Amazing & Fun Science Experiments For Kids To Do This Summer

Are you looking for ways to get your kids excited about science? Sometimes all you need is a little extra help and a few amazing and fun experiments. 

One of the easiest, low-prep ways to accomplish this is by implementing your science lessons with a monthly science kit. These monthly kits contain ALL of the supplies and instructions so you don't have to do any special shopping or prepping beforehand. 

Disclosure: I am an affiliate for the Generation Genius science subscription kit and recently they sent me a kit to try out in our homeschool. Today I'm going to share with you what my 10-year-old 4th grader learned, what experiments he did, and his overall like/dislike of this kit. I did not receive any compensation, besides a free kit, and all opinions are mine.

MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION BOXES WE HAVE TRIED IN THE PAST:

We have tried many different subscription kits over the years in our homeschool. In many cases, the kits have been a great addition to our school days by adding a little excitement or newness to our daily routine. There have been some monthly kits we really loved and some that were just OK. Here is a list of the kits we have used so far:

• Kiwi Co - Kiwi Crate
• Kiwi Co - Doodle Crate
• Kiwi Co - Tinker Crate
• Kiwi Co - Maker Crate
• Kiwi Co - Eureka Crate
• Let's Make Art - Watercolor Painting
• Let's Make Art - Mixed Media
• Annie's Kit Club - Young Woodworkers Kit
• Raddish Kids Cooking Kit

Whew, that's a lot of kits! 

When the Generation Genius kit arrived I let my 10-year-old 4th grade son take a crack at it! I have to admit that at first, he was not very excited about a science kit because he thought it would be "baby-ish" and boring. Even though these were his initial feelings he still decided to open up the box and try it. 

After opening the box we found three separate and sealed individual experiments inside. Each experiment comes nicely labeled and ready to be used with all the supplies you need (except for tap water). 

Since my son is only 10 years old and still needs some help and adult supervision I fully expected to work on the kit alongside him. We pulled out experiment #1, cut open the bag, and got started. 

GETTING STARTED WITH THE GENERATION GENIUS SCIENCE KIT

I expected to find an instruction sheet inside the first bag like other kits we've done but there wasn't anything like that in the kit. After searching the rest of the box and its contents and not finding any instruction sheets I decided to check out the kit website to look for instructions. After a few minutes of searching, I discovered that instead of printed-out instructions Generation Genius uses video instructions taught by Dr. Jeff. 

After getting the video ready to play for experiment #1 my son was well on his way with the first experiment. 

Here are my thoughts on the Generation Genius Science Kit instruction video:

• The video is a professional production that thoroughly explains the kit contents in detail and at an age-appropriate level. 
• Dr. Jeff has a great teaching personality and does not "talk down" to his audience. He presents the scientific objectives of the experiment using real scientific terms and explains how the experiment student will see this lesson happen when they use the kit.
• The video has automatic pauses built in so that students can stay on track and follow along with the instructions at a reasonable pace. The experiments are meant to be done while the student watches the video 

Get your kit today!

GENERATION GENIUS SCIENCE KIT EXPERIMENTS

As I mentioned before, each box comes with three full experiments! The three experiments in our kit were:

1 - Liquid Worms

2 - Light Painting

3 - The Countdown Reaction

Without explaining all the scientific details each experiment taught - I'll leave that to Dr. Jeff, I think telling you what my son and I thought about each one would be more helpful if you are looking for an educational science kit. I will just highlight a few things for each experiment as well as give you my son's rating of the experiment on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 stars being the best.

LIQUID WORMS EXPERIMENT

This kit comes with this large, amazing, almost indestructible "splat" mat to keep any spills and messes contained and to protect the surface, a.k.a the kitchen table, from any potential harm. As a mom, this little detail within the kit was so very much appreciated! Honestly, none of the other types of kits we have tried had one of these protective mats included (bonus points for Generation Genius!!)

At this point, my son was still very skeptical at this point but willing to do the first experiment. This first experiment includes two different activities to try. In the first activity, the student created liquid art and in the second activity, the student made liquid worms.

The science lessons from this experiment were to see how a chemical reaction between two natural resources can form new synthetic materials as well as learn what viscosity is. One of the chemicals used in this kit was sodium alginate. This is a thick liquid chemical that actually comes from seaweed, a fact my son thought was so cool! The second chemical is calcium lactate gluconate which is found in calcium vitamins.

