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elementary science

How to Conduct an Exploding Watermelon Theme Experiment

May 25, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Nothing screams summer more than an exploding watermelon theme experiment. Also, see my 4 Week Free Watermelon Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas.

The exploding melon experiment is a perfect example of physics and engineering in action.

Just so you know this is one of the coolest and messiest science activity we’ve done. Be sure to do this outside for a fun summer day.

How to Conduct an Exploding Watermelon Theme Experiment

The idea is simple: you stretch rubber bands around the middle of the melon, one at a time.

Eventually, the melon explodes, shooting juice and pieces everywhere.

However, there is a lot of science to learn from this simple experiment.

KIDS BOOKS & RESOURCES ABOUT WATERMELON

First, add some of these books and fun resources.

5 Watermelon Books & Resources

Add these fun books about seeds, gardening and watermelons. You can use them for a unit study or add to your home library.

Watermelon, Watermelon

"Watermelon, Watermelon" is a delightful sing-along book by award-winning songwriter and music therapist Stephanie Leavell. Perfect for ages 1-7, this rhythmic and catchy story is based on Stephanie's beloved children's song. The book features bright, captivating illustrations by Sarah Pilar Echeverria, making it an engaging read that young children will request again and again.

Food Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of Our Edible World

Julia Rothman starts with an illustrated history of food and ends with a global tour of street eats. Along the way, Rothman serves up a hilarious primer on short-order egg lingo and a mouthwatering menu of how people around the planet serve fried potatoes–and what we dip them in.Award-winning food journalist Rachel Wharton lends her expertise to this light-hearted exploration of everything food that bursts with little-known facts and delightful drawings

The Watermelon Seed

Crocodile loves watermelon, but what will happen when his greatest fear of swallowing a watermelon seed comes to pass? Will vines sprout out his ears? Will his skin turn pink? Only one thing is certain: his wild imagination will have kids laughing out loud and begging for another read.

Where the Watermelons Grow

When twelve-year-old Della Kelly finds her mother furiously digging black seeds from a watermelon in the middle of the night and talking to people who aren't there, Della worries that it’s happening again—that the sickness that put her mama in the hospital four years ago is back. That her mama is going to be hospitalized for months like she was last time.

With her daddy struggling to save the farm and her mama in denial about what’s happening, it’s up to Della to heal her mama for good. And she knows just how she’ll do it: with a jar of the Bee Lady’s magic honey, which has mended the wounds and woes of Maryville, North Carolina, for generations.

Bananagrams Word-a-Melon: Family-Fun Word Search Game for Kids Age 6+

  • WORDY-FUN: Word-a-Melon is the family-fun word search game by Bananagrams
  • FLIP THOSE TILES: Take turns rolling the die, flipping the cardboard letter chips and creating words with the overturned letters
  • USE YOUR MELON: Unused letters are flipped back over so players must be sure to remember where they are!

Next, look at more fun summer themed activities.

MORE WATERMELON THEME ACTIVITIES

  • How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning
  • Math Game: Roll & Cover
  • How to Make Fun Watermelon Seed Slime For Summer Learning
  • Seed spitting measurement
  • Quilled Pendant
  • Sponge Painting

How to Conduct an Exploding Watermelon Theme Experiment

Finally, look at how to do this experiment.

EXPLODING WATERMELON EXPERIMENT

You will need:

  • A medium-sized watermelon
  • 400-600 rubber bands
  • Safety goggles

The very first step is to put on your safety goggles. 

Ensure that all observers also have their eye protection in place. This cannot be stressed enough – flying watermelon pieces can cause serious eye injury.

Choose a flat outdoor surface and set down the watermelon. 

If you are using protective sheeting, lay it down before placing the watermelon. 

Have your camera or phone ready to record the event. Consider the lighting and the angle that will best capture the explosion.

Apply the first layer, carefully placing rubber bands around the circumference of the watermelon. 

Ensure that they are distributed somewhat evenly around the widest part of the fruit.

There’s no specific pattern required, just aim for relatively uniform coverage.

How to Conduct an Exploding Watermelon Theme Experiment

Layer by layer, continue adding rubber bands, one at a time. 

As you add more, you will start to feel the tension increasing. The rubber bands will begin to bunch together and press firmly against the watermelon’s rind. 

Try to weave the new rubber bands in among the existing ones to distribute the pressure as evenly as possible. 

Using a mix of rubber band sizes can help achieve better coverage and prevent too much stress on a single point.

How to Conduct an Exploding Watermelon Theme Experiment

Once you have applied a significant number of rubber bands, pause and observe the watermelon closely. 

MELON EXPERIMENT

You may start to hear subtle cracking or popping sounds emanating from the rind.

These are indicators that the pressure is building and the watermelon’s structural integrity is being challenged. 

Be patient; the explosion won’t happen instantaneously.

Keep adding rubber bands. As the pressure intensifies, the watermelon will likely begin to deform slightly. The area around the equator will appear compressed, and the rubber bands will be tightly stretched. 

The cracking and popping sounds may become more frequent and pronounced. 

This is the exciting phase where the internal forces are nearing their limit, you can see how one end of the watermelon is bulging and catch where it was just beginning to burst.

