Safe science experiments to try at home alongside virtual labs

Virtual labs give your child access to equipment no home could hold. Simple home experiments add the feel of real materials. Together they make science come alive.

Always supervise children, and avoid heat, sharp objects and chemicals unless you are confident they are safe.

Floating and sinking (Archimedes)

Fill a basin with water. Predict which objects will float: a spoon, a bottle top, an orange, an orange without its peel. Test them. Then explore buoyancy in the Archimedes lab.

Simple circuits (Electrodynamics)

With a torch battery, a small bulb and wire from an old toy, make a bulb light. Then build bigger circuits in the virtual Electrodynamics lab.

Light and shadows (Optics)

Use a torch to make shadows on a wall. Move the object closer and further away and measure the shadow. Then explore lenses in the Optics lab.

Acids and bases (Chemistry)

Boil red cabbage leaves (with an adult) to make an indicator. Test lemon juice, soap and baking soda solution. Then explore indicators in the Inorganic chemistry lab.

Forces (Mechanics)

Roll a toy car down a ramp made from a book and measure how far it travels. Change the ramp height. Then explore inclined planes in the Mechanics lab.

Keep a science notebook

For each experiment, write the question, prediction, results and conclusion.

Sign up free and pair each home experiment with a virtual lab.