We love a good STEM moment around here. Science is all around us, and introducing it to toddlers in a fun and hands-on way can spark curiosity, boost problem-solving skills, and inspire creativity! If you’re looking for exciting and simple toddler science experiments to do at home, you’re in the right place. We like to keep these experiments accessible by using everyday ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. There’s no better way to teach your kiddos that science really IS all around them then by being able to go to the pantry and whip out some science magic.
Here are a few toddler-friendly science experiments that are favorites in our house!
Baking Soda & Vinegar Volcano
Ingredients:
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- A bowl or small container
- Food coloring (optional)
How to do it:
- Place a few spoonfuls of baking soda into a small bowl or container.
- Add a few drops of food coloring to make it fun and colorful (this is optional but adds to the excitement!).
- Pour vinegar into a separate cup and get ready for the magic!
- Let your toddler slowly pour the vinegar into the baking soda and watch as the fizzing eruption begins!
Why it works: The baking soda (a base) reacts with the vinegar (an acid) to create carbon dioxide gas, which causes the fizzing and bubbling. This is a great intro to chemical reactions!
We loveeee a good chemical reaction – baking soda science is heavily experimented with in our house. Check out my other post on it.
Dancing Raisins
Ingredients:
- A clear glass of sparkling water or soda (like club soda)
- A handful of raisins
How to do it:
- Fill a clear glass with sparkling water or soda.
- Drop a few raisins into the glass.
- Watch closely as the raisins begin to move up and down in the glass!
Why it works: The bubbles in the sparkling water stick to the raisins, lifting them to the surface. Once the bubbles pop, the raisins sink again. It’s like a little dance party in the glass!
Magic Milk Experiment
Ingredients:
- A shallow dish or bowl
- Milk (whole milk works best)
- Food coloring
- Dish soap (liquid)
- Cotton swabs
How to do it:
- Pour some milk into a shallow dish, just enough to cover the bottom.
- Drop a few different colors of food coloring into the milk.
- Dip a cotton swab into dish soap, then gently touch it to the surface of the milk.
- Watch in amazement as the colors swirl and move in the milk!
Why it works: The dish soap breaks the surface tension of the milk, causing the fat molecules in the milk to move around and create swirling patterns. The food coloring travels along with the movement, creating beautiful designs!
Frozen Bubbles
Ingredients:
- Bubble solution (store-bought or homemade)
- A bubble wand
- Freezer (optional)
- A tray
How to do it:
- On a cold day, or if you have access to a freezer, blow some bubbles using a bubble wand.
- Before they pop, catch a few on a tray or flat surface, and carefully place them in the freezer.
- Let the bubbles freeze for about 5-10 minutes, and then take them out carefully.
- Watch your little one’s face light up as they touch the frozen bubbles and watch them break apart into tiny pieces!
Why it works: Bubbles freeze because the water inside them turns to ice, forming solid structures. When you pop them, they will break into pieces like little frozen crystals. It’s a magical science experiment, especially on cold days!
I’m not going to lie, this is one of the *trickier* science experiments for me because catching the bubbles on the tray and then getting them to the freezer un-popped is a process for us. It’s definitely easier to do if you have a cold day outside!
Rainbow in a Jar
Ingredients:
- A clear glass jar
- Honey
- Dish soap (blue)
- Water
- Olive oil (or any vegetable oil)
- Rubbing alcohol (dyed with food coloring)
- A spoon for layering
How to do it:
- Start by pouring honey into the bottom of the jar.
- Next, carefully add the dish soap on top, pouring slowly to keep the layers separated.
- Then, slowly add the water.
- Add the oil layer next.
- Finally, top it off with the colored rubbing alcohol.
- Watch as the liquids form colorful layers that don’t mix!
Why it works: Each liquid has a different density, which causes them to stay on top of each other instead of mixing. The honey is the densest, so it stays at the bottom, while the alcohol is the least dense, so it floats on top. This is a great introduction to the concept of density and how different substances behave!
This is an older kid activity in my opinion – younger toddlers could care less about density. Adding in food coloring helps a bit, but it’s not worth the time or clean up for younger than 3 years old to me.
Rainbow Walking Water
Ingredients:
- 3 cups
- Water
- Food coloring
- Paper towels
How to do it:
- Place three cups in a row.
- Fill the first and last cup with water and add food coloring to both. Choose colors that will mix (red, yellow, blue).
- Leave the middle cup empty.
- Take a paper towel and fold it into strips, then place one end of each strip in the colored water and the other end in the empty cup.
- Over time, you’ll start to see the water “walk” through the paper towel and into the middle cup, mixing to form a rainbow!
Why it works: Capillary action is at play here! The water travels up the paper towel, and as it moves, the colors mix together, creating new ones in the middle cup.
Simple Balloon Inflation
Ingredients:
- A balloon
- A plastic bottle
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- A funnel
How to do it:
- Use the funnel to pour 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda into the balloon.
- Fill a plastic bottle about halfway with vinegar.
- Carefully attach the balloon to the neck of the bottle, making sure the baking soda stays in the balloon.
- Let your toddler lift the balloon, causing the baking soda to fall into the vinegar.
- Watch in awe as the balloon inflates right before their eyes!
Why it works: The baking soda reacts with the vinegar (same as the baking soda volcano) to create carbon dioxide gas, which inflates the balloon. It’s a fun way to show your toddler how chemical reactions work in real life!
These toddler-friendly science experiments are not only easy to set up, but they’re also guaranteed to blow your little one’s mind (and also maybe yours because science is cool)! The beauty of these activities is that they’re interactive, educational, and full of fun. The best part? You can do them all with common household ingredients, making them budget-friendly and easy to pull out at a moment’s notice. So grab your supplies, get ready to explore the wonders of science with your toddler, and watch as they become captivated by the magic of discovery!