How to Conduct an Exploding Watermelon Theme Experiment

Eventually, the cumulative pressure from the rubber bands will exceed the tensile strength of the watermelon rind. This will result in a sudden and often surprisingly powerful explosion.

The watermelon will rupture, sending chunks of rind and flesh flying outwards. Be prepared for a loud noise and a shower of watermelon debris. Maintain a safe distance during this stage.

How to Conduct an Exploding Watermelon Theme Experiment

Almost as cool as the explosion was that the rubber bands formed a tight rubber band ball when the watermelon pushed through them.

How to Conduct an Exploding Watermelon Theme Experiment

The exploding watermelon experiment  illustrates several key scientific concepts:

SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS MELON EXPERIMENT

Energy Release: The potential energy stored in the stretched rubber bands and the compressed watermelon is suddenly released during the explosion, propelling the fragments outwards.

External Pressure: The rubber bands exert an external compressive force on the watermelon. Each rubber band contributes a small amount of tension, and the cumulative effect of hundreds of these bands creates significant pressure directed inwards towards the watermelon’s core.

Internal Pressure: Watermelons, like many fruits, have a high water content, which contributes to internal turgor pressure. This internal pressure pushes outwards against the rind, helping the fruit maintain its shape.

Tensile Strength: The watermelon rind possesses a certain amount of tensile strength, which is its ability to withstand being pulled apart or stretched. The rind can endure a certain level of external pressure before its structural integrity is compromised.

Accumulation of Force: Individually, a single rubber band exerts a relatively small force. However, by applying a large number of rubber bands, these small forces add up to create a substantial overall pressure. This demonstrates how multiple small forces can combine to overcome a greater resistance.

Material Failure: The explosion occurs when the total external pressure exerted by the rubber bands exceeds the tensile strength of the watermelon rind plus its internal pressure. At this point, the rind can no longer withstand the forces acting upon it, and it ruptures catastrophically.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, science, watermelon

How to Make Salt Dough Bug Fossils & Fossil Definition Kids

April 26, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We’re learning how to make salt dough bug fossils and learning a fossil definition kids. Also, you’ll love my Amber – Freezing Gold Lapbook and Unit Study.

Sometimes it’s easier to explain a definition like what is a fossil when kids do a hands-on craft.

Learning about bugs in the spring too when bugs seem to be plentiful makes a fun study.

How to Make Salt Dough Bug Fossils & Fossil Definition Kids

When people think of fossils, we think of huge dinosaurs but smaller fossils like bugs can be fascinating.

For example, amber traps bugs like glue. And bugs don’t have bones but their hard shells can still fossilize.

Bug fossils can show tiny details like eyes, wings, and even hair.

BOOKS ABOUT FOSSILS

Next, look at these books about fossils and of course dinosaurs which go hand in hand with learning about fossils

15 Books for Kids Crazy About Fossils and Dinosaurs

Your dinosaur loving kids will love some of these books and resources for a fun dinosaur unit study.

Fossils Tell of Long Ago

What is a fossil? Sometimes it's the imprint of an ancient leaf in a rock. Or it could be the skeleton of a dinosaur that has turned to stone. With clear prose and beautifully detailed illustrations, award-winning author and illustrator Aliki describes the different ways fossils are formed and what they tell us about life on Earth long ago.

This is a clear and appealing science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. It includes a find out more section with a glossary and activity guide so kids can create their own fossils for someone to find a million years from now.

Dinosaurs! (New & Updated)

Gail Gibbons presents the most recent and up-to-date theories about the history of dinosaurs and dinosaur discoveries. She discusses the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods and the non-bird dinosaurs that lived during each time. Each dinosaur is explored in just the right amount of detail for young paleontologists, as this book brings these magnificent creatures to life again

Digging Up Dinosaurs (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

How did those enormous dinosaur skeletons get inside the museum? Beloved author-illustrator Aliki’s simple, engaging text and colorful artwork bring the long-extinct creatures to life for young dinosaur enthusiasts.

Long ago, dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Then, suddenly, they died out. For thousands of years, no one knew these giant creatures had ever existed. Then people began finding fossils—bones and teeth and footprints that had turned to stone. Today, teams of experts work together to dig dinosaur fossils out of the ground, bone by fragile bone

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?

A playful peek into the homes of dinosaur babies and their parents at bedtime!How do dinosaurs say good night?Brimming with humor and familiar good-night antics, here is a playful peek into the homes of dinosaur children and their parents at bedtime. Perfect for sharing and reading aloud, this is one nighttime book your own little dinosaur will want to read again and again.

Dinosaur Roar!

A celebratory edition of this much loved classic picture book, now twenty-five years old. This rollicking rhyming text is a joy to read aloud, and the charming and colourful pictures will appeal to the very youngest dinosaur fans. Originally published in 1994, Dinosaur Roar! by Henrietta and Paul Stickland is now seen as a modern classic, a book that every preschool child should have.In the back of the book is a wonderful pull-out poster showing the dinosaur characters.The book carries the endorsement of the Earth Sciences Department at the Natural History Museum.

Dinosaur Bones

With a lively rhyming text and vibrant paper collage illustrations, author-artist Bob Barner shakes the dust off the dinosaur bones found in museums and reminds us that they once belonged to
living, breathing creatures. Filled with fun dinosaur facts (a T. Rex skull can weigh up to 750 pounds!) and an informational "Dinometer," Dinosaur Bones is sure to make young dinosaur enthusiasts roar with delight.