My skeptical student tried both activities and to our surprise, this experiment blew our minds! As the saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words", and I think from this picture you can see how amazed and excited my little guy was with the liquid worms. 

Pros of this experiment:

• unique - introduced something new!
• comes with all supplies you need
• has plenty of supplies to repeat this experiment over and over
• allows the child to use their imagination 
• splat mat keeps everything clean
• rubber gloves & safety goggles that are kid size
• included 2 activities
• the video explains real-world uses for the chemicals used

Cons:

• fairly messy (again, the splat mat is awesome)
• the liquid worms get discarded when you are all done (this is my son's only disappointment)

LIGHT PAINTING EXPERIMENT

On to the second experiment which was light painting. This experiment allowed my son to learn about light and how ultraviolet light differs from other light like red and green light. Inside the experiment bag, there were three different colored lights, two sheets of special paper, and a spinning wheel covered in a special paper. 

This experiment requires your student to be in a dark room which for us is our pantry. After watching the video and then testing which of the three lights, red, green, or ultraviolet worked best on the special paper my son was ready to create his own designs with the UV light in our dark pantry. 

We taped both pieces of special paper to a wall in our pantry where he spent the next hour (yes, a full hour!) experimenting! He even cut out different shapes from a piece of paper, taped it to the special paper, and then used the UV light around the shape to create different prints. This experiment really encouraged him to use his imagination!

The second activity included a spinning disk covered in the special paper that when spun created amazing spiral patterns when the ultraviolet light tip was touched to the paper. 

Pros of this experiment:

• student can do this experiment over and over!
• good quality equipment is provided in the kit
• an engaging video that explained the differences in light in an easy-to-understand way
• allowed for imaginative discovery
• no mess at all

Cons:

• the special paper provided in the kit was small (8.5" x 11") - it would have been nice to have a larger size piece of paper to use
• once the student "drew" on the paper it took quite a while for the light image to fade

CHEMICAL CLOCK REACTIONS

The last experiment from this kit was the iodine chemical reaction countdown. 

The chemicals used:

• puffed starch 
• sodium iodide
• hydrogen peroxide
• vitamin c pellet
• destain

By the time my son got to this third experiment, he was a total fan of the Generation Genius science kit! Because this kit included chemicals (like the worm kit) he knew it was going to be cool before he even started it. There is just something cool about using chemicals so he opened up the bag, cued up the video, and got started. 

The main science lesson from this kit was about chemical clock reactions which is a process where a periodic change in color will be observed with the progress of a reaction. 

This kit really required the student to follow the directions exactly as Dr. Jeff explained to them so that it would work properly. As a parent, I appreciated the "following directions carefully" portion of this experiment since this seems to be a constant struggle with my ten-year-old. Because he was so into this science kit and he knew beforehand that he struggles with listening and following directions he suggested that we replay the video a few times so he could get everything right and not mess up the last experiment. (proud mom moment!!) 

There is plenty of chemicals supplied in this kit for the student to try this experiment over and over as well as allowing the student to try mixing the chemicals in different proportions and observe what happens. 

Oh, and did you see from the supply list that it included DESTAIN! Yep, Dr. Jeff thought of everything so dear ole mom doesn't need to scour the internet or even call Generation Genius to ask how to get the blue chemical stain out of your dear little one's favorite shirt! Thank you so much Generation Genius for covering all of the bases for us moms. And if you are wondering, yes, I did have to use a little destain on some of my son's clothing and yes, it did work!

Pros of this experiment:

• plenty of chemicals were supplied to allow for lots of experimentation 
• destain - need I say more!
• an interesting and engaging experiment that is age appropriate

Cons:

• a little messy but, again there is destain!

To say we are thrilled with Generation Genius is an understatement! My son absolutely loved this kit and is now begging for more. 

If you find teaching science in your homeschool a little lackluster consider adding the monthly Generation Genius science kit to help add some interest to your lessons! 

Generation Genius science kits can be used by individual students, in co-ops, public and private schools as well as a summer school option. Shipping is free with a 3-month subscription and the monthly price is very affordable too. To start your subscription or to just try out one month click here now! 

Make An Easy DIY Mini Potted Faux Cactus

Succulents are always in style! This cute little potted plastic egg cactus is fun to make and looks great displayed year-round. Follow along to make your own unique little cactus! 

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks!

By the way, check out my Pinterest boards for more inspiring craft ideas!

