Making a Bouncy Egg... a fun and simple science experiment for kids

My boys love science, so it's always fun to spend a rainy summer day doing simple science experiments. This year, we decided to make a bouncy egg. Today, I am sharing the super-simple instructions and the super-cool results!

All you need to make a bouncy egg is a glass, an egg, and vinegar. Fill the glass with vinegar, drop in the egg, and wait for the vinegar to dissolve the shell. The process starts immediately, and it will take about 24 hours to complete. (If the shell isn't completely dissolved after 24 hours, change the vinegar and let it sit for another 24 hours.)

After the shell has completely dissolved, rinse the egg in cold water, and dry it off. Children will be amazed by the "rubber" egg they have created.

Check out this little video we made to show the show the finished product.

This really is a fun way to explore science with children. My boys loved playing with the bouncy egg, shining a flashlight into it to see the yolk, and poking it with a knife to see the inside. Is there anything better than feeding the curiosity of a young mind?

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like this post.

DIY Drums Kids Can Make From Recycled Cans

Isn't making a musical instrument something that should be part of every person's childhood? It's a wonderful way for kids to be creative, learn about music, and explore the science of sound. Today, I am sharing the instructions for a darling set of drums that my 9 year old made as part of class project. I think he did an excellent job crafting three drums made from tin cans.

To make the tin can drums, my son started by collecting the supplies he needed: three empty tin cans (cleaned with the tops removed), colourful balloons, painting supplies, and elastic bands.

Then, he carefully painted each drum with acrylic paint. (He did a couple of coats to make sure the colours were vibrant.)

Once the tin cans were dry, he cut the tops off the balloons and stretched them over the tops of the tin cans. The elasticity of the balloons holds them in place, but to make the surface tighter, he secured the balloons with elastic bands.

Check out the sound of the drums when he hits them with dowels. Cool, right???

I think this is a perfect project for a rainy day, don't you? I hope you make one (or more) of these fun tin can drums with your little ones. If you do, let me know how they turn out!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple Skittles Science Experiment

Teaching kids about science is really about encouraging questions and making observations. I love simple science experiments, don't you? Today I am sharing a fun Skittles science experiment that my sister shared with me. My boys loved it, and I am sure your little ones will enjoy it too.

To make a Skittles rainbow:

1) Line the Skittles on a plate.
2) Add warm water to the middle of the plate.
3) Watch the rainbow appear.

Check out this time lapse video that shows the cool effect.

If you enjoy exploring science activities with your kids, you can check out 15 simple science experiments for kids here. If you have never done an experiment with your kids, I guarantee they will love creating a Skittles rainbow. Have fun!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like this post.

Easy Summer Science Experiment for Kids

In the mood for something fun and easy that will entertain and educate your children? Check out this simple science experiment, which is perfect for a sunny summer afternoon.

All you need to do is: fill a Ziploc bag with water, seal the bag, and then stick sharp pencils (slowly) through both sides of the bag. My boys were delighted to discover that no water leaks from the bag! (Note: You'll want to hold up the top of the bag so that bag doesn't get wider than the pencils when the water settles at the bottom.)

When my boys were finished, they pulled out the pencils and watched the water squirt out from the holes. It was a fantastic way to cool off on a warm afternoon.

My boys had so much fun, that we decided to finish the day with another classic experiment. We filled a bottle 3/4 full of vinegar, added some baking soda, and quickly capped the bottle with a balloon. My boys loved watching the baking soda/vinegar reaction blow up the balloon.

I love a simple science experiment, don't you? We might have to squeeze in a few more before the boys head back to school.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

10 {Simple} Science Experiments for Kids

Kids are naturally curious, and my boys are no exception.  I believe that fostering childhood curiosity is very important, and science experiments are a perfect way for kids to explore their surroundings and the way things work.  Today I am sharing 10 simple science experiments that are easy, inexpensive, and tons of fun!

1) Baking Soda Magic Trick - With a little help setting up this simple science experiment, the kids will love performing this trick for their friends.  All you need for this simple experiment is baking soda, vinegar, some food coloring, and the instructions that you can find here. 

2) Coloring Carnations - With a few carnations and food coloring, the kids can learn all about plants and how they absorb water.  It's a simple and cheerful little experiment, and you can find all the instructions here. 

3) Boats and Buoyancy - Building boats and learning about buoyancy is a fantastic way to spend an afternoon, and you can find all the information you need to know here.

4) Mentos Geyser - Messy experiments are always a big hit with kids.  Grab some soda and Mentos, head outside, and create your own fountain of fun.  You can find the full tutorial here. 

5) Making Ice Cream in a Bag - The result of this science experiment is a yummy snack.  With a few simple ingredients, kids can make their own ice cream in a bag. It's simple and delicious, and you can find everything you need to know here.

6) Exploding Sandwich Bag*

7) Balloon Magic*

8) Playing with Density*

9) Making Butter*

10) Film Cannister rockets.

* Experiments #6 to #10 are all great hands-on experiments for little ones, and you can find instructions for all of them here.

Exploring science with children can be a great way to foster their curiosity for learning. Which of these 10 simple science experiments will be most popular with your kids?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Bonus.... This Skittles experiment is super easy and fun. Read all about it here.

March Break Science Fun {Color Changing Carnations}

A break from school doesn't need to mean a break from learning... especially when simple science experiments are so much fun. Check out this fantastic experiment I recently did with my boys - coloring carnations.

This is an easy experiment that teaches kids about how flowers/plants absorb water.  It's also fun for the kids to watch the flowers magically change color.

To do this experiment, you'll need: plain white carnations, glass containers, and food coloring.

1) Fill the glasses with water, and then add several drops of food coloring to each glass.  We added about 15 drops of food coloring to each container.  (We used blue, red, and green food coloring, and we found that the red food coloring had the best results.)

2) Then, make a fresh cut to each of the flowers, and put them in the containers.

After a few days, the flowers will start to change color.  The kids will be able to see how the water (and the food coloring) travels up the stem of the flower and into the pedals.

I love simple experiments that make kids curious about "how things work", don't you?  Have you ever done this colored carnations experiment with your kids?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

SIMPLE Science Experiment - Cause and Effect

Last week, my son (who is in Grade Primary) had a "Scientist" visit his classroom.  He was fascinated, and since then, he has been asking to do a science experiment at home.

Because the other two boys (3 and 22 months) were involved, we decided to keep it simple.  I explained that we were going to put vinegar in a bottle and add some baking soda, and when they mixed together, they were going to create gas/air.  I asked them what they thought would happen.  Then, we did the experiment.

We used:

• a plastic bottle
• vinegar
• baking soda
• a balloon
• funnel (to fill the balloon with baking soda)

What we did:

1. We poured about 1 1/4 cups of vinegar into the bottle.
2. We filled the balloon (about 3/4 full) with baking soda.
3. We attached the balloon to the top of the bottle -- making sure there was a tight seal.

 4.  We carefully dumped the baking soda into the bottle and watched as the balloon filled with air.

Fun, eh?  I thought it was a great, simple lesson on "Cause and Effect", and the boys LOVED it.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

** If you haven't already "liked" me on facebook, I would love to have you join me here.