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs

A long time ago there were dinosaurs. Big dinosaurs and small dinosaurs. Dinosaurs with horns on their heads or spikes down their backs. Dinosaurs with long, long necks and long, long tails. Imaginatively and with a masterful use of color, shape and composition, Bryon Barton brings to life a unique and endearing vision of what the world may have looked like once upon a time.

A long time ago there was dinosaurs. Big dinosaurs and small dinosaurs. Dinosaurs with horns on their heads or spikes down their backs. Dinosaurs with long, long necks and long, long tails.Imaginatively and with a masterful use of color, shape and composition, Byron Barton brings to life unique and endearing vision of what the world may have looked like once up ona time.

Here We Go Digging for Dinosaur Bones

This STEM-friendly musical fossil dig will have dinosaur lovers singing along as they learn the science behind paleontology.

I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur

If you could be a dinosaur, which would you be? Would you roar like the ferocious T-Rex? Or soar overhead like the pterodactyl? In this playful early-learning book, Stella Blackstone s lyrical, rhyming text takes readers on an unforgettable Jurassic journey, while fabric artist Clare Beaton recreates the prehistoric world of dinosaurs using a colorful array of felt, sequins, beads and buttons.

T Is for Terrible: A Picture Book

I am Tyrannosaurus Rex.

I am a dinosaur,

otherwise known as

a terrible lizard.

Tyrannosaurus rex is a terrible dinosaur; of this, everyone is certain. But is this dinosaur really so terrible? He IS very big and very hungry. True, he might even eat his neighbors for lunch. But from his point of view, he can't help it. After all, he's not a vegetarian . . .

The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek

Meet George. He's strong, as a giant dinosaur should be, strong enough to wreck a plane! (Of course he thinks it's his old enemy, the flying Pteranodon.) He's loyal. He'll do anything to help Joan and Joey save their mother's ranch at Cricket Creek, even chase a bank robber. He's shy. He's so shy he gets Joan and Joey into hilarious, dinosaur sized trouble!

The Magic School Bus in the Time of Dinosaurs

The classroom is decorated as Dinosaur Land, but Ms. Frizzle-inspired by an archeological dig-craves a more authentic experience. The Magic School Bus turns into a time machine and transports the class back millions of years to an adventure where they learn about dinosaurs, their habitats and diets, and even a Maiasaura nesting ground.

Fossils (A True Book: Earth Science)

Fossils are one of the most important tools we have for learning about long-extinct wildlife.

A True Book: Earth Science series presents fascinating facts and fun activities that will engage the budding earth scientist, while exploring the fields of geology, meteorology, ecology, and more. This series includes an age appropriate (grades 3-5) introduction to curriculum-relevant subjects and a robust resource section that encourages independent study. In the 4.6 billion years since Earth was formed, many plant and animal species have come and gone. Readers will discover how fossils are formed, how paleontologists search for them, and what kinds of information they can provide.

Paleontological Fossils Sample- Paleontology Trilobite Fossil, Scientific Amber Specimen

A box of ten fossils: A box of this paleontological fossil sample contains ten of fossils, including sea clam fossils, trilobites, ichthyodonts, porphyrites, copal amber, graptolites, nematodes, phylloceras, corals, and spirals. Fossil specimen of algae.

Ancient Fossils TOOB - Figurines: Dino Footprint, Giant Crab, Ammonite, Raptor Claw, T-Rex Tooth, Frog Skeleton, Sea Scorpion & More

Step into Prehistory: This Toob contains 10 expertly hand-painted mini figurines of ancient fossils, including a Dinosaur Footprint, Giant Crab, Ammonite, Raptor Claw, Fossilized Frog, Trilobite, T-Rex Tooth, Fossilized Fish, Dinosaur Skin, and a Sea Scorpion.

Next, look at more activities to include with this one.

MORE FOSSIL ACTIVITIES FOR FOSSIL DEFINITIONS KIDS

  • Fun Facts About Mold Fossils & 4 Types of Fossil Activities For Kids
  • Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet
  • Science Fiction for Middle School Fun Jurassic Park Quick Unit Study (DIY Insect in Amber)

ACTIVITIES ABOUT BUGS AND INSECTS

  • Bugs Facts For Kids And Free Paper Bug Bracelets
  • Free Ant Study
  • Fascinating and Fun Honey Bees Unit Study and Lapbook for Kids
  • 4 Cicada Insect Fun Facts For Kids | How to Make A Cicada Clothespin Craft
  • Free Kids Insect Unit Study
  • How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture
  • Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping
  • Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids
  • 8 Insect Fun Facts About Texas For Kids | Easy Dragonfly Craft
How to Make Salt Dough Bug Fossils & Fossil Definition Kids

FOSSIL DEFINITION KIDS

In addition, learn what is fossil definition. A simple definition of what is a bug fossil can be easy to explain.

A bug fossil is the preserved remains or impression of an ancient insect or arthropod. For example, think about spiders and centipedes.

And there are two main ways bugs can become fossils like sedimentary rock fossils and amber fossils

Finally, look at how to make salt dough bug fossils.

