Spring is here and Easter is fast approaching. As you begin to boil eggs and prepare the dye, check out these EGGcellent EGGsperiments you can do with your children!
These are easy science experiments for kids to do at home and can be used as a fun way to teach your child the scientific method. They are fun for all ages and the perfect Spring experiments. You don’t need many supplies for these science experiments with eggs and we have included easy to follow instructions for each egg experiment. Allow your inner scientist to blossom and have fun EGGsploring science with your kids!
A Lesson on The Scientific Method for Kids
Begin by telling your child you are going to be scientists and conduct some EGGcellent EGGsperiments! Explain that scientists use the scientific method when experimenting. Tell them to don their scientist gear (pretend to put on your glassesor goggles, and a lab coat). Introduce the steps of the scientific method. You can find many different variations of the scientific method for kids online. The following is a simple version we used with our kindergartners:
- Question
- Hypothesis
- Experiment
- Conclusion
You may want to make a poster with the steps or print out this FREE Scientific Method chart we have created at 4 Kinder Teachers.
Question
Before you ask the question (step 1 of the scientific method), you may want to take some time to observe the eggs you will be using for the experiment. Tell your child that scientists use their senses to observe the world (Kindergartners should know all about the senses. If they don’t, then you know the topic of your next science lesson.). Ask questions like: What shape is the egg? What color is it? How does it feel? What does it look like on the inside? What do we do with eggs? Where do they come from? This type of discussion builds language and background knowledge. Your child can keep a journal of their observations or use the FREE pages we have created for you. Next, ask the question that goes with the experiment you have chosen. For example, you may ask, Which egg will spin?
Hypothesis
Next, have your child make a hypothesis (be sure you have defined hypothesis-an educated guess based on observations and knowledge). Often a hypothesis will be an if…then statement, but in kindergarten, we kept it simple and used the sentence stem I think… You may want to give an example by sharing your hypothesis (ie I think the boiled egg will spin better because it is solid).
Experiment
Now comes the fun part; Conduct the experiment! Be sure you are referencing the steps of the scientific method as you work through them. Talk with your child about what they notice is happening during the experiment. Ask questions such as: What is happening? What do you notice?
Conclusion
Finally, discuss the conclusion of the experiment with your child (ie I learned that the hard boiled egg spins much better than the raw egg.) Ask some follow up questions such as: Why do you think the boiled egg spins better than the raw egg? Did the conclusion support our hypothesis? Why or why not? Make sure to give an explanation of the results. We have included these explanations in the easy science experiments for kids section below. If your child is using a journal, have them record their findings, or print out the FREE EGGcellent EGGsperiments worksheets we created specifically for these egg experiments. The most important thing to remember while EGGsperimenting is to HAVE FUN!
5 EGGcellent EGGsperiments: Easy Science Experiments for Kids
Here are 5 easy science experiments for kids we have tried with our kindergartners. Our students thoroughly enjoyed all of these experiments. Try one or try them all!
1. Egg in Vinegar Experiment
This experiment takes 3-5 days to complete, but it’s simple to do and EGGstremely awesome!
What you will need:
- 1 egg (raw and in the shell)
- a cup to put the egg in
- white vinegar (enough to cover the egg)
Have your child observe and discuss the attributes of the egg before you begin the experiment.
Question: What will happen to the egg in the vinegar?
Hypothesis: Make a hypothesis using the sentence stem: I think… Have your child explain their thinking by asking, Why do you think that?
Experiment: Carefully place the egg in a cup. Pour enough vinegar to completely cover the egg. Keep the egg in the vinegar for 3-5 days (until the shell has completely dissolved and the egg is large and rubbery). Have your child check on the egg daily and use their senses to make some observations. You may want to prompt them with some of the following questions: How does the egg look? Is it bigger or smaller? How does it feel? How does it smell? I would NOT recommend tasting the egg. It has been sitting at room temperature, in vinegar, for multiple days. Yuck! Once the shell has completely disintegrated, take the egg out, rinse off any residual shell goo, and talk about what you notice using questions like: What happened to the egg? How has it changed?
Conclusion: Discuss your findings with questions such as: Do our findings support our hypothesis? Why or why not? Depending on your child’s writing abilities, have them record the conclusion in a journal or on our FREE EGGcellent EGGperiment worksheets. You may want to encourage your child to do some more experimenting with the egg by asking questions such as, What will happen if we keep the egg in the vinegar longer? What if we put it in a different liquid, such as water or corn syrup?
Explanation: The acid in the vinegar creates a chemical reaction with the calcium carbonate in the eggshell causing the shell to disintegrate and creating carbon dioxide-these are the bubbles you see forming around the egg. The egg gets larger because some of the vinegar (and some of the water in the vinegar) moves through the soft squishy membranes of the egg. This is called osmosis.
2. Spinning Eggs
What you will need
- 1 boiled egg in its shell
- 1 raw egg in the shell
Before you begin, talk about the similarities and differences between the eggs. You may want to prompt with some questions such as: How are the eggs the same? How are they different? Are they the same weight? Are they the same size? Remember, scientists use their senses to observe and explore the world!
Question: I wonder which egg will spin better?
Hypothesis: Make a hypothesis using the sentence stem: I think… Have your child explain their thinking by asking, Why do you think that?
