4 Nature Experiments to Bring Science to Life

Science learning, especially at the elementary level, is all about asking big questions and figuring out the answers through exploration. Those are skills that children come by naturally—they just need an outlet for that curiosity. One way to engage students in playful science lessons without the need for expensive equipment or supplies is through nature experiments.

A simple activity to start with is creating the water cycle in a bag. Students can draw the sun, clouds, and a body of water on plastic zip-top bags with markers. Then, they add some water, seal them, and tape them to a warm window. After a few days of watching the bags, students will experience the full water cycle right in front of their eyes.

Another intriguing project that demonstrates the nutrient cycle is making compost in a bottle. Students add scraps of food, paper, and soil to a plastic bottle and keep it moist and sealed. After some time, students can observe the changes and compare bottles to see which one is decomposing faster.

Using a recycled pizza box; some black paper and foil; and marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate, students can create a solar oven to cook their very own s’mores. They’ll learn a lot about heat transfer and engineering design in the process—and the results are delicious.

Lastly, kids can find answers to the question: “How do leaves change color in the fall?” with an exploratory chromatography project, stripping leaves of their pigment with rubbing alcohol and watching coffee filter paper fill with all of the hidden hues.

When students create and test natural science systems themselves, they don’t just learn the concepts, they experience them—and that’s key to making knowledge stick.

Find more hands-on activities for elementary students to explore natural phenomena in Donna Paul’s article for Edutopia, “7 Nature Experiments to Spark Student Curiosity.”