Science Activities for Kids

Melting Crayon Science Experiment

May 22, 2019 By Terri Thompson

Will crayons melt in the sun? If so, how long will it take?

We set out to find the answer to that question one day with a melting crayon science experiment.

It took a bit of patience and some problem solving. But, in the end, our science brains found an answer.

Will crayons melt in the sun? Find the answer to this question with a fun melting crayon science experiment. It's a perfect summer science project.

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Gather your supplies for your crayon melting experiment

Broken bits of crayons
Muffin tin or mold (silicon ones work best)
My Science Experiment page
A sunny day

If you don’t want to use a muffin tin, you can also use an ice cube tray or even several small disposable bathroom cups.

First, ask a few questions

We began our melting crayon science experiment by gathering supplies and asking a few questions.

The experiment itself was fun, but I wanted to challenge my girls to think like scientists during our experiment.

I created our My Science Experiment page to help us record our observations.

If you want to do this experiment too, please download and print your own science experiment page at this link.

We asked our question, do crayons melt in the sun?

We then made our predictions. The girls thought they would melt.

We also talked a bit about the things that would help the crayons melt. We determined that we needed to put our crayons out in the bright sunlight.

Set up your melting crayon science activity

We found all of our broken bits of crayons and put them in a silicon muffin tin. I found the silicon works the best, because it is easy to pop the crayons out of later.

Once we had our muffin cups filled, we took it all outside and found one of the sunniest spots in our yard.

We left the crayons bits outside for about two hours before we checked on them for the first time.

The main reason we waited that long was because while it was sunny, the temperature was only around 80 degrees F.

The crayons would melt, but slowly.

If you’re doing this on a hotter day, check it sooner! I’d recommend checking after the first 30 minutes and then every 30 minutes after.

We had some melting after 2 hours, then started checking every hour.

We recorded each of our observations on our science experiment recording sheet.

After several hours, we had partially melted crayons and we wanted to try to speed up the process.

We did some brainstorming and decided to put our crayons in our car which was sitting in the sun.

The hot car did the trick and our crayons finished melting. Make sure you have an adult and oven mitts to remove your muffin tin from the car. It’s as hot as an oven!

Our conclusion

We took our melted crayons inside and let them cool.

In the meantime, we wrote our conclusion. Yes, crayons did melt in the sun. The higher the temperature, the quicker they will melt.

After the crayons cooled and hardened, we popped them out of the muffin tray and tried them out. Our melting crayons science activity was a success!

Yield: 1 experiment

Melting Crayon Science Experiment

Can you melt crayons in the sun? Find out with this fun melting crayon science experiment that explores heat, the sun, and changing states of matter.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Active Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 25 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost Under $5 (depending on the supplies you already have on hand)

Materials

Tools

My Science Experiment recording sheet

Instructions

Print out your recording sheet and make your prediction. Will crayons melt in the sun? How long do you think it will take?
Peel all the paper off your broken crayons. Break them into smaller pieces if needed to fit in your mini muffin pan.
Add 5 to 6 pieces of crayon into each cup. Mix the colors up or keep similar colors together.
Bring the crayons outside on a hot, sunny day. Make sure to set them someplace where they will get a lot of sunshine.
Check back after 30 minutes. Have they started to melt? Record your observations.
Keep checking every half hour. Record your observations each time.
Once your crayons have fully melted, record your time. How long did it take?
Bring your crayons to a cooler place to cool and harden again. Once you pop them out of the muffin cups, you'll have some fun new muffin tin crayons!

Notes

If you don't have a mini muffin tray, you could also use an ice cube tray or even small bathroom cups to hold your crayons.

Recommended Products

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My favorite resource for science at home

Have you ever tried Green Kid Craft kids? We’ve got a yearly subscription and absolutely love it. Each month we get a box with everything we need for 3-4 themed STEM projects (plus a booklet with even more projects you can). Our last shipment was full of chemistry projects!

Green Kid Crafts is a great way to have science projects ready to go. You can get a subscription like we have or buy single boxes.

Get a subscription here.

Find other themed boxes here.

You can find even more fun projects for your 2nd grader by visiting the rest of the team. You’ll find math, reading, writing, and more.

Free Addition Facts Game from Live Over C’s

Number Ordering Activity from Sallie Borrink Learning

Interest Based Learning Project from Still Playing School

Free Back to School Noun Practice from Look! We’re Learning!

