How To Find the Best Kids Science Project Ideas

December 1, 2011 By 10 Comments

Is it time to start looking for your kids science project ideas for the upcoming science fair?  Find the best science projects with these tips.

best science projectsIf you are looking for kids science project ideas, there are a couple things you should be thinking about before you go off ad buy one. We have some great ones at 24 hour science fair projects but no matter how good they are, they might not be what you need. So here are some tips from us to you about what you should be doing as you help your kids find the best science projects Trust me, we have all been through this with our own kids and for me I’ve seen it time and again with kids at my school.

Tips for finding the best kids science project ideas

  • Be sure you need to actually be looking for one. Sometimes the teacher sends home the project to do, or a list to choose from.
  • If you do a Google search add in the grade level, that will help weed out the ones that are too advanced.
  • You can use adjectives live fast, easy, simple, fun, cool or something like quick and easy science fair projects to a search. That will also help weed out the advanced or complicated ones.
  • Read the directions the teacher sends home, or what they gave you at Back To School Night and be sure you know what TYPE of project they are asking for and check to be sure you are buying the right type. The most common types are: investigation/experimentation, collection, demonstration, models and research.
  • Look at the supply list and go for the ones with common everyday stuff you probably already have at home, or can pick up on the next trip to the store. Unless the teacher sends home a specialized ingredient, or gives you plenty of advanced notice to go looking for it, stay away from those. Trust us, your life will be easier.
  • Finally, check and make sure any kids science project ideas you consider follow the steps to the scientific method. Basically it means question, predict, experiment and collect data, analyze the data, draw a conclusion. Teachers usually spell this out in the directions.

By the way, we have a free guide for parents that explains a lot of this, gives you a glossary of common science terms, explains the scientific method, and also goes into making a great display board as well. You can download it instantly by clicking this link: “Non Scientist Parents Guide to a Science Project”

There are many shapes and sizes to kids science project ideas so it can be overwhelming if you don’t have any guidelines from the teacher, so you as the parent become “triage” and can help weed out the bad ones and get the choices for you child down to a reasonable size.

My final tip for finding the best science projects is to be sure to include your child in the process and the final choice has to be their own. If you want them to really get into it, it has to be something they decide. You may have an idea of what they should pick, but really, you have to master the art of keeping quiet. Chances are that is the one they will pick if you don’t shove it down their throats!

Ready to go look at some great kids science project ideas that are kid tested and teacher approved? Visit 24 Hour Science Projects today for 5 quick and easy science fair projects that can be started today and finished tomorrow!

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Why Technology Helps Make Great Science Fair Projects

September 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Like it or not great science fair projects will include technology!

great science fair projectsOne of my fears is that with all the techno stuff out there today kids one day will just sit and do great  science fair projects  from their computers with some kind of virtual gizmo program.  Hopefully that is light years away, but there are  some things that computers and technology available can do to help kids with the quality  and finding the best science fair projects.

Here are five things technology does to help make great science fair projects:

  1. Labeling:  This is when you need to put a label on a picture or hand drawn graph or something. The problem with labeling for elementary school kids has always been sizing.  It is simply hard for many elementary students to write small enough in capital letters for a good label.  The lables are bigger and longer than the picture!  A computer can  get it printed out exactly the right size.
  2. Pictures:  Taking pictures of the project or getting pictures from the internet is a breeze, and you don’t have to spend hours looking in magazines and cut and paste pictures rr run and find a 1- hour photo lab to to print them.  Your photo-printer will take care of all of that. High quality photos adds an element of polish to any project.
  3. Data reporting:  With spreadsheets you get instant graphs and can do all sorts of comparisons with them and they look great.  The point of a graph is to give a visual  look at the data, to see the differences you discovered  from your data clearly.  It doesn’t really help the learning to spend an hour making a graph or pie chart, the data is what it is. With a spreadsheet it just takes one click to tun data into a chart.
  4. Do overs:  Erasing is pain and ultimately and you can never get it totally clear, so you can usually see it, or start over.  Measuring wrong to center the title means you have to get a whole new board or poster and  do it again.  Technology do overs a a breeze, change the font size and print.  Go back and spell the word write and print.  This way the kids can keep at it until they get it looking professional ( in their minds) without taking up too much time.
  5. Research:  The first four had to do with the final presentation, but this one is the amount of time searches on the Internet can save you when looking  for research to use in your final write up and in fact to find great science fair projects to begins with.  No more spending hours in the library, you can most of what you need at home, at least for elementary kids!

