Our Small Planet
You can usually use Ctrl+ and Ctrl- to zoom in and out. While I'm sure you've looked at a globe before, you may not have really thought about the world we live on. So, take a good look as it spins for us below and let's really think about it. [spinningearth size=300 wrap=left color=ffffff] The first thing that may catch your eye is Australia as it comes into view. Over 22 million people live there. Right away, China comes into the picture, with a population of over 1.3 billion. If you know your geography, you'll pick out India and Saudi Arabia just as immense Africa swings ...
The Invisible Force of Magnets
Magnets are very cool. Put them together one way and they'll stick. Turn one around and they'll push apart. But did you ever really play with two strong magnets and think about it? Get two strong magnets. Some Radio Shack and hardware stores have have nice ones that are about an inch wide, two inches long, and under a half-inch thick. If you find them, buy several as they'll come in handy to hold papers on the fridge! Hold a magnet in each hand and bring them together so they repel each other. Feel the way they move as you gently feel ...
The View From Space
It's not until we get high above the Earth that we see how small and very precious our world really is. We live on the surface of the Earth, with our deepest digging and drilling only scratching the surface. There's just a thin film of air to let us breath and, at the same time, protect us from the harsh radiation of the sun and beyond. Amazing to think about. There's a lot to explore when we look from space at the Earth as a planet. This video uses time-lapse photography to give us a look at the big picture over long periods of ...
The Colors of the Rainbow
When light goes through glass at an angle, it spreads out into all the colors of the rainbow. You can do this easily at home yourself with a glass of water and a sunny window. In front of a window where the sun is shining, place a clear glass of water on the edge of a table. Put a sheet of white paper on the floor where the rainbow will appear. Move the glass and the paper to get the best view. As the sunlight hits the water, the light is bent downward, spreading out to make a rainbow. This is called ...
Static Electricity is Cool
This most excellent hairdo is thanks to thousands of volts of static electricity! Not to worry, it's harmless. Well, almost harmless as it can give you a pretty good good snap! :-) Did you ever get out of the car in the winter and get a shock? Yep! That's static electricity. In future posts, you'll find several great science experiments with static electricity on this site that I hope you'll try yourself. For now, try this one: Take a tissue and tear off several little bits of paper onto the table. A half-dozen will do. Now rub a plastic comb through your hair about ten ...
Cool Chemistry
The beakers and flasks we use in chemistry always look so... cool! But they have those shapes for a reason. The tall cylinders have markings to measure exact amounts of liquid. The triangle-shaped flask allows you to hold the top and swirl the liquids together without spilling them out the top. Beakers, with their straight side and pour spout, are best for mixing chemicals with a glass stirring rod. Their open cup shape is good for holding a chemical reaction. Here's an experiment using a flask and beaker. It shows how color can change as the chemicals react with each other over ...
Welcome Message
Welcome
We’re glad you found us! Here you’ll find fun and age-appropriate experiments and resources for your own Junior Scientist. Whether you’re starting out with a dinosaur-loving three year old or have a science-loving preteen, you’ll find activities to amuse and educate them both. There may be some surprises for the grown-ups, too! Check the...
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Science Experiments
Ping Pong Surprise
For this stunt, you’ll need a ping pong ball and a plastic water or soda bottle. Carefully cut the plastic bottle in two about one third of the way down from the top. We want...
Water Has a Skin
This is an easy and fun thing to try right now because you can make up so many different stories to go with it. I’m sure you have everything you need in your kitchen… a...
The First Experiment
It’s never too early to introduce even the youngest boys and girls to the world of science. When they’re old enough to follow simple directions, it’s time for some...
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Science Projects
Mobius strip
You can, right now, make one of the most puzzling things in the world. Take a sheet of printer paper and cut a one inch strip from the long side. Get ready to tape the ends together...
Surprising Sound
Find a four-foot piece of string or thick thread. The only other thing you’ll need is a metal wire coat hanger. A plastic coat hanger won’t work, it must be metal. Tie...
Soda Bottle Air Blaster
You can make you own air blaster with a plastic soda bottle, plastic wrap, and some duct tape. (If you can find a large round water bottle, that’s even better!) Step1. Carefully...
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Science Videos
SeedsAs you look around for things to explore with your young scientist, keep your eyes open for a chance to talk about how plants grow from seeds.
Maybe you can find an acorn and can talk about the huge tree it can grow into. Or maybe, in planting a garden, you can talk about what the little seed will grow into one day.
A sprouting seed has a lot of complex things going on as it grows but it really has only two big jobs that are easy for kids to understand.
The seed needs to send a root down, where it can reach food and water, and, at the same time, send two leaves up to collect solar energy.
The seed has within it, regardless of its size, just enough of a food supply to do those two jobs.
After that, sunlight provides the energy to turn those underground nutrients and water into more and more roots and leaves as it grows into the plant it will become.
From there, it’s a small step to get boys and girls thinking about how the food they eat turns into bigger and stronger bodies for themselves. Then you can talk about how important it is to eat the right kinds of food. See how one thing leads into another?
The video above is a fun way to see how seeds develop over time. The jumps in the video were made by editing out the night time darkness.
Me? I just liked the music.
Iceland’s Volcano
Not many of us get to see a volcano up close and in action. While this new eruption has caused all sorts of problems with air travel, it’s giving us a good look at the power inside our planet.
Watch closely for ripples that spread out through the smoke (good one at 17 seconds!) These are shock waves from the energy released when volcanic gas bursts through the surface of the lava.
You can use CTRL+ to make your view larger. Use CTRL- or CTRL zero to reset the size.
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Current Moon Phase – Becoming less full day by day
Waning Crescent Moon The moon is currently in Cancer The moon is 24 days old