There are two kinds of science fair projects: prescribed investigations — such as testing the lifespan of batteries or detergents in cleaning off stains — and exploratory experiments. Prescribed investigations do not lend themselves to science fairs because they fail to explore new ideas or test something never been explored before; while exploratory experiments present themselves.
1. Grow Crystals
Unlearn the wonder of crystal growth with this easy and engaging experiment! Students can observe how different temperature conditions influence crystal formation rates.
Note: Please keep this experiment under adult supervision as it involves hot water. Also, some chemicals used are mildly toxic and could potentially irritate skin – this serves as an ideal safety demonstration for kids!
2. Pipe Cleaner Names
Growing crystals is a timeless classic experiment designed to teach kids about supersaturated solutions, yet this classic project takes on new meaning when children assemble the pipe cleaners into their names first!
Straw pieces used to form cursive-style letters is another fun craft activity that helps develop fine motor skills. An adult should always be nearby to supervise scissor cuts and assist children in manipulating the straws for maximum success.
3. Build a Coastline
Science fair projects often center around novel ideas. Such projects tend to impress judges more than research projects which simply evaluate multiple studies and report back.
This simple experiment shows kids how to identify density by dropping objects into water. They will also learn about volume and pressure as part of this engaging lesson – with colorful results!
4. Make a Magnifying Glass
Kids will have tons of fun learning about light, optics, and magnification with this exciting science experiment! Plus they’ll come away with handy spy tools for detective role playing!
Discover whether Sharpie markers really are permanent with this fun fourth grade science fair project! Additionally, discover what causes mood rings to change color.
Understanding Boyle’s law can be challenging, but this easy 4th grade science experiment makes the task more manageable – particularly beneficial for visual learners!
5. Build a Hovercraft
Learn the principles of forces and motion with this fun STEM experiment that’s easy enough for kids to do at home – perfect as an idea for science fair projects!
Place a balloon over the top of a CD and pinch or twist its neck to stop any air from escaping. Pull your hovercraft across the table, observe how it moves, make a graph to analyze its performance and draw conclusions about its progress.
6. Build an Elevator
This straightforward project helps students grasp gravity and force by showing that it takes more energy to lift something than to lower it, as well as demonstrating levers and counterweights principles.
These experiments are engaging, hands-on activities that can be completed using materials found around the house. Covering topics from chemistry, biology and engineering as well as more obscure ones like geology. Ideal for kids wanting to expand their scientific curiosity.
7. Build a Seismometer
Get students excited about earth science with this simple yet engaging demonstration! They’ll discover earthquake waves and the equipment scientists use to measure them.
This 4th grade science project takes an engaging twist on a classic experiment. Kids will love layering colors of sugar water to discover its density while simultaneously learning about acids and bases! This activity provides a perfect way to introduce this topic.
8. Build a Wigglebot
Students will love learning engineering and design skills as they assemble this whirling robot! This project is one of our top science fair projects for 4th graders.
4th graders begin to move beyond testing hypotheses and use their results to formulate scientific arguments. Try this hands-on experiment to show kids how magnets attract metal objects – something which may appear magical but is actually scientific!
9. Build an LED Flashlight
A flashlight project is an excellent science fair project for fourth graders. This project helps kids better understand the scientific process: developing hypotheses, conducting an experiment and evaluating results.
Note that students should avoid receiving significant assistance with their science fair projects from friends or family members as this could give them an unfair edge in competition.
10. Build a Magnet
Kids will use a nail, battery and copper wire to construct an electromagnet and learn more about how magnets interact.
Turning milk into plastic may appear like magic, but it is actually a fun 4th grade science demo that helps children understand solutes and solvents.
Ask students to create a list of items that might stick to magnets and then test their predictions to see how accurate their estimates were.