Science Projects You Can Do At Home

On those rainy days, homemade science projects offer a fun way to learn about science. They also give children and parents an educational bonding experience.

Penny erosion

Use about 1/4 cup of vinegar and place it into a plastic bowl. Add a teaspoon of salt to the mix. Basically, it dissolves in the water, but you might want to stir it a few times to ensure the salt completely dissolves. Place a few old, dirty pennies into the vinegar and salt combination, between three or four is enough to really understand the results. Wait for 10 seconds or so, and remove the pennies. Rinse them in water to remove all of the acidic mixture. Voila, you have shiny new pennies. This experiment demonstrates what happens when acid and copper meet.

Make a volcano

Use a sheet of wood or cover your table in newspaper. Decide whether you want to make it with playdough or use papier-m^ach'e. Take a two-liter bottle without a lid, and place it on the surface upright with the open end up. Mold the papier-m^ach'e or playdough around the bottle. Include ridges and form textures to create a more realistic version of a volcano. Let it dry and then paint the structure. For quicker painting, spray paint the model. You can add fake trees if you like; however, it is not a requirement and does not change the experiment. Allow the paint to dry, and then spray the volcano with a sealant. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with a few drops of red food coloring. Pour the concoction into the bottle, and then pour 1 1/4 cup of white vinegar into the mix. Watch the eruption.

Science projects at home are a fun learning experience and provide a child with something to do. Making a volcano and witnessing the effects of acid on copper are just a few at-home science projects.

Decide whether you want to make it with playdough or use papier-m^ach'e

by Christine DiMaria, Education writer