Experiment: Get excited; This is the fun part! Spin the eggs! You may want to spin the eggs somewhere they won’t fall and break. Spin each egg a few times. Maybe try spinning them on different surfaces. Ask questions such as: What happens when you spin the raw egg? What happens when you spin the boiled egg? What happens if we spin them on a plate, on a towel, or in this Tupperware? Which egg was easier to stop from spinning? Encourage your child to be descriptive and detailed in their explanations.
Conclusion: Discuss your findings and depending on your child’s writing abilities, have them record the conclusion in a journal or on our FREE EGGcellent EGGperiment worksheets.
Explanation: The boiled egg spins better than the raw egg because it is solid and moves as one whole unit. The liquid inside the raw egg moves separately from the shell, making it wobble.
Keep reading for more easy science experiments for kids!
3. Egg in a Bottle
What you will need
- 1 peeled hard-boiled egg
- 1 bottle with an opening just slightly smaller than the egg (Starbucks frappacino bottles are perfect for this. You can purchase them at most grocery stores or gas stations.)
- lighter or matches
- paper
Talk about the egg before you begin the experiment. You may want to discuss what it means to boil an egg, and why we need to peel is for this experiment. Have your child use their senses to observe and describe the egg. Encourage them to be detailed and descriptive ( ie The egg is small, oval, white and squishy. I think it needs to be squishy so it will slide into the bottle.)
Question: How can I get this egg into the bottle without breaking it?
Hypothesis: Make a hypothesis using the sentence stem: I think.. Have your child come up with some ways to try and get the egg inside the bottle without it breaking. Allow them to test some of their ideas. Then, explain with great enthusiasm, that you know of a very EGGciting way to get the egg into the bottle.
Experiment: This was always our kindergartners favorite experiment. Please note that this experiment requires fire and must be done with adult supervision. First, smear some water or vegetable oil around the mouth of the bottle. Then, light the piece of paper on fire (this is the job of the adult) and place it in the bottle. Quickly, place the egg on the top of the bottle, narrow side down. Watch to see what happens! The egg should be sucked into the bottle. You may have to try this experiment a few times before getting it just right. For more tips and tricks and a short video of Steve Spangler doing this experiment click HERE.
Conclusion: Discuss your findings and depending on your child’s writing abilities, have them record the conclusion in a journal or on our FREE EGGcellent EGGperiment worksheets.
Explanation: The flame heats up the air inside of the bottle, causing the air molecules to expand. Some of the air escapes. Once the air cools, the molecules move closer together, making room for more air in the bottle. Normally, the air would come rushing in, but since the egg is in the way, the air pressure outside of the bottle pushes the egg inside.
4. Floating Eggs
What you will need:
- 2 clear glasses or jars
- about 5 Tbsp of salt
- warm water
- 2 eggs (both raw and in the shell)
Remember to have your child use their senses to observe the eggs before they begin. Prompt with questions as needed; How are the eggs the same? How are they different? Are they the same weight? Are they the same size?
Question: Which egg will float?
Hypothesis: Make a hypothesis using the sentence stem: I think… Have your child explain their thinking by asking Why do you think that?
Experiment: Are you ready to find out which egg floats? I can’t wait! (Your child will be as excited as you are, so get pumped up!)
Fill up each glass with warm water (tap is fine) leaving some room for the egg. Add about 5 heaping tablespoons of salt to one of the glasses and stir until it is dissolved. Gently place 1 egg in each glass. What happened?!? (If the egg in the saltwater does not float, add more salt.)
Conclusion: Discuss your findings and depending on your child’s writing abilities, have them record the conclusion in a journal or on our FREE EGGcellent EGGperiment worksheets.
Explanation: This experiment is all about density. The egg is more dense than the tap water, but once you add the salt, the water becomes more dense, causing the egg to float.
5. Egg Drop
What you will need:
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- a Ziploc bag
- soft material to cushion the egg such as cotton balls, hand towel, paper towels, bubble wrap, socks…
Before you begin, discuss the experiment. Ask questions such as: Why are we using a boiled egg instead of a raw one? (The answer is simple; You don’t want to clean up the mess a raw egg would make.) What kind of material will best cushion the egg? Will it make a difference if we drop the egg on different surfaces?
Question: Which material will protect the egg?
Hypothesis: Make a hypothesis using the sentence stem: I think… Have your child explain their thinking by asking Why do you think that?
Experiment: Ready, set, drop! Now it’s time to build a comfy, cozy home for the egg. Just for fun, let your child draw a face on the egg. Next, fill the Ziploc bag with the soft material of your child’s choosing. Then, place the hard-boiled egg in the bag. Be sure the material surrounds the egg so it is properly cushioned. Close the bag. Hold the bag up and then let go! Check to see if the egg cracked. If it didn’t, try holding it higher or choose a different material and try again. You may want to try dropping your egg on different surfaces.
Conclusion: Discuss your findings and depending on your child’s writing abilities, have them record the conclusion in a journal or on our FREE EGGcellent EGGperiment worksheets.
If you try any of these easy science experiments for kids, we would love to know how it went. Leave us a comment and/or post a picture! We can’t wait to see what you’re doing!
For Other Great Activities
Looking for the perfect Easter videos for kids? These fun videos will go along great with your Easter activities, and they are teacher approved! If you enjoyed these easy science experiments for kids and are looking for more at home activities see our Fun Activities for Kids at Home blog. You can also go to our TpT store, 4 Kinder Teachers.
