Fun Science Experiments

I love science experiments that defy children's expectations and get them thinking, why is that? And how can it be?

Even very young children create models in their mind of how they think the world works and are delighted when a simple experiment defies their expectations.

My 3 year old's sage judgement on such things is usually, "That's a bit funny because ..." :-)

I've been on the look out for some new experiments that have that "funny" factor. I love these I found in the Mommy Archive that are definitely a bit "funny" and which, are actually exploring some really big, fundamental questions about how the world works.

I hope you enjoy them and if you've got your own fun science experiment posts do share them at the bottom of this post ...

How Do Things Fly?

Intuitively we all think that paper aeroplanes with pointed noses fly best.

But as this post from I Dig Pinterest shows a flat nose beats the socks off them!

Who new? And why? This is definitely one to get grandpa's engineering brain working on.

What Makes Things Strong?

Children recognise load bearing strength has got a lot to do with what things are made from.

But as this simple golden oldie of an experiment from Pre-School Powol Packets shows, load bearing strength is also about the distribution of the load and "weak" substances can actually support a surprisingly heavy load if well distributed.

Can You Change Something Back Again?

Children constantly have to learn the hard way ... and it so often results in tears ... that if they change something it can be very hard to change back.

But as these simple fun science experiments from Life with Moore Babies and Pre School Powol Packets show you can completely change the state of a substance and then still be able to change it back.

Are There Forces At Work That You Can't See?

Being able to imagine and predict the behaviour of forces you can't see is the first step into some really big physics ... and a lifelong love of science fiction :-)

This fun experiment from Life With Moore Babies is another golden oldie. But I love it because children are fascinated by water and so the invisible "power" that can actually move water totally grabs their imagination.

What Can You See If You Really Look Hard ...?

Finally an experiment that is not strictly speaking an experiment but rather a state of being!

An awful lot of our "science" is just rooting about in the garden and the park, investigating insects and checking out whatever we happen to find. We've made amazing discoveries ... we're currently wowed by the Knopper Gall on the acorns ... just by poking around. So I loved this post about "what you can learn from a patch of dirt" by Stealthy Mom ... now that really is fun science ... :-)