Science experiments

7 resources. Free options are listed first.

• FreeAges 8–12

  NASA Space Place

  NASA's site for upper primary children, with hands-on space and Earth science activities, printable instructions, short articles, games and videos.

  Visit spaceplace.nasa.gov ↗ (opens in a new tab)
• FreeAges 8+

  PhET Interactive Simulations

  Free, open-source interactive simulations for physics, chemistry, biology, earth science and maths from the University of Colorado Boulder. They run in a browser and suit topics that are hard to demonstrate at home.

  Visit phet.colorado.edu ↗ (opens in a new tab)
• FreeAges 6–18

  Science Buddies

  A searchable library of science projects and experiments that can be filtered by subject, difficulty, time and cost, each with background information and step-by-step instructions.

  Visit sciencebuddies.org ↗ (opens in a new tab)
• FreeAges 8+

  Exploratorium Science Snacks

  Hundreds of low-cost science activities from the San Francisco Exploratorium museum, each with a materials list, instructions and an explanation of the science. Written mainly for secondary students, with a collection suited to younger children.

  Visit exploratorium.edu ↗ (opens in a new tab)
• FreeAges 3–18

  Science Learning Hub – Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao

  A government-funded science resource run by the University of Waikato, with articles, videos and hands-on activities based on New Zealand research. Its 'Learning science from home' pages group simple activities by age, from early childhood to secondary.

  Visit sciencelearn.org.nz ↗ (opens in a new tab)
• FreeAges 7–14

  Otago Museum Science Show Offs

  Printable instructions for a set of short science demonstrations, such as a flying tea bag, a square bubble and a candle fire extinguisher, using household items. Several involve flames, so the guides call for adult supervision.

  Visit otagomuseum.nz ↗ (opens in a new tab)
• FreeAges 2–6

  Ministry of Education: everyday science at home

  A Ministry of Education page for parents of young children with ideas for exploring science through everyday play, such as melting ice and mixing baking soda with vinegar.

  Visit education.govt.nz ↗ (opens in a new tab)