 

Here is a resource you will love!  It comes with spreadsheets built in to make the project all about the child, and research links all set up for you to get the kids to legitimate quality sites to gather information! 

Visit 24 Hour Science Projects today and get five great science fair projects science for your kids to use today, tomorrow or for their next project!

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Earth Science Science Fair Projects With Metamorphic Rocks

August 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Why not build a model for “earth science” science fair projects?

 

earth science science fair projects
Kids will be doing an “earth science” science fair project frequently throughout their school live. One early fun project for kids is to make a model of a metamorphic rock. People tend to forget that one of the five types of science fair projects includes making a model. Often when you are older the model will be included with the final presentation of an investigation project.

This project will show the effects of compression on metamorphic rocks. Heat and compression are what is needed over millions of years, to form these rocks, this earth science experiment shows the compression piece.

All you really need is modeling clay of different colors and and wax paper. And something really heavy. Five or six different colors of clay would make it easier to see when you are finished…

  • It will be a simple process. Take the wax paper and spread out some clay on top of it, let them experiment with how thick it is Then layer the different colors of clay on top of each other, again they can make each layer a different thickness or make them all the same. You could make two sets of modes,l one with them all the same thickness and another with a mixture of thin and thick.
  • Once you build you layers, put another layer of wax paper on top of the pile. Now you will be ready to make it metamorphic. Place a really heavy object on top of this pile. Three or four heavy dictionaries, or encyclopedias would work. Kids will have fun looking around the house for something really really heavy, to use.
  • Let it sit awhile and when you pull it off you will see the effect of compression and how the different colors were pressed into each other, and one of your “earth science” science fair projects is complete.

This is just an example of an easy science fair project for kids to do,  where visual “look” of the model becomes the best teacher.  That is the whole point, isn’t it?  You want the kids to learn something about science!  This is just one of the many benefits of using simple, easy science fair projects for your kids next science fair.

Besides earth science science fair projects there are other fun and interesting quick and easy science projects that can be done in less than a day with this link to 24 hour science projects.

Filed Under: Elementary Science Projects, Examples of Science Projects, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Doing Informal Science Experiments at Home Without Realizing It!

August 2, 2011 By 17 Comments

You and your kids are already doing science experiments at home, informally!  You just don’t know that is what you are doing!

science experiments at homeIf you have ever wanted to find out why something works the way it does, or why sometimes it works one way and other times it does something different, or how you might improve something you do all the time to make it better, and then played around with it, you have done an informal science fair project. Any time you play around with something to see what happens, try this, try that you have really done an informal science experiments at home.

Little kids do this all the time when they are playing in the sandbox, or playing at the beach. How wet does the sand have to be to make it so when you fill a bucket with sand, and flip it over it won’t fall apart?   Your favorite recipe is something over time you experimented with until you found the perfect combination of ingredients and tricks of the trade. Even when mowing the grass you experiment with the fastest or the coolest patterns you can make.

What makes these a science experiments at home, even if it is informal?

Believe it or not, if you ended up with a solution or an answer, it was either dumb luck or you followed the scientific method. You questioned, you made predictions, you might have read up on the topic or talked to others to gather information, then you experimented and figured out you had to change only one variable at a time to see which one made the difference. Eventually you came up with a conclusion. With these kinds of things you prove yourself right by doing it again and again and having it turn out OK. (I don’t know about mowing the lawn, I think that is a never ending battle, and a really just a great excuse to get out of the house!)

Limiting the variable or in every day people language changing only one thing from one time to the next is the core of any valid science fair experiment, otherwise you don;t know which thing makes the different size of buckets or those beach toy things. Do the plastic ones work better than metal? Eventually as you get older you can take one look at the sand and know if it is right for building. What a great starting place to create home science projects!

