Matter Science Experiments

It is essential when teaching science that our students learn to ask questions, make observations, and be able to communicate what they observe. We want our students to learn how to plan and carry out investigations and be able to interpret their results.

As you encourage your students to ask questions, guide them to see how their questions can be investigated. In the primary grades, we may need to provide the questions as a starting point.

The following are questions for students to investigate while learning about the structure and properties of matter. These investigations address:

• describing matter
• properties of objects
• the effects of temperature on matter
• combining matter
• solid, liquid, gas STEAM project

How can I describe matter?

Matter has observable, physical properties that are different shapes, colors, textures, materials, and sizes. 

This highly engaging lab calls students’ attention to small details so that they can describe the properties of a variety of crackers. Click the link to read more: Properties of Matter Cracker Lab

What materials make an object flexible?

As students learn that the structure and properties of matter can be observed, give them experience in planning and conducting simple investigations. 

Hardness, magnetism, and flexibility are properties that are easily tested. Gather a variety of objects so that students can test their flexibility. Click the link to read how we explored flexibility: Exploring Flexibility Lab

How does temperature change matter? 

Did you know that ice cream is a solid, a liquid, and a gas all at once? This ice cream in a bag lab is a favorite science activity that is easily done in the classroom. 

Students observe the effect of temperature on matter as a liquid mixture turns to a solid. Click the link to read the science behind t ice cream and see how it’s done:  Ice Cream in a Bag Lab

What solids and liquids will create a gas?

This carbonation exploration uses Pop Rocks candy to investigate how combining a solid and a liquid can form a gas. 

Learn how carbonation is made and how to do the lab: Pop Rocks Experiment

How can I design a toy using a solid, liquid and gas?

In this fun STEAM challenge students use a variety of materials to design a toy. Students plan the materials for their toy so that they use at least one solid, one liquid, and one gas. 

 Design a Toy lab source

The creative possibilities are endless! This lab is part of a second grade Properties of Matter science unit available HERE.

All of these labs are part of a complete Properties of Matter science unit for second grade. 

These properties of matter science experiments are hands-on, fun and easy to do in the classroom.

For more second grade science activities visit these posts:

Properties of Matter Activities for Second Grade 

18 Awesome States of Matter Books for Kids

Landforms & Earth Changes Activities

Activities to Teach the Engineering Design Process

Happy teaching!

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I’m Linda Kamp, a 20 year primary grade teacher with a passion for creating educational materials that excite students and make learning fun! I'm so glad you're here!

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Airplane Science Fair Projects

Have you ever wondered how to turn a simple paper airplane into a winning  science fair project ? With a few design tweaks and scientific testing, you can explore the fascinating world of  aerodynamics  and see how different planes fly!

Paper Airplane Science Fair

Paper airplanes are fun to make and fly, but they can also teach us important science concepts. By experimenting with different designs, you can learn about  lift ,  drag , and  thrust , and create a great  science fair project . Let’s dive into an exciting paper airplane experiment, and you can even build a  paper airplane launcher to test your creations!

Recommended Grade Level: 3rd-6th Grades

• Different types of paper (printer paper, construction paper)
• Ruler or measuring tape
• Stopwatch or timer
• Tape Measure
• Pens and Pencils
• Open indoor or outdoor space for testing
• Notebook or data collection sheet
• Paper clips
• Rubber bands (for optional launcher)
• Printable Instructions and blank graph (Join us in the Library Club )

💡 Check out our  How to Make Paper Airplanes here with free instructions!

Airplane Science Fair Project Set Up

Create different airplane designs : Fold several paper airplanes with different wing sizes, shapes, and body lengths. Keep your designs consistent by using the same paper size and folding techniques. Wing design matters! Our airplane templates will help.

Set up a testing area : Use an open space without wind interference. Mark your starting point, and throw each airplane with the same amount of force to keep the test fair.

💡 See our tips for throwing paper airplanes here . Remember you’ll want to launch your airplane the same way every time!

Measure and record data : Use a ruler or measuring tape to measure how far each airplane flies. Time how long each plane stays in the air with a stopwatch. Record your results in a notebook to create a data table or bar graph later (see below for an example).

Analyze the data : Repeat the test a few times for each airplane design to ensure accuracy. Calculate the average distance and flight time for each design.

Use a launcher (optional) : Want to add more fun? Use a rubber band launcher to propel your planes and test if they fly farther compared to hand throws. You can check out our  Airplane Launcher Tutorial here .

Airplane Science Information

Aerodynamics : This project helps you understand how air moves around an object. The wings of the paper airplane interact with the air, creating  lift  to keep the plane flying. At the same time,  drag  slows the plane down.

Thrust : Whether using your hand or a launcher, the force that moves the plane forward is called  thrust .

Lift and Drag : Different wing designs create varying levels of lift and drag. Large wings might create more lift, but also more drag. Small, streamlined designs might fly faster with less drag but could lose altitude quicker.

Turn It into a Science Fair Project:

💡Here’s a great opportunity to use the scientific method and variables .

Formulate a Hypothesis : For example, “If I make a plane with larger wings, then it will fly farther because it will generate more lift.”

Test Different Variables : Use various types of paper, or add weight by attaching paper clips to test how weight affects the flight. You could also adjust the wing length and see how that changes the flight distance and duration. Choose an independent variable and a dependent variable.

By changing the airplane’s design, such as the shape of the wings ( independent variable ), and measuring how far it flies or how long it stays in the air ( dependent variable ), you can draw conclusions about how design impacts flight performance.

Collect Data : To get accurate results, collect data from multiple trials. Record how far and how long each plane flies and calculate averages. Create a bar graph (see our example below)!

Analyze and Present : Compare the results between different airplane designs. Which design flew the farthest? Which stayed in the air the longest? Share your findings on a science board or in a report.

💡 The bar graph below is a great example of what you can put on a science fair board !

This bar graph shows an example of the distances traveled by different paper airplane designs. Each design (such as “Wide Wings” or “Narrow Wings”) is listed on the x-axis, while the y-axis represents the distance flown in feet.

From the graph, you can compare which designs flew the farthest. For instance, in this example, the “Narrow Wings” design flew the farthest at 15 feet, while the “Long Body” design flew the shortest distance at 9 feet.

Explore Physics with More Things That Fly

This airplane science experiment fits perfectly into a physics lesson plan. Have some more fun with things that fly below. Throw in some fun with Galileo and Gravity experiments too.

• DIY Hovercraft
• Parachute STEM Challenge
• Paper Straw Rockets
• Baking Soda Bottle Rocket (Chemistry too!)
• Balloon Rocket
• Air Resitance with Air Foils

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

• Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics
• 90+ classic science activities  with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information.  NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
• Best science practices posters  and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
• Be a Collector activities pack  introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
• Know the Words Science vocabulary pack  includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
• My science journal writing prompts  explore what it means to be a scientist!!
• Bonus STEAM Project Pack:  Art meets science with doable projects!

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