Easy Science Experiments for Primary School Children (No Lab Required)
You don't need a laboratory to spark a love of science. These five simple experiments use everyday household items and cover real KS1 and KS2 science objectives.
Science is the subject children are most curious about — and the one most likely to be squeezed out of the school day. The good news is that the best science happens at home, with things you already have.
1. Baking soda and vinegar volcano. Mix bicarbonate of soda with vinegar and watch the fizzing reaction. Ask your child: 'Is this a physical change or a chemical change?' (It's chemical — a new gas, carbon dioxide, is produced.) This covers KS2 chemistry: reversible and irreversible changes.
2. Celery and food colouring. Stand a stick of celery in a glass of water with a few drops of food colouring. Over 24 hours, the colour travels up the stem. This demonstrates how plants transport water — a core KS2 biology objective.
3. Shadow clocks. On a sunny day, place a stick in the ground and mark where its shadow falls every hour. By the end of the day, you've built a sundial and explored how the Earth's rotation affects light — KS2 Earth and Space.
4. Egg in a bottle. Heat a glass bottle, place a peeled hard-boiled egg on the opening, and watch it get sucked in as the air cools and contracts. Air pressure made visible — perfect for ages 10–13.
5. Reinforce it with Sodafom. Our Science games — Animal Kingdom Quiz, Nature Explorer, and Science Experiments — turn these concepts into interactive challenges. Children who do the experiment and then play the game retain the knowledge far longer than either activity alone.
The Sodafom Team
Making maths, spelling & reading fun for ages 5–13