HOW TO MAKE SALT DOUGH BUG FOSSILS

First, look at this list of supplies.

  • 1 Cup flour
  • ½ Cup salt
  • ½ Cup water
  • Bowl
  • Spoon
  • Round biscuit cutter (or a cup)
  • Rolling pin
  • Parchment paper
  • Small cooking sheet
  • Plastic bugs
  • Paint (optional)
How to Make Salt Dough Bug Fossils & Fossil Definition Kids

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Add flour and salt to the bowl, and stir to combine.

How to Make Salt Dough Bug Fossils & Fossil Definition Kids

Pour the water into the flour and salt mixture.

How to Make Salt Dough Bug Fossils & Fossil Definition Kids

Stir until a dough ball forms.

Knead the dough with your hands until the salt dough is completely incorporated.

How to Make Salt Dough Bug Fossils & Fossil Definition Kids

Place a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface. Use the rolling pin to roll the dough out.

How to Make Salt Dough Bug Fossils & Fossil Definition Kids

Use the round biscuit cutter or a cup to make round cutouts.

How to Make Salt Dough Bug Fossils & Fossil Definition Kids

Remove the extra dough.

Leaving just the cutouts on the parchment paper.

How to Make Salt Dough Bug Fossils & Fossil Definition Kids

Carefully press a plastic bug into the salt dough, then gently remove the bug.

How to Make Salt Dough Bug Fossils & Fossil Definition Kids

Repeat the step above until all the salt dough cutouts have a fossil imprinted.

Carefully place the parchment paper onto the cooking sheet.

Bake for 1 hour. Carefully flip the salt dough cutouts over and continue to bake for an additional hour.

Let the salt dough fossil cool completely before handling. Paint salt dough fossils (if you choose to).

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: bug, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, insects, life science, science

Fun Moon Facts For Kids And Free Moon Phases Printable

April 25, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some fun moon facts for kids and a free moon phases printable. Also, look at my page Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages for more ideas.

Because the moon can appear to have a different shape every night, it makes for a fascinating study for any age.

And the moon goes through something called lunar phases and we’re learning about them today.

Fun Moon Facts For Kids And Free Moon Phases Printable

The moon is earth’s only satellite.

Too, it doesn’t have any light of its own but reflects the sun’s light.

Too, the moon doesn’t change shapes. It looks different depending on how the sunlight hits it.

Also, look at these fun moon books to include while learning fun moon facts for kids.

BOOKS ABOUT THE MOON FOR KIDS

12 Resources and Books For Studying About the Moon and Galileo

If you want to focus on the moon in your astronomy and space unit study, add one of these fun resources to your day.

1. Who Was Galileo?

Like Michelangelo, Galileo is another Renaissance great known just by his first name--a name that is synonymous with scientific achievement. Born in Pisa, Italy, in the sixteenth century, Galileo contributed to the era's great rebirth of knowledge. He invented a telescope to observe the heavens. From there, not even the sky was the limit!

2. The Moon Book (New & Updated Edition)

This newly revised edition, available in time for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, incorporates new, up-to-date information based on recent discoveries, and includes an updated map of the moon's surface. Thoroughly vetted by an astrophysics expert, The Moon Book is a perfect introduction to lunar phases, orbit, the history of space exploration, and more.

3. Galileo and the Magic Numbers

Sixteenth century Italy produced a genius who marked the world with his studies and hypotheses about mathematical, physical and astronomical truths. His father, musician Vincenzio Galilei said, “Truth is not found behind a man’s reputation. Truth appears only when the answers to questions are searched out by a free mind. This is not the easy path in life but it is the most rewarding.” Galileo challenged divine law and the physics of Aristotle, and questioned everything in search of truths. And it was through this quest for truth that he was able to establish a structure for modern science.

4. Moon: A Peek-Through Picture Book

It’s the perfect light nonfiction book for young stargazers—and an ideal bedtime book, ending with a giant moon hovering over a sleepy town hunkered down for bed.

5. Moon Lamp

Novelty Moon Lighting: Realistic Colorful Star Galaxy printed 🌌 Moon Lamp with advanced 3D technology. Now decorate your bedroom, hall, office or desk with our Space Theme gorgeous Galaxy Lamp. Your guests will definitely admire the beauty of this lively moon light.

6. Refracting Telescope for Kids Beginners

Quality Optics: 400mm(f/5.7) focal length and 70mm aperture, fully coated optics glass lens with high transmission coatings creates stunning images and protect your eyes. Perfect telescope for astronomers to explore stars and moon.

7. Jupiter (Planets in Our Solar System)

Everything about Jupiter is big! Its size is big. Even its storms are big! Get the big and small facts about this gas giant that can be seen glowing in the night sky.

8. Galileo Galilei (Genius Series)

Astronomer, physicist, and philosopher Galileo Galilei was referred to as "The Father of Modern Science," because of his groundbreaking research. Making observations about nature, and using mathematics to back them up, he proved the Copernican Theory true: the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the universe. Join Galileo on his pioneering journey to see why his work had such long-lasting implications, and why the Catholic Church even condemned him for heresy.

9. What the Moon is Like

Imagine that you're walking on the moon. What is it like? For thousands of years people looked up at the moon and wondered about it. Now we know what the moon is like. There is no air on the moon and nothing grows, but there are towering mountains and deep craters—and much more.