What I Love About School Art Project from Planet Smarty Pants

All About Me Flag Project from School Time Snippets

Getting to Know You Back to School Game from Preschool Powol Packets

Free All About Me Worksheets (LEGO Style) at 124 Homeschool 4 Me

Me Llamo – Simple Spanish Game from Rainy Day Mum

Setting Up a Homework Station at Crafty Kids at Home

Get more STEM projects delivered to your inbox

Wouldn’t it be so much fun to get STEAM family activities delivered to your inbox? I think so! That’s why I’ve created this fun series, STEAM Family Fun, to be delivered to your inbox. After going through all the letters in STEAM each week with a fun activity devoted to each, you’ll start receiving a fun STEAM activity once a month. (And I’ll also pop up in your inbox occasionally if I’ve got other fun things to share.)

Fill out the form below to start receiving STEAM Family Fun in your inbox.

5 Fun Ways to Learn With a Daily Weather Report

April 1, 2019 By Terri Thompson

I don’t know about you, but I check the weather app on my phone every single day. Sometimes, I’ll check multiple times.

But, do you ever share this habit with your kids? You should. It’s a great way to learn.

There’s more you can do than just simply checking in the weather. Check out these fun ways to learn with a daily weather report.

This simple STEM activity is fun and requires absolutely no prep time!

Get out your phone for this simple weather report activity. You can learn so much with a daily weather report. Here are a few ideas to try.

Five Ways to Learn with a Daily Weather Report

Compare temperatures

Use your math skills to discover the difference in temperatures. Find the difference between a day’s high temperature and its low temperature.

For example: Today’s high is 88 degrees and the low is 59 degrees. I use subtraction to find the difference. There will be a 29 degree difference today!

You could compare temperatures over the week. Record the temperature at the same time everyday. For example: What was the temperature at 3:00 pm every day? Find the temperature difference over the week. Find the difference between the week’s highest temperature and the lowest temperature. Or, simply find the difference between Monday’s 3:00 pm temperature and Tuesday’s 3:00 pm difference.

Learn to read a radar

Nowadays, we carry a weather report around in our pocket and can access it anytime. Because of that, I consider it a life skill to be able to click on the radar and know what it is telling you.

Do you know what all the colors mean? Do you know how to make the radar move and understand what it tells you?

Share this information with your kids and teach them how to understand what you’re seeing on the radar.

Note: You will want to pick a rainy or snowy day for this. There’s not much to see on the radar on a clear day!

Learn about predictions

Weather forecasting is all about making predictions. But, these predictions are pulled out of thin air, they’re based on a lot of information like weather patterns, radars, climate, and more.

You can learn more with one of these informative books:

Weather Forecasting by Gail Gibbons

Weather Words and What They Mean by Gail Gibbons

What Will the Weather Be? by Lynda DeWitt

Or, you can try this activity to learn more about weather prediction. Record the weather first thing in the morning. At the end of the day, go back to this prediction. Was the weather forecast correct? What changed?

Next look at the extended forecast and find the prediction for three days from now and five days from now. Was the forecast correct? What changed? Can you come up with some reasons why?

Use the weather report to plan the week

How does the weather report help you plan for the day or for the week? It can tell you whether you need to wear a winter coat or a light jacket. Or whether or not you need to grab an umbrella.

Are you planning a trip to the pool? Sit down with your kids and the extended forecast and have them help you pick the best day to go.

Look at the weather report before picking out your clothes for the next day. How did the weather report help you plan?

Other weather report activities

What else can you learn with a daily weather report?

You can find all sorts of information: rain totals, wind speed, air pressure, pollen count, etc.

You can look up cities around the world and see how it is different from what where you live.

Can you come up with some more ways to learn with a daily weather report?

Get ready to learn with these fun daily weather for kids activities. Learn to read a radar, use the weather forecast, and more.

Learn More With a Book About the Weather

Combine this weather activity with a fun book to learn even more. Here are some great weather books that I’d recommend:

Do want more STEM activities?

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How Do I Choose a Science Fair Project?

January 22, 2019 By Terri Thompson

What is your first thought when you get that science fair notice?

Does your heart stop and your stomach sink?

Or, do you get a burst of excitement?

I’ll admit, many times I get that stomach sinking feeling.

But, not matter if your dreading it or are excited, you’ve got to get started.

And that first step is to make a decision. How do I choose a science fair project?

Are you asking yourself, "how do I choose a science fair project"? Here are some great tips and steps to help you choose the perfect project.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed. There are so many ideas from books full of science experiments to thousands of ideas on Pinterest.

