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Science Activities

Hungry for fresh, exciting science activities based in amazing phenomena? Science Snacks are hands-on, teacher-tested, and use cheap, available materials.

Science activity that demonstrates a color illusion
Benham's Disk

A rotating black-and-white disk produces the illusion of color.

Science activity that demonstrates temperature perception
Cold Metal

"Cold" metal and "warm" wood may be the same temperature.

Science activity that demonstrates a color illusion
Benham's Disk

A rotating black-and-white disk produces the illusion of color.

Science acitivity that explores decomposition with worms
Productive Poop

Turn your kitchen trash into garden treasure.

Science activity to create an instrument that produces sound from a vibrating stretched membrane
Water-Bottle Membranophone

This surprising instrument is fun to make—and even more fun to play.

Science activity that explores frequencies, forced vibrations, and resonance
Spaghetti Resonance

Demonstrate resonance by shaking dried spaghetti.

Science activity that demonstrates how geysers work
Geyser

Just spew it—build your own cyclic hot water fountain.

Science activity that demonstrates sound localization
Stereo Sound

Locating the source of a sound is mostly a matter of timing.

Science activity that demonstrates chaotic motion
Strange Attractor

The attraction and repulsion of magnets produces entrancing, unpredictable motion.

A science activity that makes the patterns of a magnetic field visible
Magnetic Lines of Force

Iron filings trace out magnetic field lines in three dimensions.

Bird Call Quiz
Bird Call Quiz

Listen to bird songs and try to figure out which are songs, which are companion calls, and which are alarms.

Science activity that demonstrates lateral inhibition in perception of boundaries
Gray Step

Without a boundary, it’s hard to distinguish different shades of gray.

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