Colder than the desert, the hotter than the desert, the moon is an amazing place to explore.

10. A Kite for Moon

What would it be like if the moon was your friend? Find out as you walk alongside a little boy who journeys through life to achieve his dream of becoming an astronaut. And then blast off with your little one as you zoom to the moon together!

The story begins when a little boy, who is flying his kite, notices a sad Moon. He sends up kites to her, writing notes promising he will come see her someday. This promise propels him through years of studying, learning, and training to become an astronaut. Until … he finally goes up, up, up in a big rocket ship with a fiery tail.

A Kite for Moon:

  • Features over 20 gorgeous illustrations by award-winning artist Matt Phelan
  • Is the perfect storybook for children ages 4 to 8
  • Celebrates every child’s fascination with space

11. Large Massive Meteorite Specimen

You could also grab these meteorite specimens (artificial) to let your child use for impact craters!

Moon! Earth's Best Friend (Our Universe, 3)

Meet Moon! She's more than just a rock―she’s Earth’s rock, her best friend she can always count on. Moon never turns her back on her friend (literally: she's always facing Earth with the same side!). These two will stick together forever. With characteristic humor and charm, Stacy McAnulty channels the voice of Moon in this next celestial "autobiography" in the Our Universe series. Rich with kid-friendly facts and beautifully brought to life by Stevie Lewis, this is an equally charming and irresistible companion to Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years and Sun! One in a Billion.

Next, look at these facts about the moon.

FUN MOON FACTS FOR KIDS

  1. There’s no wind or weather on the Moon.
  2. The lunar phases are new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent.
  3. The full cycle takes about 29.5 days. This is known as a lunar month.
  4. The Moon rotates on its axis at the same rate that it orbits Earth.
  5. And the moon’s gravitational pull tugs on Earth’s oceans, causing the water to rise and fall. This is why we have high tide and low tide.
  6. The first human to walk the moon was Neil Armstrong, who famously said: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
  7. The moon has no atmosphere.
  8. There is no air to breathe.
  9. Temperature can vary from boiling hot to freezing cold.
  10. Astronauts foot prints can last a long time because there is no wind or rain to erase them.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE FREE MOON PHASES PRINTABLE

  • 10 page download
  • Phases of the moon cycle
  • Cut/Paste phases of the moon cycle
  • 3 pages phases of the moon cards
  • 3 pages phases of the moon flash card

These pages are perfect to motivate the self-learner or to use with my large Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages.

Fun Moon Facts For Kids And Free Moon Phases Printable

Also, look at more learning about the moon activities.

MORE LEARNING ABOUT THE MOON ACTIVITIES

  • Free Moon Journal For Homeschool Science
  • Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment
  • Geronimo Stilton Theme Mouse in Space Fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark)
  • 10 Moon Craft Ideas and Wrapped Crescent Moon Craft For Kids
  • 5 Facts About The Moon Landing and Make Fun Astronaut Ice Cream

HOW TO GET THE FREE PHASES OF THE MOON PRINTABLE

Now, how to grab the freebie.  It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

2) Grab the freebie instantly.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschoolscience, moon, science

Colorful Chemistry: Exciting M&M Science Experiment To Try At Home

March 27, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

While it is a very simple one, this M&M science experiment is a fun one that demonstrates colors, color mixing, and even the effect of warm water on sugar.

Not only do they get to see the colors run through the water, but they can watch the M itself lift and move off the candy.

You have two great experiments in one.

Colorful Chemistry: Exciting M&M Science Experiment To Try At Home

What I love is that it is easy enough for kids to run completely on their own.

And it takes just a couple of supplies and is so quick to set up making it an easy one for mom as well.

This would be a fabulous activity to add to a preschool letter M unit, because a candy-filled study is sure to be a memorable one.

BOOKS ABOUT CHEMISTRY FOR KIDS

12 Chemistry Books & Resources for Kids of All Ages

But first here are some resources that are a great introduction and more to chemistry for kids.

Superstars of Science

Discover fun facts about the greatest scientists from history through Basher's fresh and unique illustration style.

Did you know that Marie Curie used to keep radioactive materials in her pockets? Or that Mendeleyev literally dreamed up his famous periodic table? Superstars of Science tells the stories behind the big ideas in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, mathematics, cosmology, earth sciences, and engineering. Read about 40 great scientists including Newton and Einstein who produced theories that explained the way in which the Universe works, Crick and Watson who uncovered the structure of DNA, and Alexander Graham Bell who had the big idea that became the telephone. Each one of these greats of science has had some vital flash of insight that has changed the way we see the world and the way we live. Come meet the superstars of science!

Basher Science: Chemistry: Getting a Big Reaction

Discover the secrets of chemistry, and learn about the properties of matter and the ways in which they interact, combine and change. Chemistry is a compelling guide to a community of characters who make up everything around us.

