Learning through play: Kitchen STEM and Science Experiments for Kids Aged 3 to 8

Everyday Science, Extraordinary Fun

Conducting preschool science activities doesn’t need fancy labs. Science for 3-year-olds can be magical in everyday spaces, like your very own kitchen! At Universal Wisdom School, we believe in turning everyday moments into moments of wonder. From baking soda and vinegar experiments that fizz, to walking water and magic milk, these easy kitchen science experiments are not only fun but also sneak in lessons about chemical reactions, density, colours, and problem-solving – all while having fun and staying safe.

Why Kitchen Science for Young Learners?

• Toddlers & Preschoolers (ages 3-5): At this stage, kids are curious explorers, eager to understand the world around them.  Science experiments help toddlers grasp cause and effect and turn everyday moments into powerful learning opportunities: “If I do this, what happens?” Simple preschool science activities like colour mixing or dissolving sugar are perfect examples. They require minimal setup, provide immediate results, and spark curiosity, making science both fun and meaningful.
• Kindergarten & Early Elementary (ages 5-8): Children start asking ‘why’. Science experiments for kindergarten and science for 5-year-olds can be slightly more complex, like density experiments or the walking water experiment. These spark reasoning, observation, and critical thinking.
  

And the best part? You don’t need special supplies, your pantry already has everything you need!

Everyday Science, Extraordinary Fun

Conducting preschool science activities doesn’t need fancy labs. Science for 3-year-olds can be magical in everyday spaces, like your very own kitchen! At Universal Wisdom School, we believe in turning everyday moments into moments of wonder. From baking soda and vinegar experiments that fizz, to walking water and magic milk, these easy kitchen science experiments are not only fun but also sneak in lessons about chemical reactions, density, colours, and problem-solving – all while having fun and staying safe.

Why Kitchen Science for Young Learners?

• Toddlers & Preschoolers (ages 3-5): At this stage, kids are curious explorers, eager to understand the world around them.  Science experiments help toddlers grasp cause and effect and turn everyday moments into powerful learning opportunities: “If I do this, what happens?” Simple preschool science activities like colour mixing or dissolving sugar are perfect examples. They require minimal setup, provide immediate results, and spark curiosity, making science both fun and meaningful.
• Kindergarten & Early Elementary (ages 5-8): Children start asking ‘why’. Science experiments for kindergarten and science for 5-year-olds can be slightly more complex, like density experiments or the walking water experiment. These spark reasoning, observation, and critical thinking.

And the best part? You don’t need special supplies, your pantry already has everything you need!

10 Easy Kitchen Science Experiments for Kids

Here’s a mix of classic and creative hands-on science activities for your little ones:

1. Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano

A timeless favourite for a reason!

How to try it:

• Place baking soda in a small container (like a cup inside clay or playdough shaped like a volcano).
• Add a few drops of food colouring for effect.
• Pour vinegar in and watch the fizzing eruption!

What they learn:
This easy volcano experiment for kids teaches them about chemical reactions: an acid (vinegar) reacting with a base (baking soda).

Best for: Preschoolers and kindergarteners who love dramatic effects.

2. Magic Milk Experiment

Colours that dance across milk? Mesmerizing!

How to try it:

• Pour milk into a shallow dish.
• Add drops of different food colouring.
• Dip a cotton swab in dish soap and touch the milk. Watch the colours swirl and move.

What they learn:
This food colouring science experiment demonstrates how soap breaks down fat molecules, creating motion.

Best for: Science for 3-year-olds to early elementary kids – fun, safe, and magical.

3. Walking Water Experiment 

Make water ‘walk’ and blend into a rainbow.

How to try it:

• Line up 3-5 cups: fill every alternate one with water, leaving the others empty.
• Add food colouring to the filled cups.
• Fold paper towels into strips and place them between the cups.
• Watch as coloured water ‘walks’ and mixes in the empty cups!

What they learn:
This teaches capillary action– how water travels upward through paper fibers. It’s a wonderful way to combine learning colours with science.