When you make your favorite spaghetti dinner, you will add different things to the sauce in different quantities until you get it just right. In our house it involves a can of beer, a dark heavy one is best and we let the alcohol cook off. You nd up with a thick, rich flavor (that does NOT taste like beer!)  Another experiment was which kind of pasta we like best. (vermicelli)

The never ending lawn experiment is always fun as each time you start out, you make a plan. This time I will go around in circles, or this time I will go from the inside out, or back and forth, with the goal of course to not have to go back and catch any blades you missed. You can try time of day, or how high or low you put the mower, and if it makes a difference with how often you have to mow. Never ending and always the best excuse to get out of the house!

When you children are young, their first school science fair experiments will be some fun simple things like seeing if different size and shape ice cubes take longer to melt, or which cereal stays crunchy the longest. Just like the informal science experiments at home you have been doing on your own without realizing it.

Ready to get your copy of these two science experiments at home, and three additional fun, science projects to do at home for fun or for their elementary school science fair? You can get with one click on this link!

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Practice makes Perfect! Demonstration Science Experiments for Elementary Students

July 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

With the right sorts of Practice, you’ll have success with demonstration science experiments for elementary students!

science experiments for elementary studentsTo demonstrate an interesting science fair project in front of your class or  with your display area at your science fair, you need to keep those science experiments for elementary students simple to help make it a success.

When it comes to a demonstration of a science project, it does not matter how interesting the science experiments for elementary students are, if the presentation is a flop your child will think they failed and in some cases the grade will be affected. When the truth is, the best learning already took place while they were doing it at home, so your child has already experienced the benefits from doing an interesting science fair project.

Here are some thoughts on making a successful demonstration :

  • When creating a demonstration project that is done in front of a group of people, simple becomes important, the science does not have to be simple but the project itself must be easy to pull off. This includes materials that are not flimsy, and will firmly hold up not only while you do the demo but you have to consider transportation from home to school Cardboard boxes are a great example. Some are firmer than others. Some stay firm once and then the more you use them or if it gets bent, forget it. Plastic straws will be better than paper ones. And plexiglass won’t break if it accidentally falls like glass containers do.

 

  • It could be as simple as the containers used to send the experiment off to school lets use a volcano project for example, that really involves simple ingredients, baking soda, vinegar and food coloring. By using water bottles for the ingredients, (each in a separate bottle of course) with firm caps and with a funnel that did not tip over when trying to use it, the kids could then mix the ingredients to make their volcano work. If the container was too small you run the risk of stuff falling out, if it is too large, young hands have trouble manipulating it.
  • Another idea would be to send two or three spare sets of ingredients. With a demonstration project the “Wow” factor kicks in and classmates may want to see it done a second (or third) time, and if that happens there will be spares right there ready to go. It also can be the saving grace when something goes wrong the first time, spills, dropped bottles and such.
  • You can’t say enough about practice with a demonstration. The child needs to do this project at home, standing in front of their family, or even just one person and go over again and again what they are going to say. The cheat sheet should be just a sequence of key words to jog their memory, otherwise with nerves they will try to read it and then you lose the audience. This also needs even more extra ingredients to use for each practice demonstration. Even the most interesting science fair projects come across poorly with a spiel that has not been practiced.

The simpler the process, the better for any science experiments for elementary students and demonstrations in particular. The science concept does not have to be simple, you can explore complicated science with simple experiments. I’ve seen a science fair project that shows atoms and electrons with just a paper plate! http://www.24hourscienceprojects.com/wordpress/static-electricity-science-project/

  • A demonstration with multiple steps, multiple ingredients, long wait times for things to happen, and need more than two hands to do would be considered complicated and a recipe for disaster when in front of the class.
  • The set up is another area that should not be too complicated. The child has to get everything set up so hauling in a big box with many things that need set up, clamped, balanced or moved around can cause problems too.

Get started on some quick and simple demonstration science experiments for elementary students that are sure to turn out to make an interesting science fair projects here.

