Winter Science
The changing seasons are perfect for incorporating different types of science activities into your learning at home. Kids love themes, and a winter theme makes science so engaging!
The science experiments for kids listed below are fun hands-on experiences to get those little minds thinking. These activities will invite kids to explore, test, think, observe, and discover! Experimenting is great because it leads to discoveries and discoveries spark curiosity.
Winter Scent Lab
The sense of smell is amazing, especially since it’s so often connected to memory. Our sense of smell is regulated by the olfactory bulb, which happens to be in the limbic system, the part of the brain where memories are stored. This science experiment for kids is a fun way to experiment with the sense of smell and how we recognize each different smell we encounter!
To do this experiment, you’ll need:
• 5 small empty glass jars
• Water
• 5 cloves
• A cinnamon stick
• A tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 4 peppermint Altoids
• A sprig of pine or fir tree
• Food coloring
To set up the scent lab, place each of the scented items in separate jars. Add food coloring to the jars to disguise what the smell is – for example, don’t color the cinnamon stick jar red, as color can often be associated with smell. Then, fill the jars with water and close them up.
Let sit for 24 hours to help the water really pick up the smells. Once the water has absorbed the scents, remove any undissolved items from the jars. Place the finished jars on the table and place sticky notes down with the scents listed on them. Ask your kids to open each jar and match it to one of the sticky notes. Even if they created the scents in the lab, they will enjoy reopening them and matching the scents up!
Melt a Snowman
This is a fun way to introduce a little bit of chemistry to your kiddos. There’s a lot to learn and explore in this hands-on science experiment!
Here’s what you’ll need for this activity:
• Baking soda-based fake snow (if you need a recipe, try 1 cup of shaving cream and 1 cup of baking soda)
• White vinegar
• Droppers
• Googley eyes, baby carrots, sticks, and any other items you need to decorate your snowman
First, make the fake snow. Next, have your kids take the snow and make a small snowman on a plate or tray. Don’t forget to decorate and dress him up! Once they’re done, fill droppers with vinegar and let your kids take turns squirting the vinegar on the snowman, making him fizz and “melt” away.
This science experiment is showing what happens when a chemical reaction takes place. A chemical reaction is all about what happens when an acid reacts with a base. In this case, the vinegar and baking soda combine, and carbon dioxide is released causing bubbles and fizzy froth.