Some Inexpensive Science Fair Assignments for Children

When you were in school did you have to do a science fair project? Did you put it off until the last second and then barely get it done in time? Did your parents have to help you out and then you never heard the end of it? Science fair projects are still done in school and your kids may put it off too. How about a few ideas to get you started?

If less work and more display is in order think about one of these: Animals that live in shells-if you are unable to find some you can always draw them on your poster board. Cloud types make a great topic and you can describe the different types of clouds or print them from the Internet. If you do not have access to actual pictures you can make your own clouds, using cotton to shape them and then label with the cloud type. One idea for a science experiment is to show how food/fruit ripens. Take a banana and put it in a very warm area, then take another one and put it in the refrigerator and finally leave one out at room temperature. Be sure to check on all of them daily and write down what you see. Another idea might be to see if the shape of ice has anything to do with how long it takes to melt. Use different size containers, add equal amounts of water to all of them and freeze them. After they have frozen take them out and record how long it takes each one to melt. Another good idea is to make a tornado. Take a glass jar and fill it about � full with water. Add about 1 tsp of dishwashing detergent along with some food coloring. Shake the jar really well after putting the lid on it. You will see a vortex form from the liquid in the jar that looks just like a real tornado. For a little extra realism take a couple monopoly houses and put them in the jar.

One project that won 2nd place is actually a failed experiment. If using plain water on one plant and sugar water on the other plant which would grow better? It was predicted that the sugar water would make the plant grow better. Using sugar water with one and plain water with the other take identical pots with several sunflowers planted in them. If they sprout take some pictures or be sure to keep very detailed notes. Both plants did sprout and the one that used regular water grew very well, yet the one with sugar waters seemed to rot more each day. She was a little nervous having to present it to the judges because her hypothesis had been incorrect, she compared the failed experiment do having your teeth rot with too much sugar or sweets. The judges told her that science is all about finding what does or does not work so her experiment was not really a failure and she won 2nd place. Even though she was kind of upset that her experiment failed she put on a great show and the judges liked that.