Learn with us online while the Exploratorium is temporarily closed. You can help us reopen—donate today.

Science Activities

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

Live Eye on the Earth
Live Eye on the Earth

Want to see where the biggest quakes have been this week? Follow a few of the links below to see what's shaking in your neighborhood and around the world.

Ice Balloons
Ice Balloons

What can you do with a frozen water balloon? Plenty!

Science activity investigating spectroscopy
CD Spectroscope

Turn an old CD into a spectroscope to analyze light.

Science activity that demonstrates resonance in a musical instrument
Straw Oboe

Two lips make sound.

The Domino Effect
The Domino Effect (pdf)

Use dominoes to model a nerve cell's transmission of a signal

Science activity demonstrating balance and the center of gravity
Balancing Stick

Does it matter which end is up?

Science activity to explore underwater color perception
Deep Blue

Submerge yourself in underwater color perception.

Science activity that models the patterns of sunlight and shadow on Earth
Self-Centered Globe

Model the patterns of sunlight and shadow on Earth.

Science activity that explores how water temperature and salinity are tied to the tidal cycle
Tidal Ties

Make predictions about water temperature and salinity using tidal data.

Science activity to bring vegetable scraps back to life
Bring food scraps back to life.

Bring food scraps back to life.

Science activity in which short pieces of chenille stem look random until viewed in the proper perspective
Ames Chair

Without depth perception, random lines can become a chair!

Science activity that demonstrates Einstein's photoelectric effect
Photoelectricity

Get electricity from light.

Pages