Where do I start?

How do I choose a science fair project?

To help you choose the perfect science fair project, ask yourself these questions.

Is is age appropriate?

The first thing you need to consider is the age of your child. There’s nothing worse than picking out a project that is too hard and complicated.

You don’t need a complicated project. You’re most likely not going to make a new discovery, invent something, or solve a previously unsolved scientific question in elementary school.

That’s not the point. The point is for your child to ask a question, do an experiment, and make a conclusion. They’re going to learn a lot if you keep it simple.

Look at age recommendations in books and on blog posts to find out if this is a good fit for your child’s age.

Is it do-able?

You also want to make sure the project is do-able. Do you have the space, time, and money to do your project?

Find something that works for your family and your resources. You don’t want to choose a project that takes weeks if you have little free time. There are plenty of great science fair projects that can be done in a short amount of time.

If you only have a small space, make sure the project is something that you can do in the space you have.

Don’t set yourself up for failure. Evaluate your project to make sure it’s do-able.

Is it easy to illustrate?

Remember, when you do a science fair project, you will need to create a display.

Make sure your project is easy to illustrate with photos and illustrations.

You’ll also need to display your question, your steps, and your conclusion.

Will you have enough illustrations to make an awesome display?

Does this science fair project fit your child’s interests?

You want your child to be excited about this project, right?

So, follow your child’s interests when you choose. You want something that they’re curious about or something related to one of their passions.

You can choose a music project if your child loves music.

Or try a sports project if they are passionate about sports. For example your hockey fan would love this Hockey Science experiment.

One year, my daughter did a project all about ice cream! Follow any interest, big or small, that your child is excited about.

If your child is unsure about what they want to do, have them fill in the blanks with these questions.

I wonder if…

What happens if…

Their answer will most likely make a wonderful project.

Does it fit the guidelines?

Before you completely nail down your idea, read through the science fair guidelines that were sent home.

Does your project fit in the guidelines?

Can you follow all the rules with your idea?

Each science fair will have different guidelines. It’s very important to make sure your idea will work.

Are you ready to choose?

I hope I’ve answered the question, “how do I choose a science fair project”.

Remember, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Just ask yourself:

Is it age appropriate?

Is it do-able?

Can you easily illustrate it?

Does it fit your child’s interests?

Does it fit the guidelines?

If you answered yes to all these questions, it’s time to fill out that form and get started with your science fair experiment!

You can find some fun science fair activities here:

Chemical Reaction Science Experiments for Kids

Winter STEM Activities for Kids

Fun Kitchen Science Experiments for Kids

Fairy Tale Science Experiments at Science Sparks

Great science resources:

If you’d like to consult a book for a fun science fair idea, here are some of my favorites:

A great way to enjoy STEM with your family

Fill out the form below to start receiving STEAM Family Fun in your inbox.

Chemical Reaction Science Experiments for Kids

January 10, 2019 By Terri Thompson

What comes to mind when you think about chemical reaction science experiments?

I think of science labs, safety equipment, and sometimes dangerous chemical combinations. Not something I’d want to do with my kids.

Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that way! We’re going to dial it back with these fun, safe, kid-friendly chemistry experiments.

Have fun learning with this fun selection of chemical reaction science experiments for kids that are safe, exciting, and fun.

We’ll explore chemical reactions in a fun way using items you probably already have at home.

Are you ready to get started? I am. Let’s start learning!

Fun Chemical Reaction Science Experiments

Find out how pennies react to different substances with our fun Chemical Reactions with Pennies experiment.

A simple chemical reaction with vinegar will help you identify rocks with this Rock Testing experiment at Rainy Day Mum.

It’s so easy to see the reaction when you make a lava lamp like this idea from Fun Learning for Kids.

Use red cabbage as a pH indicator with this fun Cabbage Science project from Little Bins for Little Hands.

It takes a chemical reaction to make slime and you can try it out with this simple slime science from Little Bins for Little Hands.

Or make a fun batch of Rainbow Fizzy Cloud Dough like this from Powerful Mothering for another sensory experiment.

Grow your own crystals with this fun experiment from NurtureStore.

Create invisible ink with this fun spy science project from Share It! Science News.

This Fizzing Seashell science experiment from Teaching Without Chairs is a fun ocean science project.

Learn why leaves change colors with this simple experiment from How Wee Learn.

Chemical Reaction Science Experiments with Baking Soda

Create a gas to fill a balloon with our fun Grow the Grinch’s Heart science experiment.

