Easy Kitchen Science Activities For Kids: Summer Science Bucket List Part 6
Welcome to part 6 of the Summer Science Bucket List. Our goal is to provide families, camp counselors, teachers, and daycare workers with engaging activities that are easy to set up yet packed with hidden science phenomena. This blog expands to kitchen science. Always a favorite, and some are edible. Most likely, you have most of these supplies, and if not, we made sure they won't break your budget. Read the complete blog for 3 fun explorations.
At Kimberly Scott Science, we aren't afraid when kids say, "I'm bored." Boredom is an opportunity to give kids a spark they can take further. It can feel hard to come up with activities that are fun, meaningful, and expand into explorations that keep them occupied.
That's where this Summer Science Bucket List comes in.
This series is packed with simple, hands-on science activities kids can actually do at home, at camp, in daycare programs, or during summer family time. Most activities use easy-to-find supplies, encourage curiosity, and create memories kids talk about long after summer ends. For older kids, it can lead to independent exploration or deeper investigation with friends.
The Best Part?
Kids won't even realize how much science learning is happening while they play, build, splash, explore, and experiment.
This is Part 6 of the Summer Science Bucket List series, and we are getting into the kitchen.
1. Floating an Egg in Soda Pop
🌧 Rainy Day Friendly 🔴 Messy Fun 🔴 Medium Prep
🧪 STEM Challenge
🧪 STEM Challenge
Kids Explore:
Floating and Sinking (Bouyancy)
Solutions and Mixtures
Regular and Diet Soda
Density
Floating and Sinking (Bouyancy)
Solutions and Mixtures
Regular and Diet Soda
Density
💓Why Kids Love it:
This activity uses fun supplies. Adding a raw egg makes it extra exciting because we don't want to break the egg. Anything with soda pop is engaging because it bubbles and fizzes. They love measuring and adding sugar to see what happens.
This activity uses fun supplies. Adding a raw egg makes it extra exciting because we don't want to break the egg. Anything with soda pop is engaging because it bubbles and fizzes. They love measuring and adding sugar to see what happens.
💕Why Parents and Teachers Love it:
Any age can explore floating and sinking, and this activity can easily expand into density with older kids. The activity allows kids to openly explore and try different things. They will be measuring, problem-solving, and analyzing what is happening.
Try This:
How much sugar does it take to float an egg in regular soda pop and diet soda pop?
Materials:
Clear Regular and Diet Soda Pop, Raw Eggs, Sugar, Tall Glass, Spoon, Paper Towels, Ruler, bowl to hold the egg.
What is happening?
I love this activity because it teaches so much science. Click the image below to learn the science behind what is happening. For older students, they can research on their own and learn about Archimedes, weight, mass, and density
Looking for a full activity, head over to our Teachers Pay Teachers store.
Make it a complete science and STEM challenge that can fill a day or week with exploration. It is great for summer camps, science classrooms, and families who want to integrate more learning into summer.
2. Colorful Rainbow Milk
A Classic Exploration
A Classic Exploration
🌧 Rainy Day Friendly 🔴 Messy Fun 🔴 Medium Prep
Kids Explore:
Oil and Water
Surface Tension
Types of Milk
The Science of Soap
💓Why Kids Love it:
It gives immediate results, and kids love a surprise. They can explore further with different milks, colors, and soaps.
💕Why Parents and Teachers Love it:
A perfect activity for any age. Like the floating egg, there is so much science. Younger kids will enjoy seeing how amazing milk is. Older kids will like diving into the science of different kinds of milk.
A perfect activity for any age. Like the floating egg, there is so much science. Younger kids will enjoy seeing how amazing milk is. Older kids will like diving into the science of different kinds of milk.
Try This:
How long do the colors swirl when soap is added to milk? Which milk swirls the colors the longest?
Materials:
Different Types of Milk (whole, 2%, 1%, Fat-Free, etc.), Food coloring, Q-Tips or Eye Droppers, Shallow Plate, Dish Soap
What is happening?
Soap breaks surface tension. It also attracts and repels different ends of a fat molecule. When the soap is added, the food coloring immediately swirls and moves. Molecules are attracted and repelled by the soap, causing everything to collide and create motion. Without the food coloring, it would be hard to see what is happening. When you use low-fat milk, the soap reacts with mostly just water. When the milk contains more fat, the soap reacts with water and oil. For more details, click the image below.
Soap breaks surface tension. It also attracts and repels different ends of a fat molecule. When the soap is added, the food coloring immediately swirls and moves. Molecules are attracted and repelled by the soap, causing everything to collide and create motion. Without the food coloring, it would be hard to see what is happening. When you use low-fat milk, the soap reacts with mostly just water. When the milk contains more fat, the soap reacts with water and oil. For more details, click the image below.
Looking for a full activity, head over to our Teachers Pay Teachers store.
Your kids will love this exploration. It is all set to go with tips and ways to explore further. It is perfect for summer because it allows students to satisfy their curiosity. Available in 3 grade level versions.
3. Making Butter
Let's Taste Test
Let's Taste Test
🌧 Rainy Day Friendly 🔴 Messy Fun 🔴 Medium Prep
Kids Explore:
Emulsions and Physical Changes
Food Science
The Science of Milk
Mixtures and Solutions
Emulsions and Physical Changes
Food Science
The Science of Milk
Mixtures and Solutions
💓Why Kids Love it:
First, they get to taste test. They enjoy shaking the milk and will be surprised that a little shaking could create something they eat often.
💕Why Parents and Teachers Love it:
It's fun to show students where their food comes from. It is so easy to make, yet it provides so much learning.
Try This:
How long do you have to shake to make butter? How long do you have to shake it to make whipped cream?
How long do you have to shake to make butter? How long do you have to shake it to make whipped cream?
Materials:
Whole Fat Cream, Marble, Small Container with a tight-fitting lid.
Looking for a full activity, head over to our Teachers Pay Teachers store.
Make it a complete science and STEM challenge that can fill a day or week with exploration. Kids will learn why you must use whole-fat cream to make butter. They will expand into a STEM challenge to learn how to separate the buttermilk from the butter.
Check out the rest of our summer science bucket list series to get kids moving, exploring, creating, and asking questions about the world around them. Be sure to save this post to find quick activities for every week of summer.
