Nothing gets kids more excited about science than getting to try some hands-on activities. These second grade science experiments are easy enough for any teacher or parent to try. Kids will learn basic concepts about physics, chemistry, biology, and more and have fun doing it!
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1. Brew up tie-dye slime
Slime is more than just an ever-popular toy. It’s also got a lot of great science behind it! Mix up some eye-popping tie-dye slime and take the opportunity to learn about polymers and non-Newtonian fluids.
Learn more: I Heart Arts and Crafts
2. Make a bouquet of chromatography flowers
Use chromatography to split secondary paint colors into their original hues. The results are both pretty and fascinating!
Learn more: 123Homeschool4Me/Chromatography Flowers
3. Concoct a foaming rainbow
Every kid loves the classic baking soda and vinegar chemical reaction experiment. This version makes a foamy rainbow, thanks to some added food coloring.
Learn more: Messy Little Monster
4. Sculpt pipe cleaner constellations
Help kids find the constellations in the night sky by making these models from pipe cleaners. The little star beads are such a clever touch!
Learn more: 123Homeschool4Me/Pipe Cleaner Constellations
5. Tell time with a sundial
How did people tell time before clocks and watches? Help second grade science students find out by making your own sundials from paper plates!
Learn more: Paging Supermom
6. Power up a lemon battery
Here’s another classic science experiment every kid should try. They’ll be amazed to learn a citrus fruit can generate an electric current!
Learn more: Education.com/Lemon Battery
7. Race clothespin cars
Explore simple machines by building race cars from basic supplies like clothespins and drinking straws. It’s a really fun way to learn about wheels and axles.
Learn more: The Primary Brain
8. Pollinate like a bee
Use pipe cleaner bees to discover how these pollinators pick up and move cheese powder “pollen” from one juice box flower to the next. Simple, fun, and adorable!
Learn more: Around the Kampfire/Cheese Powder Pollination Activity
9. Build a body from Play-Doh
Play-Doh activities are always fun to do! Visit the link below for free printable mats to use as you have your second grade science students sculpt the bones, organs, and muscles of the body.
Learn more: 123Homeschool4Me/Play-Doh Body
10. Grow a sprout house
This two-part science project first challenges kids to use their engineering skills to construct a miniature house made of sponges. Then, they plant chia, alfalfa, or other quick-sprouting seeds and keep the sponges moist until they start to grow.
Learn more: The STEM Laboratory
11. Re-create the water cycle in a bag
This simple but effective experiment explores the water cycle. Fill a plastic bag partway with water and set it on a sunny windowsill to see how the water evaporates up and eventually “rains” down.
Learn more: Grade School Giggles
12. Turn pom poms into crystal balls
Every kid loves making crystals! They’ll learn about supersaturated solutions as they make these cute little crystal pom pom balls.
Learn more: A Dab of Glue Will Do
13. Conduct a cookie dunk experiment
Introduce or review the scientific method with a fun and easy experiment to determine which cookies float or sink when dunked in milk. Then you can eat the results! (Find more great edible science experiments here.)
Learn more: Around the Kampfire/Milk and Cookies Scientific Method Experiment
14. Test sunscreen for effectiveness
Kids might wonder why they need to wear sunscreen when they’re at the park or playing soccer. This experiment shows them the power of the sun’s rays and the protection sunscreen provides.
Learn more: JDaniel4’s Mom
15. Create an earth model from Play-Doh
Play-Doh has so many uses in the classroom! Use it to teach second grade science students about the layers of the earth by building a fun and colorful model.
Learn more: The Crafty Classroom
16. Design and build an index card tower
Challenge your second grade science students to a little early engineering! Given only index cards, how tall and/or strong of a structure can they build?
Learn more: Education to the Core
17. Use bread to learn about hand-washing
There’s never been a better time for an experiment involving the importance of washing your hands! All you need for this one is bread, plastic bags, and some dirty hands.
Learn more: Parenting Isn’t Easy
18. Explore erosion with sugar cubes
Simulate the effects of erosion by shaking sugar cubes in a cup with some pebbles to see what happens. Get more ideas for second grade science activities about erosion and weathering at the link.
Learn more: The First Grade Roundup
19. Find out which liquid is best for growing seeds
As you learn about the life cycle of plants, explore how water supports their growth. Plant seeds and water them with a variety of liquids to see which sprout first and grow best.
Learn more: Lessons 4 Little Ones
20. Repel glitter with dish soap
Every teacher knows that glitter is just like germs … it gets everywhere and is so hard to get rid of! Use that to your advantage, and show students how soap fights glitter and germs.
Learn more: Living Life & Learning
21. Build a folded mountain
This clever demonstration helps kids understand how some types of mountains are formed. Use layers of towels to represent rock layers and boxes for continents. Then pu-u-u-sh and see what happens!
Learn more: The Chaos and the Clutter/Folded Mountain
22. Drink root beer floats to learn about states of matter
What’s easy to make, delicious to eat, and demonstrates all three states of matter at once? Root beer floats! This will easily be your students’ favorite science lesson of the year.
Learn more: Learning Lab Resources
23. Learn about osmosis with gummy bears
This is one of those classic experiments your second grade science students will love to see in action. Soak the gummies in water to watch them grow through the power of osmosis!
Learn more: Nurture Store UK
24. Build magnet-and-paper clip trees
Experiment with magnet properties like polarity and strength by building cute little trees! This is also an excellent way for kids to find out which items are magnetic and which are not.
Learn more: Preschool Powol Packets
25. Bend objects to test flexibility
Explore one of the properties of matter with this easy experiment. Kids plan how to test flexibility, then try it out with a variety of basic objects.
Learn more: Around the Kampfire/Flexibility Science Experiment
26. Freeze and observe liquid expansion
As you explore the states of matter, experiment to see if some types of liquid expand more than others when frozen.
Learn more: Education.com
27. Discover density with saltwater solutions
This simple experiment covers a lot of second grade science concepts. Learn about solutions, density, and even ocean science as you compare and contrast how objects float in different water mixtures.
Learn more: Science Kiddo
28. Explode a balloon seed pod
After you learn about pollination, take the next step, and explore how plants disperse their seeds far and wide. One way is with exploding seed pods. Use a balloon to see how it works.
Learn more: Around the Kampfire/Seed Dispersal Activity
29. Watch a leaf “breathe”
Plants “breathe” through transpiration, and you can see the process in action simply by submerging a leaf in water!
Learn more: Edventures With Kids/Leaf Transpiration
30. Grow a self-sustaining ecosystem
Plant seeds inside a sealed plastic bottle and observe both the water cycle and the plant life cycle in one simple second grade science experiment.
Learn more: Carly and Adam
31. Compare and contrast animal habitats
Build a variety of habitats (woodland, arctic, savannah, etc.). Then have kids compare to see how they are similar (all have water) and how they are different (trees, temperatures, etc.).
Learn more: Edventures With Kids/Animal Habitats
32. Use crackers to learn about properties of matter
Practice sorting, comparing, and classifying using properties of matter in this tasty experiment. All you need is a variety of snack crackers and inquiring minds! (These magnifying glasses would be fun too.)
Learn more: Around the Kampfire/Properties of Matter Cracker Lab
33. Discover plate tectonics with graham crackers