Crucibles: The Story of Chemistry from Ancient Alchemy to Nuclear Fission

This book is a classic in the field of popular science. Standard reading since the 1930s, it is one of the few histories of chemistry to concentrate on the lives of the great chemists. Through these dramatic and human stories, it gives an authoritative and entertaining account of the great discoveries and advances in this scientific field. After many printings in three previous editions, this book has been newly revised by the author for this fourth edition. Beginning with Trevisan and his lifelong search for the "philosopher's stone," the author narrates the lives and discoveries of such towering figures as Paracelsus and his chemical treatment of disease; Priestley looking for phlogiston and finding oxygen and carbon dioxide, Lavoisier creating a new language of chemistry; Dalton and his Atomic Theory; Avogadro and the idea of molecules, Mendeleeff arranging the table of elements under his Periodic Law; the Curies isolating radium; Thomson discovering the electron; Moseley and his Law of Atomic Numbers; Lawrence and the construction of the cyclotron; and more. Probably the most dramatic chapter in the book, the account of the development of nuclear fission, ends the story of chemistry at its most monumental achievement.

The Chemistry of Cola

You’ll be amazed at all you can learn from this favorite drink – what’s in it, why it fizzes, what you can do with it, the containers it’s in, and more!

Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History

Napoleon's Buttons is the fascinating account of seventeen groups of molecules that have greatly influenced the course of history. These molecules provided the impetus for early exploration, and made possible the voyages of discovery that ensued. The molecules resulted in grand feats of engineering and spurred advances in medicine and law; they determined what we now eat, drink, and wear. A change as small as the position of an atom can lead to enormous alterations in the properties of a substance-which, in turn, can result in great historical shifts.

52 Extreme Kids Chemistry Experiments Set - STEM Activities & Science Kits

If you want your child to be able to explore and complete some simple chemistry experiments without running around grabbing all the items an all in on kit is just the thing to add to your chemistry studies.

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why is gallium (Ga, 31) the go-to element for laboratory pranksters? The Periodic Table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventure, betrayal, and obsession. These fascinating tales follow every element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, and in the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. The Disappearing Spoon masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, and discovery -- from the Big Bang through the end of time.

Chemistry Fluxx Card Game - Science Games Card Games for Kids

 Chemistry EditionChemistry Fluxx is the perfect compound of chance, skill and strategy-use atoms and laboratory tools to match the current goal of the game and win! The rules are always changing in Fluxx. The Keepers, Goals, Rules and Action cards determine how the game will be played.

Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture (DIY Science)

For students, DIY hobbyists, and science buffs, who can no longer get real chemistry sets, this one-of-a-kind guide explains how to set up and use a home chemistry lab, with step-by-step instructions for conducting experiments in basic chemistry -- not just to make pretty colors and stinky smells, but to learn how to do real lab work:

  • Purify alcohol by distillation
  • Produce hydrogen and oxygen gas by electrolysis
  • Smelt metallic copper from copper ore you make yourself
  • Analyze the makeup of seawater, bone, and other common substances
  • Synthesize oil of wintergreen from aspirin and rayon fiber from paper
  • Perform forensics tests for fingerprints, blood, drugs, and poisons
  • and much more

The Joy of Chemistry: The Amazing Science of Familiar Things

Written for lay readers, provides an introduction to the principles of chemistry and includes quotations from popular literature to show how chemistry and everyday life intertwine.

The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry (Cartoon Guide Series)

If you have ever suspected that "heavy water" is the title of a bootleg Pink Floyd album, believed that surface tension is an anxiety disorder, or imagined that a noble gas is the result of a heavy meal at Buckingham Palace, then you need The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry to set you on the road to chemical literacy.

You don't need to be a scientist to grasp these and many other complex ideas, because The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry explains them all: the history and basics of chemistry, atomic theory, combustion, solubility, reaction stoichiometry, the mole, entropy, and much more—all explained in simple, clear, and yes, funny illustrations. Chemistry will never be the same!

Air Is Not Oxygen: Essential Science You Should Have Learned ... But Probably Didn't!

AIR IS NOT OXYGEN is a fun way to brush up on essential science concepts you missed in school. (Admit it. You probably thought you had better things to do than study!) Clear, short chapters focus on mastering key concepts instead of memorizing facts. Dozens of optional hands-on activities make science come alive! In a style described as “Dave Barry meets Bill Nye with a touch of the Mythbusters,” award-winning author, Bill Morelan, debunks common misconceptions about basic science. Reflecting both the National Science Content Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards, AIR IS NOT OXYGEN covers Life Science, Earth Science, Physical Science, and Science Methods.A fun, informative read, AIR IS NOT OXYGEN helps fill the gaps in your science education. (Never be humiliated by science geeks again!) Perfect for sharing, or as a handy basic reference tool. Makes a great book for kids, too.

While it is an easy activity it introduces some more complex science

THE SCIENCE OF THE M&M EXPERIMENT

Dissolving: Because the colored coating of M&Ms is made of sugar and colored dye when it is put into water the water molecules pull on the sugar and dye molecules and cause them to dissolve.

Diffusion: When the sugar and dye dissolve, they move from areas of high concentration (covering the M&M) to areas of low concentration (the water around it). This movement of the molecules is called diffusion.

Rainbow Effect: Immediately after the water covers the candy you see distinct lines of color as the dye diffuses into the water, creating a “rainbow” effect before they mix.

Water-Soluble Vs. Insoluble: The Floating M part of the experiment introduces the ideas of water-soluble and insoluble properties.