Mini Easter Egg Cactus

Supplies you will need:

• styrofoam plastic eggs
• mini terra-cotta pot
• floral foam
• decorative stones
• hot glue gun & hot glue
• acrylic paint & brushes
• tissue paper (pink or red)

Mini Potted Cactus Craft Tutorial

Step 1  

Paint the styrofoam egg with one coat of acrylic paint in any shade of green you prefer. I used three shades of green: light, medium, and dark on each egg. 

My styrofoam eggs had wood skewers attached, making it very easy to paint all sides of my egg at once. If your egg does not have this feature you might have to paint one side at a time so that the paint does not get smudged. Let the paint dry completely between coats.

Step 2 

Paint or draw with a paint pen with small "cactus needles" using dots, x's, or "v" shapes all over the painted egg. Let the paint dry completely.

Step 3

Cut a piece of floral foam into a small square and make sure it sits about 1/2" below the lip of the pot, then press it down into the inside of the small pot. Secure the cactus egg onto the foam with hot glue. 

Step 4

Next hot glue decorative stones around the egg to cover up the floral foam.

Step 5

Cut a small 3" square of tissue paper, fold it in half diagonally then fold the opposite sides together. Use hot glue to attach the tissue flower to the top of your cactus. Trim away any protruding edges of the tissue until you are satisfied with the shape of the flower. 

Crafts For Teens

Sometimes it is hard to find fun & easy crafts for teens but these little cacti are a super easy craft your teen will love making! 

Whether looking for a "grown-up" way to decorate Easter eggs or a simple southwest theme craft this easy-to-make mini cactus is so much fun. There are so many ways you can use these cacti too! They will make the perfect place-setting marker if you are hosting a dinner or adding to your tablescape decor. 

How do you decorate your Easter eggs? Have you tried any new ideas like shaving cream dye or decoupage? Leave a comment and let me know your ideas. 

More DIY Crafts

Here are some more easy craft tutorials you (and your teen) should try!

How To Make Hydro Dipped Pencils

Colorful Layered Salt Jar Art

Awesome Rock & Wire Picture Holder

Are you looking for new crafts to try? Make sure to click the link below! Annie's monthly kit club has everything you need to create amazing new projects every month! (Affiliate link)

Monthly Science Kit for Kids - Lots of FUN!

How To Make A Mosaic Tile Coaster

Coasters are so handy to have around! Not only do they protect surfaces from water marks and scuffs but they come in many different colors and patterns adding a small decorative pop of color to your room. Making your own tile mosaic coaster is super easy and a fun project you can do with your kids!

This project will take a few days from start to finish but the end results are sure to please! I had the perfect helper to work with me on this project, my ten-year-old son. He enjoyed creating his pattern and placing the tiles on the board base. 

We were both blown away by the finished result and I'm sure you will be just as happy with your own DIY mosaic tile coaster too. 

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks!

Materials To Make A Tile Coaster

Do not let tile and grout intimidate you! For this project I used pre-cut tiles I purchased from Amazon so I didn't have to do any cutting with any specialty tile-cutting tools. 

Also, for this project, I recommend using pre-mixed grout instead of the powdered version. Premixed grout is available in a variety of different colors and comes in a small resealable container so you can use it on future tiling projects. Powder grout is very dusty and needs to be mixed with water in order to use it making it a little more difficult to use if you have never used grout before. 

Another important tool for this project is a small plastic or metal putty knife. If you don't have a putty knife you could use a plastic ruler or even a large popsicle stick to wipe and smooth out the grout over the surface of your tile. Anything with a smooth flat edge could be used too if you don't have a putty knife.

DIY Mosaic Tile Coaster

Materials needed to make a tile coaster:

• mosaic tiles (Amazon has a big variety to choose from)
• 4" x 4" wood coaster base 
• glue (I used regular craft glue)
• paint brush
• toothpicks 
• pre-mixed grout
• acrylic paint (optional)
• rubber or latex gloves
• plastic spoon
• small putty knife or large craft stick
• stick on felt squares or circles

How To Make A Mosaic Tile Coaster

Step 1:

It is completely optional, but if you choose to paint the wooden base make sure to do this before you start the next step. Let the paint dry completely before continuing.

Step 2:

Lay out the tiles on the surface of the wood base in the pattern you like. You can get creative with your tiles and design a special shape or pattern or just wing it and place them in a random order.