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Borrowing Good Ideas for a Science Fair Project is Not Copying

May 22, 2011 By 20 Comments

When Searching for Ideas for a Science Fair Project You Can Use What Others Did In The Past

Ideas for science fair projectsThere is often some confusion when you are helping your child look for ideas for a science fair project about whether you can use the same project someone else did in that past. Elementary students in particular tend to think that would be copying and their teacher spent a great deal of time lecturing them on how they should not copy some one else’s science fair project and try to pass it off as their own. There is a big difference between getting and using the same directions for a project from someone else and then doing the project yourself, and the flat out cut and paste copying someone else’s work!

You have to remember that the point is to learn something interesting about science, and to use the scientific methods of investigation they teach in science classes along the way.  The teacher is trying to make sure you actually do the activity.  In case you are still feeling that it might be a form of copying, look at this list:

Why it is not copying when you use ideas for a science fair project that others have done in the past.

 

The specific supplies you use will not be exactly the same as what the others used.

  • Different brand names or generics have subtle and not so subtle differences to them.
  • Different materials that the containers or tools were made from could affect the outcome.

Example: For an experiment that required mixing different liquids with laundry detergents. Maybe one person used a glass bottle and you used a plastic one. You could use liquid detergent and they used a powder., or they used a store brand and you used something like Tide or All.

Right there, your experiment will be different already.

The weather, and temperature can affect the outcome of many projects.

Mixing those same ingredients could turn out differently on a hot and humid summer day than it did on a rainy, cold spring weekend afternoon when the temperature dipped down close to freezing.

The numbers you record as you collect your data cannot possibly be the the same so your data will be different.

  • When you measure there is always slight difference, it is close, but there are fluctuations. When you think about it, that is the reason the cakes you bake never turn out the same each time you make one.
  • The time intervals used for recording the data can be different. If it says to check every two hours, there will be a plus or minus to those times, or you might forget and it will be 2 and a half hours one time.
  • Even with all else being equal, the chances of ending up with the exact same data someone else came up with, down to the exact same decimal points is just not going to happen, so your experiment right there will be unique.

Now, with that being said, it will be interesting to see if you have the same overall pattern, as others did and to see if your charts you made from your data follows the same pattern or proves something different.  This is done all the time with scientists, comparing data to look for patterns.

Your writing style is different

Anything you write up means the choice of words will be your own, how long the write up is, the quality and style of the sentences will all come across as being different than the last person to do the experiment.

The display board will look different

Where you choose to place the different parts will suit you, and not what others did. The color scheme, the fonts used, the drawings, the borders will all create an individual look.

It is safe to say, you can take ideas for a science fair project from another student’s, and as long as you do the work yourself, it will become yours and will not be a “copy” of someone else’s project. In fact scientist do this all the time, they are always doing the same experiment someone else did to help prove their results.

One note would be in a family, it probably is not such a good thing to get your ideas for a science fair project from an older brother or sister. That can often cause more problems than it is worth.

Look here for some quick, easy and super fun ideas for a science fair project that are kid tested and teacher approved.

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Easy Science Experiments For Kids

February 26, 2011 By 2 Comments

Getting Easy Science Fair Experiments for Kids Narrowed Down

When you need some easy science experiments for kids to by themselves, the first step should be to weed through your choices  and cut it down so the kids can deal with without getting overwhelmed. That way they can make their final choice on their own(with teacher approval, of course).

How to weed through all the  project choices and take out the ones that just won’t work.

