Science Experiments for kids

I love finding fun science experiments for kids because, as a mom of four & former teacher, combining education & entertainment is always a win-win!   When you are doing at-home science experiments for kids like non-sticky slime (fluffy slime), pumpkin playdough and apple scented play dough, it teaches kids to have fun while they are learning.

We love to do experiments at home like making rain in a bottle, exploring surface tension, making a dry ice lava lamp, exploring static electricity from lemon juice, or learning about the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar (like today).  That’s what today’s easy science experiments for kids are all about.  

I love to find fun things to make with the kids… like  DIY non-sticky slime, DIY Valentine Snacks (rock candy is fun to make!) and these Valentine’s Day bath bombs that I’m sharing today.  

Valentine’s day is filled with fun treats and Valentine’s Day cards, like these bubble Valentine’s Day cards.  It is a time when our kids have a blast hanging out, making their own little Valentines.   As a teacher, I thought that making Valentine’s Day boxes with my students was fun, but now I find that it’s even more fun with my own children!  

These DIY Valentine Bath Bombs are also a great Preschool activity for  Valentine’s day.   My daughter calls this preschool science experiment My Fizzy Valentine.   You take the heart bath bombs and turn them into fizzy valentines.  

Valentine Preschool Science Experiments

To Make the Heart Science Experiment, you’ll need these materials

• 1 Heart shaped mold
• 1 cup Baking Soda
• 1 tablespoon Washable red paint
• 2-3 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 2 squirt bottles
• 1/2 cup of water with food coloring in it (any color)
• 2 small bowls

Grab a bowl (be sure that you have cleaned it with dish soap before starting, so it’s ready for this experiment).  For this simple science experiment, you will want to add the baking soda as well as the red paint to the bowl.
Tip: If a bowl is too small, you can grab bins for little hands – sometimes plastic bins just work out better for preschoolers. 

Next, add two tablespoons of the water to the bowl and mix it.
NOTE: If the mixture is just right (easy to manipulate and not too wet) then disregard the last tablespoon of water.

Place the mixture in the silicone mold and let it dry overnight.

DAY TWO (when the hearts are dry): 
When setting up your area, you will have two small bowls, food coloring, vinegar, your 1/2 cup of water and your hearts.

Place 2 hearts in each bowl and also place 1 condiment bottle beside each bowl.

Grab 1/2 cup of vinegar and place it in one of the condiment bottles.
In the second bottle, add 2 drops of food coloring as well as the 1/2 cup of water. The purpose of adding food coloring to the water is to make it distinguishable from the vinegar.

Ask your child to add the water (with the food coloring) to the hearts and ask them what is happening.
Next, add the vinegar to the other bowl and note your preschooler’s face.  Our kids yelled with glee when we saw what was happening.

It’s important to explain how science projects work.  Explain to your child how this experiment works, as well… the hearts are fizzing because of the vinegar mixing with the baking soda. You can also discuss the differences in how the hearts reacted to the different liquids.

I would say this experiment was a win-win.

Here are a few more Valentine’s Day Ideas:

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Thanks to Alecia, preschool blogger at Learning 2 Walk, for today’s experiment!   She had another fun idea: She took a few of the hearts and added it to her baby’s diaper bin.  The aroma from the diaper bin has SIGNIFICANTLY decreased and according to J, her daughter, his room no longer has an odor when his bin is opened.