Step 3:

Carefully slide the tiles off of the wood base so they remain in the pattern you just placed them in. 

Then spread a layer of glue over the surface of the wood coaster base. Begin placing the tiles back onto the coaster, leaving a small gap between each tile. 

Toothpicks are a helpful tool to use to space the tiles out and to gently nudge them into place making sure they aren't crooked. 

After all your tiles are glued onto the coaster base let the glue dry completely before moving to the next step.

Step 4:

Put on a pair of rubber or latex gloves then scoop out a small amount of pre-mixed grout and pour it over the tiles. 

With a putty knife or a large craft stick with a flat edge scrape the grout across the tiles gently pressing the grout into the gaps between the tiles. 

Continue applying the grout until all of the gaps are filled evenly. Then let the grout dry slightly according to the grout directions before wiping off the tiles.

Step 5: 

Once the grout has slightly dried and set for a short period of time use a damp sponge to wipe off the excess grout that is covering the tiles. Rinse off the sponge regularly and continue cleaning off the tiles until they are no longer cloudy from the grout. Then let the grout finish curing completely.

Step 6: 

Apply small pieces of stick-on felt squares (or circles) to the bottom of the coaster to prevent it from scratching your table.

Congratulations! Now that the grout is completely cured and your coster bottom has an anti-scratch surface you are ready to start using your coaster! 

Make a set of four to give to someone special for a housewarming or holiday present or make them to match your home decor and use them for yourself. Once you learn how to make these tile coasters you aren't going to want to stop making them!

More Easy DIY Projects You Are Going To Love!

How To Make Fabric Yarn Drink Coasters

How To Make An Easy DIY Wood Picture Hanger

DIY Upcycled Silverware Caddy

Easy DIY - How To Make Fabric Yarn Drink Coasters

Recently, I was looking for birthday gift ideas for my sister that would be useful, unique, and look cool. I really wanted to make her something but I wasn't sure what, so I started searching on Pinterest looking for inspiration. My search led me to fabric yarn/twine coasters and I knew this would make the perfect gift!

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information please see my Disclaimer page. Thanks!

I've made regular fabric coasters before, check out this tutorial, but this time I was looking for a "twist" (pun intended) to the common fabric coaster. I found the answer to my coaster dilemma with these easy-to-make fabric yarn coasters. 

I love fabric coasters because they can be customized, are washable, and are fairly inexpensive (if you make them yourself). 

What is Fabric Yarn

What is fabric yarn or fabric twine and where do you get it? Fabric yarn isn't actually yarn like the skeins of yarn you can buy in the store, instead, it's made from long skinny strips of fabric twisted together into any length you need. It is a great way to use up leftover scraps of fabric since you can add shorter lengths of fabrics together to make a long strand of fabric yarn. Fabric yarn is also customizable too because you control the colors of the yarn by using different colors of fabric.

Make sure to follow me on Pinterest for more inspiring ideas!

How To Make Fabric Twine Drink Coasters

Using fabric yarn to make drink coasters is an easy sewing project for beginners and can be done as a no-sew option too if you don't know how to sew. 

Now that you have some fabric yarn it is time to make a coaster!

Supplies Needed:

• Fabric Twine (approximately 1 to 1 1/2 yards)
• Sewing machine
• Heavy duty sewing machine needle for denim/jeans
• Thread (heavy duty preferred)

* Optional: hot glue & hot glue gun (for the no-sew version)

Fabric Twine Drink Coaster Tutorial

1 - Take one end of the fabric twine and start to coil it into a small circle using a pin to hold it together. Set your sewing machine to the largest zig zag stitch setting so that the thread will catch both sides of the fabric twine. 

tip - use a heavy-duty sewing needle like a denim/jeans needle to help prevent your needle from breaking as you sew through the thicker fabric twine. 

2 - Place the small coil on the machine, insert the sewing needle into the center of the coil, and slowly start sewing the twine into a flat circle. Continue wrapping the twine around the circle as you slowly stitch it together. 

3 - When your coaster is to the size you want it cut the fabric twine and tuck the ends underneath the circle stitching over the cut ends a few times to secure them. 

Optional No-Sew Method 

Instead of sewing the twine into a circle, you can use a hot glue gun and hot glue to secure the edges of the fabric twine as you wrap it into a circle. When your coaster reaches the size you want, cut the twine then tuck the ends under the twine and secure them with more hot glue. 

