Participating in a science fair can be an empowering experience for many students, serving as their first opportunity to conduct independent scientific experiments outside of teacher-supervised labs.
Encourage your children to follow their interests when selecting a project idea. All experiments on this list are age appropriate and can be completed quickly.
Hovercraft
An air cushioned hovercraft is an enjoyable project for kids, helping them understand concepts such as friction, air pressure and Newton’s Law. Plus it’s simple enough for anyone at home to replicate.
Adding some chemistry into the mix, this experiment provides an eye-opening demonstration of refraction and diffusion. Kids also get to upcycle an old CD into an interesting contraption!
Plant science is an engaging topic and this project from ThoughtCo teaches children about the relationship between water, sunlight and plants – an excellent way to engage 4th graders with this topic!
Projector
4th graders can explore optics and light with this simple project. Simply combine a slide box fitted with lenses, white wall, and piece of paper into an exhibition of how light refracts through various media.
Lemon volcano science experiments that explore acids and bases are always popular among students. Students can also make their own anemometer to measure wind strength, or conduct balloon rocket experiments to demonstrate Newton’s law of motion.
This appears to be more like magic, but it’s all science! Watch as colors appear and disappear, numbers change into letters.
Pulley System
If your student enjoys engineering and physics, they’re sure to enjoy this hands-on science project that teaches simple machine principles while demonstrating energy transference.
A pulley is a wheel on a shaft or axle designed for supportive movement that can change the direction of a taut belt or cable, transfer power between ends, and function as an effective force multiplier. As such, it is considered one of the simplest machines.
An iconic science fair experiment, this experiment is an ideal way to teach children about gravity and water properties while also showing them the distinction between kinetic and potential energy.
Elevator
Students will discover the science of elevators through building their own model elevator system. Utilizing spindles, strings and a counterweight they will see how an elevator rises or descends depending on how it is turned.
This science experiment will teach your kids about energy transformations, such as potential energy. Watch a cup of water change from liquid to vapor as it drops.
This classic physics science project will surely delight 4th graders. They’ll assemble a catapult out of various materials and assess its power and accuracy before building one for themselves!
Green Pennies
An oxidation experiment using vinegar and dirty pennies enables students to observe how copper reacts with oxygen to turn green – an engaging science project which demonstrates why the Statue of Liberty became green over time.
Closely observing and exploring natural materials is an integral component of scientific inquiry. Let your kids search the yard for interesting sticks, leaves, rocks and other objects they can bring into the home and examine closely.
Learn the art of layering liquids without them mixing with this easy experiment that makes an engaging classroom activity. Adaptable for science fair projects as well.
Boyle’s Law
Students often grasp scientific concepts more fully through classroom examples rather than memorizing formulae, such as Boyle’s Law which states that pressure times volume is constant for any given gas at constant temperature. With an interactive presentation such as this one, learners can easily see the relationship between variables such as pressure and volume.
This activity allows kids to discover the composition and properties of saltwater in an engaging and accessible way, while simultaneously showing how density and water properties impact ocean waves’ movements.
Explore basic chemical reactions through this kinesthetic activity featuring Skittles and pipe cleaners, creating beautiful yet educational results.
Marshmallows
Marshmallows are one of those treats kids love to snack on and use as part of creative and science projects, like dressmaking and creating dioramas for science dioramas, or playing the Peeps jousting game (where two marshmallow chicks face each other with toothpicks pointed at them).
Marshmows were originally invented when people combined the root of a wild herb with whipped egg whites, later adding gelatin for faster preparation as demand increased.
As 4th graders learn more about air movement from ground level up into clouds and then back down again as rain, another exciting experiment would be showing them how balloons inflate with baking soda and vinegar.