Science Buddies
Dancing Candy Hearts
Have you ever opened a fresh bottle of carbonated water or soda, poured a glass of it, and just watched as the bubbles fizzed upward in the glass? Have you ever wondered what those bubbles are? They're made of carbon dioxide gas, which...
Science Buddies
Build an Archimedes Screw
The Archimedes screw is an ancient device used to lift water from one location to another. They are so useful that they are still in widespread use today! After a quick trip to the hardware store, you can build your own Archimedes screw...
Science Buddies
Build a Popsicle Stick Catapult
Catapults were mighty handy for pirates in the golden age of piracy (during the 17th century). And medieval knights used them centuries earlier for taking down massive castle walls. Even Greeks and Romans used catapults about 2,000 years...
Science Buddies
Make a Homemade Fly Trap
Have some pesky flies in your kitchen that you cannot seem to get rid of? In this project you will build your own simple fly trap from a plastic bottle. Get ready to get rid of those flies!
Science Buddies
Foaming Fake Snow
If you live where there is snow, it can be fun to play in it for a while—but it can get quite chilly! Or maybe you live in a place that does not get snow. In this fun activity, you can experience something similar to snow anytime, in the...
Science Buddies
Walking Water
Imagine this challenge: You have two glasses of water—one empty and one full. You want to pour half of the full glass into the empty one. The twist? You aren't allowed to pick up either glass! Can you get the water to "walk" between the...
Science Buddies
Creating Craters
How did the Moon get its craters? What about the craters on Earth? Why do they look the way they do? Find out in this fun science activity, as you make your own craters by dropping balls into a tray of flour.
Science Buddies
Wire Stripping Tutorial: How to Strip Insulation Off Hookup Wire
This tutorial describes several different techniques for removing insulation from "hookup wire," the type of wire commonly found in many circuits and electronics projects.
Science Buddies
Gingerbread House STEM Challenge
How easy or difficult is it to build a gingerbread house? It depends on what you want your house to look like. In this video, we will show you how to turn gingerbread house building into a fun STEM activity. You can even add a...
Science Buddies
Gear Up Your Candy
Did you know that gears are all around you? You can find them in wind-up toys, bicycles, carousels, cars and trucks, cranes, drills, wind turbines, analog watches, and so forth! If you've looked closely at a moving bicycle, you have seen...
Science Buddies
How Far Can Your Sneeze Go?
Do you cover your coughs and sneezes? How far do you think the droplets can travel if you do not cover them? Why is this important to help prevent the spread of diseases like COVID-19? Try this activity to find out!
Science Buddies
Elephant Toothpaste
Create a giant foaming reaction and wow your friends with this classic science demonstration! With just a few simple ingredients, you can make something that looks like toothpaste being squeezed from a tube—but so big, it must be for...
Science Buddies
The First Cartoon: Make Your Own Thaumatrope!
It's probably difficult to imagine a time with no television, no movies, and no cartoons. But believe it or not, those times weren't so long ago! What did those kids do when they couldn't watch movies? One of the most popular toys during...
Science Buddies
Balloon Magic with Bernoulli's Principle
Have you ever seen pictures or videos of a roof being blown off a house during a hurricane or tornado? You might be surprised to hear that the roof is actually not pushed off by the strong winds but instead by the air inside the house!...
Science Buddies
Write and Read Braille
Have you ever been in an elevator and wondered what the many little dots on the buttons are for? You can also find these dots in public buildings on room number signs or on ATMs. These arrangements of dots are a special writing system...
Science Buddies
How to Wind a Wire Coil with a Drill
This video shows you how to wind a large coil of wire (sometimes called an electromagnet or a solenoid, depending on the context) using a power drill. If you are just making a small coil that requires a few dozen wraps of wire, it is...
Science Buddies
Make a Fire Snake
With a few simple ingredients, you can create a "fire snake" that appears to grow out of nowhere in this fun experiment! Although it looks magical, no magic is involved—it is all because of a chemical reaction. Try it to find out how it...
Science Buddies
Is the Egg Raw or Cooked? That is the Question!
Have you ever found an egg in your refrigerator and wondered if it was cooked? Although eggs drastically change inside their shells when cooked, it is still remarkably difficult to distinguish a cooked egg from a raw one without cracking...
Science Buddies
Homemade Rice Paper
Have you ever encountered "paper" on your plate—perhaps in the form of thin paper for spring rolls, or cake decorating? Did it make you wonder how this paper relates to the paper you write on? You will find out in this activity! In...
Science Buddies
Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer
Did you ever wonder what hand sanitizer is made of, or how you can efficiently disinfect your hands or other frequently touched surfaces like doorknobs? Handwashing is still the best way to keep your hands clean, but hand sanitizer is a...
Science Buddies
Find Your Blind Spot!
Did you know that you have a blind spot in your eye? In fact, every person has an unavoidable blind spot in each of their eyes. This doesn't mean that you see a constant black spot in your field of vision though. Normally you don't...
Science Buddies
How Do Viruses React To Soap?
Have you ever wondered why we wash our hands with water and soap to get rid of bacteria and viruses? Good hand hygiene becomes especially important during viral outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic! The CDC (Center for Disease...
Science Buddies
How Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Take Over
Have you ever had to take antibiotics? Your doctor probably told you to finish taking all the pills even if you felt better after one or two days. But why is that? Why shouldn't you stop taking antibiotics as soon as you feel better? You...
Science Buddies
Make an LED Lightsaber with a Straw
Turn a simple circuit into a mini lightsaber with a straw, LED, and coin cell battery in this fun Star Wars STEM activity!