Science activity
Science Fair Prep
Be a science superstar! Pick your favorite experiment, do it again, and make a big poster showing what you did and what you found out. Present it to your family!
Materials and setup
- tri-fold display board or large poster board
- markers
- glue
- scissors
- printed photos or drawings
- graph paper
- notebook
- ruler
- experimental materials as needed
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Be a science superstar! Pick your favorite experiment, do it again, and make a big poster showing what you did and what you found out. Present it to your family!
Steps
- Choose a favorite science experiment you've done before (or pick a simple new one like 'what dissolves in water').
- Do the experiment again while a parent takes photos or you draw each step.
- Make a poster with 3 sections: 'My Question' (what I wanted to know), 'What I Did' (drawings of the steps), 'What I Found' (the answer).
- Practice presenting: stand by your poster and explain it to a stuffed animal or pet first.
- Present to your family! Answer their questions about your experiment.
- Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.
Learning objectives
- Organize experimental information into a clear visual display
- Practice explaining scientific work to an audience
- Build confidence in sharing knowledge with others
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Create a science fair display board! Choose an experiment, repeat it carefully, make a colorful poster with your question, hypothesis, procedure, results, and conclusion. Present it to a group.
Steps
- Choose an experiment and write your question and hypothesis.
- Conduct the experiment. Take photos or draw detailed pictures of each step.
- Build a display board with these sections: Title (big and colorful), Question, Hypothesis (my guess), Materials, Procedure (numbered steps with pictures), Results (what happened — include drawings or photos), Conclusion (what I learned).
- Add decorations that relate to your topic. Make it eye-catching and neat.
- Practice your presentation: explain each section of your board in order. Aim for 2-3 minutes.
- Present to at least 3 people. Ask them if they have questions and try to answer!
- Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.
Learning objectives
- Create a well-organized science fair display board with all required sections
- Conduct an experiment and document it with visual evidence
- Deliver a clear verbal presentation of scientific work and respond to questions
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Prepare a complete science fair project: develop an original experiment, create a professional display board with data visualizations, write a research paper, and deliver a polished presentation.
Steps
- Select or design an original experiment. Review the scientific method: Question, Research, Hypothesis, Experiment, Data, Analysis, Conclusion.
- Conduct your experiment with at least 3 trials. Collect both quantitative data (numbers) and qualitative observations (descriptions).
- Create a professional display board: Title Banner, Abstract (short summary), Question, Hypothesis, Background Research, Materials, Procedure, Data Table, Graph(s), Results, Conclusion, and Future Questions.
- Write a research paper (2-3 pages) that expands on your display board with more detail about your research and analysis.
- Create visual aids: professional-looking graphs (use graph paper or a computer), clear photographs of the experiment, and neatly printed text.
- Practice your presentation (3-5 minutes): explain your project, highlight key findings, discuss what surprised you, and suggest follow-up experiments. Practice answering likely questions.
Learning objectives
- Develop and execute an original science fair project from start to finish
- Create a professional display board with data visualizations and clear organization
- Deliver a timed presentation and respond to audience questions with confidence
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Execute a professional-level science fair project: conduct original research, perform rigorous data analysis, create a publication-quality display, write a detailed research paper, and deliver a polished presentation with Q&A preparation.
Steps
- Develop an original research project: identify a problem, conduct a literature review, and formulate a testable hypothesis. Your project should go beyond simple demonstrations to investigate a real question.
- Design and execute your experiment with proper controls, adequate sample size (10+ trials per condition), and documented procedure. Keep a detailed lab notebook with dates, observations, and any issues encountered.
- Analyze data rigorously: calculate means, ranges, and percentages. Create multiple graph types (bar, line, scatter as appropriate). Discuss whether your results are statistically meaningful or could be due to chance.
- Create a professional display board: use a tri-fold board with typed or neatly printed sections. Include: title, abstract, introduction, hypothesis, materials, methods, results (data tables and graphs), discussion, conclusion, references, and acknowledgments.
- Write a detailed research paper (3-5 pages): include all sections from the display board plus expanded background research, detailed methodology, thorough analysis of results, discussion of error sources and limitations, and suggestions for future research.
- Prepare for presentation: create a 5-7 minute talk covering your project highlights. Prepare for tough questions: Why did you choose this topic? What would you do differently? How does this connect to real-world problems? What are the limitations of your study?
- In one sentence, tell a parent or sibling what surprised you today.
Learning objectives
- Execute a complete original research project with rigorous experimental design
- Perform data analysis including basic statistical reasoning about result reliability
- Present scientific work professionally and respond to critical questions about methodology and conclusions
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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