  • Step 1:  Check out the topic.   Seems obvious, but if  it is supposed to be a geology theme, then  only search for geology related projects.  Electricity, evaporation, cells, magnets etc–Just keep to the topic an don’t get sidetracked.  Often the assignment is open-ended, so then you brainstorm topics  the kids  like and go from there.
  • Step 2:  Grade Level.  Look for a reference to the age or grade level in the summary. Don’t worry about difficult (yet).  Just make sure it is designed for the right grade There are plenty  easy science experiments for kids  for all grade levels, so they will be part of the mix..
  • Step 3: Project Type.   This means if it is an  investigation, collection, experimentation or demonstration project.  This is a common error both parents and kids can make, choosing the wrong project type and so lots of time is wasted. You can have a great experiment and get a bad grade simply for not doing the right type of project.
  • Step 4:  Time Frame.   Check the teachers directions to see if there is a time requirement.  Then check the due date and your family schedule and calculate how much time there will be available for your kid to do the project. Is there an empty weekend?  Do you have just one day?  Now eliminate all the ones that will take more time to do than you have.  You will have to toss some cool projects, but save them for another time in the future when you will have more time!

Now we Fine Tune and get to the easy science fair experiments for kids to pick from… aim for 5-10

  • Step 5  Complicated/Vague Directions. Toss all of the ones where the directions are incomplete, ones with no diagrams, graphs or pictures, or if they make no sense.  On the other side if the vocabulary used are words neither you nor you child understand,  toss it and move to another one.  There might be another on on the same topic/time frame with better directions!  The good science fair projects will always be written in a way the students doing them can understand
  • Step 6: Materials List.   Read the supply list and  trash it if there are odd or costly  items. To be one of the true  easy science experiments for kids, they will use everyday household  stuff.
  • Step 7:  Other Things.   Are there  easy online research materials ? Is there template for writing the reports? Are there pre-formatted spreadsheets? Does the organization  follow the scientific method?

By now you should have a good list of  5-10 good science fair project ideas. Hand the list to the child, or,  if they were helping you weed through, back off so they  can choose the one they want.   Parents need to stay out of this stage and let the kid take full ownership.

When time is cut short, which happens to everyone,  you not only need a quality project, that is easy to do but also one that can be finished in just  one or two days!

Looking for Easy Science Experiments for Kids?  Click Here to Get Yours Today!

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Good Science Fair Projects

February 19, 2011 By 2 Comments

Figuring out what the elementary science teacher is looking for in a project can be challenge. There are science teachers who will just give out good science fair projects to send home with the students to do. For the youngest grades the whole class might do the same project. By second or third grade they might send home a list of projects to choose from. The older grades might get a specific topic and specific choices of websites to use. By middle and high school, they most likely are on their own, send home the topic, the requirements and let them find their own. On top of that, each teacher you run across will treat the whole thing in a slightly different way.

Here are two of the biggest problems parents face with good science fair projects for their children.

Problem #1 is misunderstanding the assignment.

Nine time out of ten, everything is clearly spelled out on the science fair assignment sheet that was sent home. Lots of schools also have these things posted online. It is very important that the parent reads this carefully. This is true even for the middle school students. You want to make sure they project chosen matches the assignment. Fortunately and teachers make you bring what you chose in for approval, but the older you get the less that happens.

The most common mistake to avoid is choosing the wrong type of project. Most good science fair projects are investigations that require an experiment where you collect data and draw a conclusions based on your findings. One of the most common type of project found online on the other had are demonstration based project. Sometimes these can be one and the same, most of the time they are not.

Problem #2 is the time factor.

It is always wise for parents to have some kind of heads up when these things are coming so they can arrange schedules. The trick for teachers is not give too much time because people procrastinate, it is a fact of life. So there is always a need to balance everything out.

At home, any experiment needs to be worked around the rest of the homework for other classes, outside the home commitments and if parent supervision is needed, like with most elementary school projects, the parent’s schedules. Working on a good science fair projects needs the same importance placed on the calendar as sports team practices.

By combining these two problems, you can see how by reading the assignment closely ahead of time, you can go out and get the materials you need to have on hand so when the time comes to begin, it can be completed in the time you carved out.

For more information on what it is teachers themselves look for when they choose good science fair projects you can read my blog, One Day Science Fair Projects where I discuss and review what needs to go into a good school science fair project.

Good Science Projects Are Just A Click Away! Click Here To Get Started!