The M part of the candy is printed onto special edible paper that is water-insoluble so instead of just fading away quickly like the dye on the candy it separates as the other layers break down and just…floats away.

Colorful Chemistry: Exciting M&M Science Experiment To Try At Home

We of course aren’t just going to try the one M&M science experiment,

Grab a big bag of M&M’s for all the other cool experiments and activities using these tasty little treats that I found for you.

M&M SCIENCE EXPERIMENT AND OTHER M&M ACTIVITIES

  • Give this painting with M&M Chocolate Candy as a new art medium a try for your next art project.
  • Try this colorful Printable Letter A M&M Color Sorting Activity to develop letter recognition in a unique edible way.
  • Here are 10+ ideas to show that M&M’s are Marvelous & Magical indeed, for counting, art, and more!
  • How cute are these M&M Flower Pretzels? What a yummy way to do some basic cooking and explore colors together.
  • Watch Unwrapped’s How M&M’s are made in a 12-hour process. From start to packaging there is so much to learn in these videos.
  • Make some M&M’s Pixel Art  for fine motor skills, creativity, and just for the fun of it.
  • Change things up and take a break from sweets by recreating them with a M&M Painted Rock Tutorial, a great garden addition.
  • The Fast-Moving M&M Game That Everyone Will Love sounds like a great idea for a family or co-op activity.

Finally, look at how to do this fun experiment.

EXCITING M&M SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

You will need:

  • M&M’s
  • Dish or shallow bowl with a flat bottom
  • Warm water
Colorful Chemistry: Exciting M&M Science Experiment To Try At Home

First, gather up your supplies and have them ready so your child can begin immediately, nothing turns a quick and easy experiment into a frustrating one faster than scrambling around for supplies while your child waits.

Place the dish where you will be completing the experiment, you don’t want to move it once you begin.

Have them place M&Ms around the outer edge of the dish in any pattern they like.

Colorful Chemistry: Exciting M&M Science Experiment To Try At Home

Slowly pour warm (just from the tap) water into the center of the dish until the candy is completely covered with water.

Colorful Chemistry: Exciting M&M Science Experiment To Try At Home

Watch as the colors begin to dissolve off the candy shell and begin to spread throughout the water.

Colorful Chemistry: Exciting M&M Science Experiment To Try At Home

After just a couple minutes the colors begin to mix and muddy.

Colorful Chemistry: Exciting M&M Science Experiment To Try At Home

Look closely and you can see the M’s lift and float away too.

Colorful Chemistry: Exciting M&M Science Experiment To Try At Home

To take this experiment to the next level and introduce your child to scientific terms like hypothesis, variable, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions (all parts of the scientific method) you can try different things.

For instance, use different types of candies. Too, use different types of liquids to see which melts the fastest. For example, use water, salt water, milk,etc

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: chemistry, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschoolscience, m&m, science

Bugs Facts For Kids And Free Paper Bug Bracelets

March 26, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some fun bugs facts for kids. Also, look at my page Free Kids Insect Unit Study for more ideas.

While all bugs are insects, not all insects are bugs.

True bugs are a smaller category of insects that have specific features:

Bugs Facts For Kids And Free Paper Bug Bracelets

For example, some bugs are mosquitos, aphids, stink bugs, and bedbugs.

Insects are a group of animals with unique features. If you see a creature with three main body parts, six legs, and usually wings, then it’s probably an insect.

Some common insects are ladybugs, bees, ants, and grasshoppers.

Too, I have a free 8 page printable with bug bracelets.

The bug bracelets are ladybug, butterfly, bee, spider, dragonfly, moth, firefly, and beetle.

BOOKS ABOUT INSECTS AND BUGS FOR KIDS

Next, look at these books about insects and bugs for kids.

11 Insect & Bug Books for Kids Who Love to Be Read To and Read

Add one or two of these books to your home library about insects. I love living books but love to add reference books to our day when I find them.

When Insects are Babies

Describes briefly the short infancy of such common insects as the grasshopper, praying mantis, cicada, earwig, and twelve others.

We Like Bugs

This illustrated book for children asks the Have you ever seen a doodlebug? A dragon fly? A leafhopper? Find out all about bugs in this book.

Fabre's Book of Insects

Hailed by Darwin as "The Homer of Insects," famed French entomologist Jean Henri Fabre (1823–1915) devoted hours of rapt attention to insects while they hunted, built nests, and fed their families. Working in Provence, in barren, sun-scorched fields inhabited by countless wasps and bees, he observed their intricate and fascinating world, recounting their activities in simple, beautifully written essays.This volume, based on translations of Fabre's Souvenirs Entomologiques, blends folklore and mythology with factual explanation. Fabre's absorbing account of the scarab beetle's existence, for example, begins with the ancient Egyptians' symbolic view of this busy creature, eventually leading to a careful discussion of its characteristic method of rolling a carefully sculpted ball of food to its den. Elsewhere, he discusses with infectious enthusiasm the physiologic secrets behind the luminosity of fireflies, the musical talents of the locust, the comfortable home of the field cricket, and the cannibalism of the pious-looking praying mantis, among other topics.These charmingly related stories of insect life are a rare combination of scientific study and literary classic that will delight entomologists, naturalists, and nature lovers alike.

