Silly putty slime, invisible ink, and homemade ice cream!
Want to see your third grade science students’ eyes light up? Tell them they’re going to do an experiment! These activities are easy enough for any classroom or kitchen, and they’re full of science concepts kids need to learn.
1. Make glowing flowers
This one will make kids’ eyes pop out of their head! Use highlighters and a blacklight flashlight to reveal the vascular system of flowers.
Learn more: Tamara Horne
2. Flick pennies to learn about inertia
This is one of those science experiments that kind of looks like magic, but it’s really all about the laws of motion. It might take a little practice to get the index card flick just right, but the results are always cool!
Learn more: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls/Penny Inertia
3. Find your way with a DIY compass
Here’s an old classic that never fails to impress. Magnetize a needle and float it on the water’s surface, and it will always point north.
Learn more: STEAM Powered Family
4. Separate salt and pepper with static electricity
When you mix up salt and pepper, you’d think it would be almost impossible to separate them again. But using a little static electricity and a plastic spoon, it’s surprisingly simple.
Learn more: Science Kiddo
5. See the temperature rise in a chemical reaction
When iron meets oxygen, rust forms. Use vinegar to remove the protective coat from steel wool and watch the temperature rise from the chemical reaction.
Learn more: 123 Homeschool 4 Me/Thermal Reaction
6. Design a candy-delivery machine
Learn about inclined planes with this fun simple-machines project. Kids can get creative and develop any kind of delivery system they like!
Learn more: 123 Homeschool 4 Me/Candy Machine
7. Defy gravity with magnets and paper clips
Magnets are always a hit in the classroom. Use this simple experiment to discover more about gravity and the effects of magnets on metal objects.
Learn more: Buggy and Buddy/Magnet Gravity
8. Spin a disappearing color wheel
Color a paper disk with the six primary and secondary colors. Then thread a string through the middle and make it spin. The colors will seem to disappear!
Learn more: Crafts Guru on YouTube
9. Find a robot’s center of gravity
Print out, cut, and color this free paper robot. Then glue some coins to the back and have your students try to find its center of gravity!
Learn more: Buggy and Buddy/Balancing Robot
10. Run marble races with pool noodles
Crack open a pool noodle or two and create your own marble racetracks. Experiment with angles, force, and surface materials to find the fastest way to get the marble to the bottom.
Learn more: The Techy Teacher
11. Experiment with ice, salt, and water temperature
This simple experiment requires only water, ice, salt, and a thermometer. Your third grade science class can explore how ice and salt affect the temperature, a simple but effective lesson on heat transfer and freezing points.
Learn more: 123 Homeschool 4 Me/Ice, Salt, and Temperature
12. Blow bubbles inside bubbles inside bubbles
If there’s a more fun way to learn about surface tension than bubbles, we haven’t found it yet! Create a soap solution by using dissolved sugar and discover more about elasticity and volume as you blow bubbles inside bubbles inside bubbles …
Learn more: Ronyes Tech
13. Understand the science behind bath bombs
Bath bombs certainly make bath time more fun, but what makes them work? Explore chemical reactions and get squeaky clean all at the same time!
Learn more: Learning Hypothesis
14. Use water balloons to explore buoyancy
Fill water balloons with different solutions (oil, salt water, plain water, etc.) and place the balloons in a large bucket of water to see if they sink or float. This is a cool project to do with your third grade science class on the playground on a sunny day.
Learn more: 123 Homeschool 4 Me/Balloon Density
15. DIY these natural-dye markers
This is the kind of project that turns STEM into STEAM! Learn about the process of extracting natural dyes and use paper chromatography to make your own DIY markers. Kids can use these markers to create amazing masterpieces!
Learn more: Science Buddies/DIY Markers
16. Investigate the effects of erosion
Compare the effects of “rain” on hills of bare soil vs. those covered with grass. Have your third grade science students predict which they think will stand up to erosion better and then test their hypotheses.
Learn more: Third Grade Thinkers/Erosion
17. Explode colorful paint bags
Experiments with acids and bases are always fun for kids. You’ll want to take this one outside because it’s bound to make a mess. Mix colored chalk with vinegar and watch the colors fly!
Learn more: Growing a Jeweled Rose
18. Send secret messages with invisible ink
Kids will love swapping secret messages with their friends in this acid-base science project. Mix the water and baking soda and use a paintbrush to write a message. Then use grape juice to expose the message or hold it up to a heat source.
Learn more: ThoughtCo
19. Put together a compost bottle
Learn about the decomposition of food and how composting can provide nutrients for growing more food with this easy earth science project.
Learn more: Busy Mommy Media
20. Sprout sweet potatoes
Potatoes grow from tuberous roots, and under the right conditions, new shoots appear from those roots. This third grade science experiment explores the biological science behind cloning.
Learn more: Science Buddies/Sweet Potatoes
21. Conduct an acid rain experiment
Have you ever wondered what happens to plants when they are exposed to acid rain? Acid rain can be produced by burning fossil fuels or certain industrial processes. Your students can find out by conducting a simple acid rain experiment using flowers and vinegar!
Learn more: Little Bins for Little Hands
22. Construct a Hero’s engine
Sir Isaac Newton came up with rules about how things work in the world. One of these rules is called Newton’s third law. It says that “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Do an experiment to learn more about this rule!
Learn more: Education.com
23. Keep apples from turning brown
Have you ever noticed that apples turn brown after being cut or bruised? Is it true that all apples turn brown at the same rate? To find out, your students can conduct a simple experiment using apples and lemon juice.
Learn more: Little Bins for Little Hands
24. Examine pine cones opening and closing
Pine cones can sense changes in humidity and adjust their scales in response. Gather several pine cones, glass containers, tweezers, and both hot and cold water to conduct a wintry and fun experiment to discover what makes pine cones open and close.
Learn more: Parenting Chaos
25. Sink a tinfoil boat
By experimenting with different designs, students can learn about basic physics principles and practice their engineering skills. How many pennies will it take to make their boat sink? All you’ll need is pennies, foil, and a bowl of water.
Learn more: Little Bins for Little Hands
Fun Third Grade Science Activities Anyone Can Do