Students begin these hands-on science fair projects by choosing a scientific question, conducting library and internet research, designing an experiment and writing up a report. Through such projects, they gain hands-on problem-solving experience.
Kids of all ages will love this straightforward experiment that shows how ants move objects around. Kids can easily repeat it at home.
Hovercraft
Investigate force and motion with this hands-on activity! Students use air from balloons to lift compact disc (CD) craft levators, learning that a layer of air beneath an object reduces friction when traveling over surfaces.
Have students compare how far their hovercraft travels with and without its CD inflated. Encourage them to create free-body diagrams for both scenarios and discuss how force affects motion of their craft.
Projector
If you’re searching for an easy science project for 4th graders to demonstrate how energy transfers between objects, try this one. It requires some creative thought – what happens when one moving marble collides with many immobile marbles arranged in an arrangement?
Children will delight in the results of this simple experiment to demonstrate light refraction. Just a black box, various liquids and magnifying glass will do.
Machines
This 4th grade science fair project helps students explore different kinds of simple machines. Ideal for class demonstration and as part of any science fair display.
Explore simple machine projects using everyday items to help kids understand how things work. These easy STEM challenges for children make learning about physics concepts much more engaging!
Earthquake
Earthquakes are caused by shifting pieces of Earth’s surface called tectonic plates colliding and rubbing together, causing earthquakes. This activity illustrates this phenomena and provides students with an understanding of earthquakes’ causes.
Students participating in this science experiment will design and construct buildings to test which can withstand an earthquake simulation best, serving as an excellent way to reinforce engineering principles.
Mood Rings
Mood rings are constructed from thermochromic materials that change colors when exposed to temperature changes, as the inventors claimed these variations could reflect emotional states in wearers. There may be some basis in science behind this claim.
Kids of all ages will enjoy engaging in this visually captivating density experiment at home or school, which provides students with a memorable WOW moment they will never forget!
Soap Bubbles
Exploration with blowing bubbles to see what effects their size or duration. A great science fair project!
Use five plastic cups labeled with different solutions; soap, corn syrup, glycerin, sugar and lemon. Fill each one with its respective mixture and watch as one is blown; recording when its bubble bursts using a stopwatch.
Crystals
Students participating in this engaging science fair project will grow crystals using various saturated solutions, and explore what temperature conditions result in the best crystal formation and what makes one crystal stand out from another.
This experiment requires minimal supplies and supplies that are readily available. Students will create sugar crystals using supersaturated solutions, taking several days for crystal formation to occur.
Dinosaur Cage
Show how magnetic attraction works using a magnet and metal objects – this experiment is sure to delight young scientists!
Students learn about fossil fuels through this hands-on activity. Students use everyday foods to make Dinosaur Bread and then cover it with gummy animals and heavy books to represent layers that form over time.
Teaching students about conservation can be done in an engaging and entertaining manner using simple pendulum apparatus and stopwatch/timer tools.
Wind Speed
Explore the relationship between wind speed and temperature by conducting this easy science experiment. Students create their own anemometers and gain knowledge on different types of wind speeds.
With this science project, children will gain skills in calculating velocity by tracking how many turns an anemometer makes in one minute – an essential skill when understanding wind energy!
Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscopes are not only fun toys; they’re also a fantastic way to explore colors and patterns. Kids can use this project to gain knowledge about mirrors, angles and light while enjoying its mesmerizing whirl of shapes and colors.
This simple science project is perfect for class cooperative activities or as a hands-on family experiment – an excellent way to demonstrate how a Slinky works!