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Become a Pro at Searching For The Best Science Projects

January 12, 2011 By 2 Comments

If you are searching for the best science projects, first learn the art of what makes good science fair projects

 

Parents have been known to go overboard when they are off  helping their kids look for the best science projects. These projects turn the house upside down for the duration, so it is no wonder! The important thing is to zone in on what will be best for your child and to find one they will enjoy!

Things become harder for the parents when the science fair project assignment is open-ended.  It is a lot easier when the teacher sends home a list, or specific guidelines. s the kids get older, that doesn’t always happen.

Here are some Search Engine Tips to help  find the best  science projects when you look at  gazillion choices from a ” good science fair projects” Google Search.

  • Add in a grade level like “4th grade science fair projects” or ” science fair projects for sixth grade.”  This narrows down the choices and gives you a chance for getting the most appropriate on for your child.
  •  Add  the words quick, easy or simple . Try making it a double with , quick and easy, or fast and simple. This will help you find ones with  easy to follow directions  and  supplies that  will be easily available around your house or in your local stores.  Using other adjectives like good, best, great, or  award winning will also work.
  • Add in a topic.  Either the one the teacher told you or by your kids interests,   so food science fair projects, or electricity projects for 4th grade, and  simple weather science projects will give you some great choice.
  • Add in “for kids”  If you just do the topic, you could end up with high school level projects.  “for elementary” or “for middle school” will do the same thing.
  • Mix and match  these ideas like we did in the examples.  The longer and more specific the search term, the more zoned in your results are.  quick and easy science fair project for kids is an example.

You will be surprised at how many good science fair projects  may not show up on one search but pops us on another one just by adding in one of these search terms.

It should not be hard to find the best science projects for you kids to have fun with,  and of course to learn more about a science concept and who knows may-be win an award!.

Visit my website where I look at a lot of different one day science fair projects that have had quite a bit of success for many kids.

Looking For The BEST Science Projects? Look No Further! Click Here To Get Yours Today!

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Ideas For A Science Fair Project- #1 Place to Look

January 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There is one key step when looking for ideas for a science fair project you should not skip…..

Be prepared, as the new year comes  kids  will be coming  home on the lookout  for ideas for a science fair project that will be coming up at some point in the coming months. Schools all over the country sponsor science fairs so parents and kids  are on searching for the best  ideas.

When are science fairs usually held?

  • Towards the end of a marking period, so  depending on the school schedule that could be around the end of  October, January,  March and then in June.
  • At the end of a particular unit which could come any time, some units last a month others a few weeks and others six weeks or so.
  • April seems to be a popular time often around a spring break or just because with better weather kids can expand and do outdoor projects.
  • Many schools  wait until the end of the school year to help keep kids brains occupied as the school year winds down, so the end of May or int to June could be time for science fair.
  • Note that December has its fans for science fair as you have a three week period between Thanksgiving and Winter Break to zone in on a project.

All of the detail on science fair dates will be explained in detail at Back to School night and parent teacher conferences!

What is the step for finding ideas for a science fair project we should not skip?

This one is so obvious, but believe it or not people do not always take advantage and that is the classroom or science teacher. Teachers can be a  gold mine for  suggestions and ideas for projects (for any subject, not just science) and here is how:

  1. Organization:  Check what is sent home, as the teacher does a good job of organizing the assignment. The younger  elementary students get more step-by-step teacher involvement, as they get older they back off, but the requirements will be clearly spelled out.
  2. Packets:  When the science fair project is on a particular science concept or unit based, like evaporation, gravity, airplanes or photosynthesis. When this is the case you either get the exact project are a list to choose from.
  3. Advice:  A quick conversation with the teacher can often get you sent in the right direction, where to look, where not to, and since they know your child and their learning style, they can send you towards ideas for a science fair project that best suits your child.
  4. Resources: Teachers also will have shelves full of books they might let you borrow, or look through right there.  They should also have a list of preferred websites to use that they have pre-screened. Most of the time this list will be in the packet that comes home, or with the information you got at back to school night, but sometimes you will have to ask.

For you next science fair, do not forget to include the teacher in your search for great ideas for a science fair project!

 

Need a some kid tested and teacher approved quick and easy ideas for a Science Fair Project?  Click here!

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