Fabric coasters make a great gift for any occasion like a housewarming gift, birthday present, or Christmas gift. There are so many creative ways to use fabric twine besides making it into a drink coaster. 

I'd love to hear from you and what you made with your fabric twine! Please leave me a comment or follow me on Facebook to share your finished project with me!

Looking for good quality fabric?

You can find quilting fabric and quilting supplies for your project at Fat Quarter Shop.

Easy Homemade Cool Whip Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

Cool whip ice cream sandwiches taste just as delicious as a real ice cream sandwich but without the extra calories! If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings while trying to maintain your healthy lifestyle these treats are sure to please. 

Keep reading for the secret ingredient I used to make these treats even yummier! 

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information please see my Disclaimer page. Thanks!

I love an easy-to-make dessert recipe that I know will be a big hit with my family. These cool whip frozen sandwiches won't disappoint! When I make them for my family I have to fend off the hungry children so these treats have some time to chill in the freezer before being devoured by my dessert-loving crew!

Besides the cool whip, the co-star in this treat is graham crackers. Did you know that graham crackers come in a variety of different flavors? Of course, everyone is familiar with the traditional honey graham cracker flavor, but did you know they come in cinnamon and chocolate too? 

All three flavors are amazing and it is really hard to pick which one is my favorite. I highly recommend that you try these different flavors when you make these ice cream treats.

How To Customize Your Ice Cream Sandwich

Because these are homemade you can customize your cool whip ice cream sandwiches to fit your taste. Here are some great ideas to add to your dessert:

• mini chocolate chips
• sprinkles
• chopped nuts
• toasted coconut
• crushed candy bar pieces
• mini M & M's
• diced fruit pieces

These extra toppings can either be folded into the cool whip or you can roll the edges of the sandwiches into the toppings too. 

For this recipe and I made two different batches of these delicious treats with a slight variation to each to fit my family's taste. One batch contained the secret ingredient I'm about to share with you!

The Secret Ingredient Revealed

Recently, I had the pleasure of receiving a large box full of products from the Paradise Fruit Company to try. Paradise Fruit Company makes an assortment of ready-to-be-used sweetened real fruit. When you think of sweetened fruit you probably think about the traditional fruit cakes people make during the holidays but let me tell you there are way more uses for sweetened fruit than just fruit cake! With a huge variety to choose from like tropical pineapple, ginger, lemon peel, fruit cake mix, orange, cherry, and lime the recipe possibilities are endless. 

This post was written in partnership with Paradise Fruit Co. I received Paradise Fruit Co. products free in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.  

Make sure to check out my Ultimate Chocolate Cherry No-Bake Cookie recipe and my Cinnamon Orange Granola recipe to see how I used some of the other sweetened fruit products from Paradise Fruit Co.

For this ice cream sandwich recipe, the secret ingredient I used was the cherry pineapple sweetened fruit mix from Paradise Fruit Co.! After dicing the pieces extra small (per my own personal preference) I just sprinkled the fruit onto the cool whip before adding the top graham cracker. 

To be honest my kids were pretty skeptical about this secret ingredient and so was I! But I remembered how well fruit and cool whip go together so I thought this had to be a delicious combination. And guess what? I was RIGHT! Everyone loved the cool whip frozen sandwiches with the secret ingredient best. 

Homemade Cool Whip Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 graham cracker sheet

• cool whip

• chocolate chips (optional)

Optional Add-Ins / Toppings

• sprinkles 

• diced sweetened fruit 

• chocolate chips 

• chopped nuts

• mini M & M's

• mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Break one graham cracker sheet in half to make two squares

2. Add a large dollop, about 3 Tbsp. of cool whip onto one graham cracker square. 

3. Sprinkle any add-ins over the cool whip then place the second graham cracker square on top of it.

4. Roll the edges of the sandwich in the toppings to coat the side of the sandwich.

5. Freeze for 1-2 hours until the cool whip is firm.

6. Melt chocolate then drizzle over the top of the frozen sandwich

Click here for the printable version of this recipe! 

How To Store Cool Whip Frozen Sandwiches

Store your treats in an air-tight container in the freezer so they are ready for you and your family to snack on as a treat any time! 

These cool-whip ice cream sandwiches are made with a few simple ingredients - things you probably have on hand already. Are you ready to make a homemade cool whip ice cream sandwich today? 

Make sure to Pin this recipe and share it with your friends.

Enjoy!