STEM@Home

Stem

Make science part of everyday life— no degree required.

STEM education doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With a little guidance and everyday materials, you can explore science right from your kitchen table. STEM@Home is your go-to hub for fun, hands-on science experiments, chemistry basics, and creative ways to connect learning to daily life.

What You’ll Find Here:

  • At-home science experiments using ingredients you already have
  • STEM books, toys, and tools we’ve tested and love
  • Parent-friendly science questions to spark curiosity and critical thinking

Real Experiments to Try at Home

No lab coat required. These are hands-on experiments Dr. Stephanie has written up herself, using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Pick one and get started today.

Chemical Reactions & Fizzy Fun

Fizzy Letters

You’ll need: vinegar, baking soda, Jell-O powder, ice cube trays (alphabet-shaped if you have them)

  1. Mix three parts baking soda to one part water, plus a spoonful of Jell-O powder for color.
  2. Stir into a paste (add more baking soda if it’s too thin) and pour into ice cube trays.
  3. Freeze for a few hours, then pop out the cubes into a container.
  4. Let kids spoon or eye-dropper vinegar onto the cubes and watch them fizz and melt.

Ask your child: What do you think is happening when the vinegar touches the cube?

Lesson learned: chemical vs. physical changes.

The Exploding Lunch Bag

You’ll need: a zip-lock freezer bag, 3 tsp baking soda, 1/4 cup warm water, 1/2 cup vinegar, a tissue

  1. Pour the warm water and vinegar into the bag, then zip closed except for a small opening.
  2. Wrap the baking soda in the tissue and stuff it into the bag.
  3. Step back quickly and watch the bag get bigger and pop!

Ask your child: What do you think is filling up the bag and making it get bigger? What do you think is inside there?

Lesson learned: chemical vs. physical changes, and states of matter.

Balloon Inflation

You’ll need: an empty water bottle, a balloon, a funnel, baking soda, vinegar

  1. Fill the bottle about a third full with vinegar.
  2. Using the funnel, fill the balloon about halfway with baking soda.
  3. Carefully stretch the balloon over the bottle’s opening without spilling the baking soda in yet.
  4. Lift the balloon so the baking soda falls into the bottle, and watch it get bigger on its own.

Ask your child: What do you think is making the balloon get bigger on its own? What do you think is inside there?

Lesson learned: chemical reactions that produce gas.

Dirty Pennies

You’ll need: dull pennies, salt, vinegar, small cups, paper towels

  1. Mix a teaspoon of salt with a quarter-cup of slightly warmed vinegar until dissolved.
  2. Drop in the dirty pennies and let sit for five minutes.
  3. Remove and dry with a paper towel and watch them shine.

Ask your child: Why do you think some pennies looked duller/less shiny than others before we started? What do you think happened?

Lesson learned: chemical reactions and oxidation.

Milk Plastic

You’ll need: 1 cup milk, 1.5 tbsp vinegar, a strainer, paper towels, a saucepan

  1. Heat the milk on the stove (adult supervision) for 2 to 3 minutes without boiling.
  2. Stir in the vinegar for about 4 minutes until it forms a plastic-like curd.
  3. Strain and rinse under cold water, then knead out the extra liquid with paper towels.
  4. Shape and let dry for several days.

Ask your child: Why do you think the milk turned into a solid? What do you think would happen if we used a different kind of milk, like almond or soy? Do you think if we added water to this it would turn back into milk?

Lesson learned: chemical reactions and how polymers form.

Yeast Respiration

You’ll need: a balloon, a clear plastic bottle, sugar, warm water, fast-acting dry yeast

  1. Add warm water and yeast to the bottle and swirl to mix, then add sugar.
  2. Stretch the balloon over the bottle’s opening and watch it get bigger on its own over the next 20 to 30 minutes. No lungs required.

Ask your child: Why do you think the balloon is getting bigger if we didn’t blow into it ourselves? What do you think is inside it?

Lesson learned: chemical reactions that produce gas.

Density & Layers

Density Column

You’ll need: dish soap, food coloring, dark Karo syrup (or honey), rubbing alcohol, vegetable oil, water, a tall glass

  1. Let kids test pairs of liquids to guess which is denser, or pour straight from densest to lightest.
  2. Layer slowly: Karo syrup, then dish soap, then water, then vegetable oil, then rubbing alcohol on top.
  3. Drop in small objects, like paperclips, buttons, or marbles, and predict where each will land.

Ask your child: Before we drop something in, can you guess whether it will float, sink, or stop somewhere in the middle?

Lesson learned: density.

Beach Density Jar

You’ll need: a tall clear jar, sand, water dyed blue, vegetable oil, shaving cream, small shells or pebbles

  1. Layer about 2 inches of sand, then a cup of dyed water, then a cup of vegetable oil.
  2. Predict whether objects will float or sink before dropping them in.
  3. Top with shaving cream and add a few more objects to see what changes.

Ask your child: Do you think this object will float or sink? What does each part of this represent at the beach?

Lesson learned: mixtures and density.

Weather & States of Matter

Make It Rain

You’ll need: a glass of water, a separate glass, shaving cream, pipettes, food coloring

  1. Color a glass of water with food coloring.
  2. Fill a second glass three-quarters with water and top with a shaving cream “cloud.”
  3. Drop colored water onto the cloud with a pipette until it gets heavy enough to “rain” through.

Ask your child: What do you think has to happen before the “rain” can fall through the cloud? What did each part of this model represent in the cloud? How is this like a real cloud that rains?

Lesson learned: states of matter and the water cycle.

Rain In a Jar

You’ll need: a glass jar, boiling water, a paper plate, ice cubes

  1. Add 2 to 3 inches of boiling water to the jar and cover with the plate.
  2. Pile ice cubes on top of the plate and watch condensation form and drip, the same process that creates rain.

Ask your child: What do you notice forming on the plate as the jar sits? Where do you think that came from?

Lesson learned: states of matter.

Sticky Ice

You’ll need: a glass of water, an ice cube, table salt, a piece of string

  1. Lay a wet piece of string across a floating ice cube. It won’t stick yet.
  2. Sprinkle salt over the ice, wait a minute, then try again. The ice refreezes around the string and lifts right up.

Ask your child: Do you think it’s possible to lift an ice cube into the air using only a piece of string?

Lesson learned: mixtures, and things that mix versus things that don’t.

Ice, Salt & Temperature

You’ll need: two glasses of water, ice cubes, salt, a thermometer

  1. Add a few ice cubes to one glass and a lot to the other, then record temperatures every two minutes.
  2. Add salt to the icier glass and keep tracking. Salt lowers the freezing point, so the temperature keeps dropping.

Ask your child: What do you notice happening to the temperature once we add salt? Why do you think that glass is different from the other one?

Lesson learned: freezing point and temperature.

More Everyday Science, As Featured In

Dr. Stephanie has written about spotting science in everyday life for outlets across the web, from theme park physics to kitchen chemistry.

Follow Along for More Ideas

You don’t need a chemistry degree to do science with your kids! With support from @letslearnaboutscience, parents and teachers alike can help children build a strong foundation in chemistry—and develop a lifelong love of discovery.

We regularly share new experiments, quick tips, and playful STEM ideas on social media:

Be sure to follow and tag us in your experiments—we love seeing your young scientists in action!

Want the Science Brought to You?

Dr. Stephanie offers hands-on science workshops for scout troops, homeschool groups, libraries, afterschool programs, and community events.


Book a STEM Event