Boston's Best

Ask A Boston Expert: 5 Fun & Easy Science Projects To Do At Home

March 25, 2016 / 5:00 AM EDT / CBS Boston

Science experiments are one of the best ways to do something fun and educational at home with children. Lynne Larkin, owner of Mad Science of Greater Boston, was kind enough to offer five simple experiments that young children will love. Mad Science is a science education and entertainment company that travels to locations all over greater Boston to teach and demonstrate fun science projects at birthday parties, school functions, summer programs and more.

Mad Science Of Greater Boston
37 Whitcomb St.
Waltham, MA 02453
(781) 899-6006
www.greaterboston.madscience.org

Ping Pong Launcher

List of supplies:

Hair dryer
Large bowl
Paper
Ping-pong balls
Tape
Plate
Clear acetate sheet (optional)

First, cut two pieces of tape. Roll up the piece of paper or acetate into a tube that is large enough for a ping-pong ball to slide through. Make sure to test it before using the tape to secure the tube. Put the ping-pong balls on a plate and place the bowl next to it. Put the tube over a ball and lean it at angle towards the bowl. Finally, blow the hair dryer across the top of the tube and watch the ball jump out into the bowl. This experiment is a demonstration on Bernoulli's Principle regarding air pressure.

Milk-O-Rama

List of supplies:

1 cup of whole milk
3-4 bottles of food coloring, assorted colors
Liquid dish soap
Pie plate

Pour the milk into the pie plate. Add a few drops of food coloring toward the center of the pie plate, making sure to use different colors to get the best effect. Place one drop of liquid soap in the center of the pie plate and watch as the colors swirl and expand across the milk. This happens because the soap affects the proteins and fats in the milk, as well as the surface tension.

Ketchup For A Penny

List of supplies:

Tarnished penny
Ketchup
Plate
Toothpick
Paper towel
Clock or watch

Pour some ketchup onto the plate. Place the penny on the plate. Dip the toothpick into the ketchup and then draw a design on the penny in ketchup. A smiley face is a simple idea. Let the ketchup drawing sit on the penny for one minute. Finally, wipe it off using the paper towel and see what happens. The vinegar in the ketchup has an effect on the tarnished surface of the penny.

Copycat Solution

List of supplies:

Vanilla extract
Liquid dish soap
Small cup
Tablespoon
Paintbrush
2 sheets of white paper
Black ballpoint pen

Using thick lines, create a drawing on one of the sheets of paper using the pen. Mix one tablespoon of vanilla with one-tablespoon liquid soap in the small cup. Use the paintbrush to paint a layer of this mixture over the drawing. Place the second sheet of paper over the drawing and use the spoon to press it down firmly. Gently rub the paper with the spoon over the drawing. When the drawing starts to show through the top sheet, pull it off and you will see a copy.

Cabbage Colors

1 head of Napa cabbage
4 different colors of food coloring
Scissors
Spoon
4 clear drinking glasses
Water

Start by filling each glass a quarter of the way with water. Add a few drops of food coloring to each cup, experimenting with the colors to create four different shades. Use the spoon to stir the cups of water to incorporate the color, rinsing the spoon between cups. Pull four cabbage leaves off of the head of cabbage and cut 2 inches off the bottom of each. Put a leaf in each cup and let them sit for a full 24 hours. Observe the changes in the leaves. The leaves will suck up the colored water the same way they suck up water out of soil to stay alive.

Shelly Barclay is a professional freelance writer and amateur author. She writes on a variety of topics from food to mysteries. She loves to share the culture and rich history of her birthplace and home, Boston, with the rest of the world. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.