Children of Summer: Henri Fabre's Insects

Henri Fabre (1823-1915) was a famous explorer yet he seldom left his own backyard. He spent his whole life discovering the secrets of the insect world. His home and its surroundings served as his laboratory, and his lab assistants were his wife and children. The entire family shared his passion for insects, especially his youngest son, Paul. Follow Paul as he assists his famous father uncover the secrets of his "children of summer"-insects. You'll meet the undertaker beetle that buries dead animals; the acorn elephant beetle, whose snout is so long that it must hold it straight out to keep from tripping over it; caterpillars that spin tents and roadways of silk; red ants that kidnap black ant babies and raise them as slaves; dancing scorpions; dung beetles that get their nourishment from animal droppings; male peacock moths that pay homage to their princess but don't eat a single meal as adults; and many other unusual creatures. On the way, you'll get to know a fascinating scientist widely regarded as the father of modern entomology. Through texts drawn from the beautiful written records that Fabre kept of everything he did and saw, and exquisite illustrations done in close, scientific detail, this enchanting book reaches far beyond the boundaries of its subject to engage even those who didn't know they were interested in bugs.

Creep and Flutter: The Secret World of Insects and Spiders

Acclaimed naturalist and illustrator Jim Arnosky brings out the beauty—and the “wow!” and the “yuck!” factors—of hundreds of insects and spiders. Eight spectacular gatefolds show moths and mosquitoes, butterflies and beetles, spiders and silverfish life-size, up close, and personal!

Insects Do the Strangest Things (Step-Up Books)

Describes insects that have peculiar and strange characteristics, such as the camouflage of the walking stick, and the driver ants that prefer people to picnics.

Insect Life

Be immersed in the fascinating world of insects as you're taken on a journey observing and learning about the world around you.

This volume teaches about what makes an insect, the parts of a caterpillar, moths, butterflies, beetles, wasps, bees, flies, crickets, grasshoppers and more!

The Big Book of Bugs (The Big Book Series)

From moths and beetles to worms and spiders, the world is crawling with fascinating bugs. The Big Book of Bugs is the first fact-filled book for children to explore the vast array of creepy-crawlies that share our Earth.

In the first pages, children learn that bugs live nearly everywhere on the planet and gain tips on how to become a young bug spotter. As the book continues, the scenic compositions on each page are dedicated to key groups of bugs, including beetles, moths, butterflies, bees, snails, crickets, grasshoppers, worms, and spiders. Some spreads approach the world of bugs thematically, such as bugs that come out at night, baby bugs, and life cycles, how bugs hide and show off, and how some bugs love to live in your home. The conversational, funny text is also full of facts that will astonish children and adults, and accompanied by Yuval Zommer’s colorful illustrations. Illustrated in color throughout.

Caterpillars, Bugs and Butterflies: Take-Along Guide (Take Along Guides)

An introduction to the world of insects, caterpillars, and butterflies including identification information, educational activities, and fun facts.Invites young naturalists to spot wildlife. Safety tips are provided and interesting activities are suggested.

The Beetle (Dimensional Nature Portfolio Series)

Features the beetle in huge, three-dimensional form. The book consists of an enormous center pop-up and two seven-page books, one bound into each cover, which are full of additional pop-ups, anatomical cutaways and photographs taken through electron microscopes.

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science

In this beautiful nonfiction biography, a Robert F. Sibert Medal winner, the Newbery Honor–winning author Joyce Sidman introduces readers to one of the first female entomologists and a woman who flouted convention in the pursuit of knowledge and her passion for insects.

One of the first naturalists to observe live insects directly, Maria Sibylla Merian was also one of the first to document the metamorphosis of the butterfly. 

Richly illustrated throughout with full-color original paintings by Merian herself, The Grew Who Drew Butterflies will enthrall young scientists.

Bugs, of all kinds, were considered to be “born of mud” and to be “beasts of the devil.” Why would anyone, let alone a girl, want to study and observe them? The Girl Who Drew Butterflies answers this question.

Next, look at these bug facts for kids.

BUG FACTS FOR KIDS

  • Ants can carry objects that are 50 times heavier than their own body weight.
  • Ladybugs can eat up to 5,000 aphids.
  • Cockroaches can survive for a few days without their heads. ewww yuck!
  • Fireflies use their glowing light to communicate with other fireflies.
  • The dragonfly is the fastest insect, flying up to 35 miles per hour.
  • Cicadas have 10 eyes: three small ones on top of their heads and two large ones on each side.
  • Bugs don’t have bones inside; instead, they have a hard outer shell to protect their bodies, called an exoskeleton.

HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES WITH BUG FACTS FOR KIDS

  • Free Ant Study
  • Fascinating and Fun Honey Bees Unit Study and Lapbook for Kids
  • 4 Cicada Insect Fun Facts For Kids | How to Make A Cicada Clothespin Craft
  • Free Kids Insect Unit Study
  • How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture
  • Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping
  • Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids
  • 8 Insect Fun Facts About Texas For Kids | Easy Dragonfly Craft
Bugs Facts For Kids And Free Paper Bug Bracelets

HOW TO GET THE FREE PAPER BUG BRACELET

It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

2) Grab the freebie instantly.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: bug, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, insects, life science, science

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