Learn about history and make a simple volcano with our fun Erupting Mount Vesuvius project.

Use science to make art with this fun Baking Soda Art project from Mosswood Connections.

Do the classic Exploding Baggies science experiment like this from Buggy & Buddy.

Make a simple lemon volcano like this fun idea from Sixth Bloom.

My Must-Have Resources for Science Fun

I don’t know about you, but I don’t always have time to prep a fun science project. That’s why I love Green Kid Crafts Discovery boxes. The boxes are packed full of projects that are fun and inviting. You can choose to get a subscription or a one-off box based off of a specific theme. Any one you choose would be a lot of fun!

Here are some of our favorites (you can purchase and find out more at each link):

Get a monthly subscription.

Kitchen Science Box

Physics Box

Find all their fun STEM and science boxes here.

STEAM Family Activities

Fill out the form below to start receiving STEAM Family Fun in your inbox.

Paper Plate Layers of the Earth Project

January 9, 2019 By Terri Thompson

I would go back to elementary school right now if I could have Ms. Frizzle as a teacher. Would you?

Imagine all the adventures!

Luckily, it’s just as much fun to pick up on the Magic School Bus books and head off on a field trip. I just love these books. They’re packed full of fun, facts, and learning. And, they inspire so many fun activities.

This time we’re learning a bit about earth science with this Paper Plate Layers of the Earth Project.

Have fun learning about earth science with this simple Paper Plate Layers of the Earth Project inspired by The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth.

This fun (and very simple) earth science activity was inspired by The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. (As a matter of fact, this book has inspired several other project too. I can’t wait!)

In this book, the kids and Ms. Frizzle travel deep inside the earth. They (and your own kids) learn all about rocks, the make-up of our planet, caves, and all sorts of fun earth science information.

Supplies needed for this layers of the Earth activity

The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth by Joanne Cole and Bruce Degen
1 paper plate per project
Pencil
Dark brown, orange, yellow, and lighter brown craft paint
Black marker

How to Make Your Paper Plate Layers of the Earth Project

Flip your paper plate over. We’ll be creating on the bottom of our paper plate.

For most of our layers, we’ll be using the markings on our paper plate as a guide. But, to start with, use your pencil to draw the inner core in the middle of the paper plate. Paint the small middle circle dark brown.

Next, paint the outer core. use the orange paint to paint up to the circular line on your plate.

Paint the textured section yellow for your mantle and finally paint a thin strip of light brown around the outer edge of your plate for your crust.

Feel free to change up these colors. You can use whatever colors you want!

Once all your paint has dried, use your black marker to label the layers of the earth.

Your center circle is the inner core, next layer is the outer core, then the mantle, and finally the crust.

If you make this project in conjunction with reading The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth, you can learn about each of the layers and what they are made up of. This layers of the earth activity is a great complement to the book.

My Must-Have Resources for Science Fun

Here are some of our favorites (you can purchase and find out more at each link):

Get a monthly subscription.

Kitchen Science Box

Physics Box

Find all their fun STEM and science boxes here.

STEAM Family Activities

Fill out the form below to start receiving STEAM Family Fun in your inbox.

Science Activities for Kids

Gather your supplies for your crayon melting experiment

First, ask a few questions

Set up your melting crayon science activity

Our conclusion

Materials

Tools

Instructions

Notes

Recommended Products

You may also like one of these science experiments:

My favorite resource for science at home

You can find even more fun projects for your 2nd grader by visiting the rest of the team. You’ll find math, reading, writing, and more.

Get more STEM projects delivered to your inbox

Five Ways to Learn with a Daily Weather Report

Compare temperatures

Learn to read a radar

Learn about predictions

Use the weather report to plan the week

Other weather report activities

You may also like one of these fun STEM activities:

Learn More With a Book About the Weather

Do want more STEM activities?

How do I choose a science fair project?

Is is age appropriate?

Is it do-able?

Is it easy to illustrate?

Does this science fair project fit your child’s interests?

Does it fit the guidelines?

Are you ready to choose?

You can find some fun science fair activities here:

Great science resources:

A great way to enjoy STEM with your family

Fun Chemical Reaction Science Experiments

Chemical Reaction Science Experiments with Baking Soda

You may also like one of these science activities:

My Must-Have Resources for Science Fun

STEAM Family Activities

Supplies needed for this layers of the Earth activity

How to Make Your Paper Plate Layers of the Earth Project

You may also like one of these science activities:

My Must-Have Resources for Science Fun

STEAM Family Activities

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