5 Completely Frugal Science Experiments

This year you can have fun and teach your kids great things with these 5 Frugal Science Experiments. Each of these has simple instructions and requires only a bit of imagination and a few pantry items you already have on hand. Science is everywhere in our homes, it doesn’t have to break the bank… we just have to look for it!

5 Frugal Homeschool Science Projects

Microwave Soap Snow: One of our favorite things to do in our science class is to watch how simple substances can change with the right environment. A bar of ivory soap placed on a microwave safe dish and heated in 15 second increments turns from a solid mass into a big puffy white ball of snowy soap. This is a great way to talk about how molecule change shape depending on temperature, exposure to chemicals and other various elements.

Dye plants. A fun and beautiful frugal homeschool science project is to grab a few flowers (preferably white) and place them in individual glasses. Add a few drops of different food coloring to each glass, and watch as over the course of 24-48 hours they absorb not only the water, but the color in the water. Your white flower will turn into a purple, pink, blue or yellow flower!

Baking Soda & Vinegar Volcano: This one is a classic that is still relevant today. Pour baking soda in a tall glass, then top with vinegar. Watch as the baking soda begins bubbling out like a volcano. These two substances combined make carbon dioxide turn to gas creating a bubbling effect that helps push the combination over the top of the glass (or paper mache volcano) like lava.

Diet Soda & Mentos Explosion: Much like the combination above, it has been found that a diet soda combined with the Mentos candy will indeed explode. Get a 2-liter bottle of diet soda, a package of Mentos and go outside where the sticky mess won’t hurt anything. Open the soda and pour in the package of candy. The explosive soda fountain will begin right away.

Liquids That Don’t Mix: A great experiment that uses just a few things in your kitchen, is to how how some liquids won’t mix. A little food coloring and specific liquids combined will make a beautiful layered glass of color. You’ll need honey, dish washing liquid, vegetable oil, water and rubbing alcohol. Grab a few cups to mix each of these with food coloring if desired. You will use ¼ cup of each liquid.

Pour honey in first being careful to avoid sides of the glass
Tips the glass slightly and pour dish washing liquid down the side of glass.
Next pour in water, then oil, then rubbing alcohol using the tilted glass method to keep them going in slowly and evenly. The result should be a mostly separated layer of liquids.

These frugal science experiments are easy to accomplish with things you already have in your home right now!

For more frugal science ideas check out my friend’s newest book, The Curious Kids’ Science Book. It is full of over 100 science activities for kids, so you will never run out of awesome things to try!

TIME FOR STEM SATURDAY BLOG HOP!

STEM Activities for kids

Every Saturday, the Stem Science Team will share our latest and newest learning ideas for you to try with your children. Did you check out last week’s post?