Best for: Preschool science activities and kindergarten STEM projects.

4. Ice and Salt Experiment 

A cool way to explore freezing points.

How to try it:

• Place ice cubes in a bowl.
• Sprinkle salt on them and observe how the ice begins to melt faster.
• Add food colouring to see patterns form in the cracks.

What they learn:
Salt lowers the freezing point of water. This is a fun ice and salt experiment that helps kids understand how ice behaves differently when salt is added.

Best for: Science for 5-year-olds and early elementary kids.

5. Density Experiments with Liquid Layers 

Liquids don’t always mix, sometimes they stack!

How to try it:

• In a clear glass, carefully pour liquids of different densities: honey, dish soap, water, and oil.
• Add food colouring to some layers for effect.
  

What they learn:
This simple density experiment for kids shows that some liquids are heavier than others. It’s also one of the most fun ways to learn about density.

Best for: Early elementary kids who can observe and compare carefully.

6. Growing Crystals at Home 

Turn your kitchen into a crystal lab.

How to try it:

• Dissolve sugar or salt in hot water until saturated.
• Pour into a jar and hang a string or stick inside.
• Leave it undisturbed for a few days and watch crystals grow.

What they learn:
This is a brilliant STEM activity for preschoolers and older kids, it shows how solutions form crystals as they cool.

Best for: Science experiments for early elementary with a little patience.

7. DIY Slime Without Borax 

Messy, squishy, and safe.

How to try it:

• Mix cornstarch and water to make a solution
• 1 to 2 drops liquid food coloring (optional)
• 1/4 cup glitter (optional)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 to 3 tablespoons saline solution (i.e., contact lens solution)

What they learn:
This DIY slime without borax teaches about states of matter and sensory play. It’s also one of the most loved sensory play ideas for toddlers.

Best for: Toddlers and preschoolers who love hands-on play.

8. Elephant Toothpaste for Kids 

Foamy fun, safely done.

How to try it:

• In a bottle, mix warm water, yeast, dish soap, and a few drops of food colouring.
• Watch as bubbly foam shoots up like giant toothpaste.
  

What they learn:
This reaction releases oxygen quickly, creating lots of foam. The kid-safe version avoids strong chemicals, making it one of the safest elephant toothpaste experiments for kids.

Best for: Science experiments for kindergarten and beyond.

9. Colour Mixing with Water and Food Colouring

Learn how primary colours create new colours.

How to try it:

Fill three small cups with water and add red, yellow, and blue food colouring. Mix two colours at a time in a separate cup and watch new colours appear.

What they learn:

This hands-on activity teaches about colour theory, mixing, and observation.
Best for: Science for 3-year-olds and preschool science activities.

10 Sink or Float Experiment

Discover what sinks or floats in water.

How to try it:

Fill a large bowl with water. Collect kitchen items like grapes, coins, and spoons. Ask your child to guess which will sink and which will float, then test it out!

What they learn:

This introduces density, buoyancy, and scientific reasoning.
Best for: Preschool science activities and early elementary STEM fun.

Tips for Parents & Teachers

• Supervise always – especially with yeast, food colouring, or vinegar.
• Ask questions: “What do you think will happen?” “Why do you think it fizzed?”
• Encourage mess! Science for 3-year-olds and preschool science activities are about exploring, not staying tidy.
• Connect to daily life: Link the experiment to real-world examples (e.g., “Salt melts ice on roads in winter”).
  

Why We Love Kitchen Science at UWS

At Universal Wisdom School, we know that learning is most powerful when it feels like play. These hands-on science activities turn curiosity into confidence, and fun into lifelong learning. Whether it’s the fizz of a baking soda and vinegar volcano or the rainbow in the walking water experiment, each activity makes STEM education accessible, engaging, and unforgettable.

So next time you’re in the kitchen, grab some simple supplies, roll up your sleeves, and let the magic of science unfold, with your child as the curious scientist at the heart of it all.

References

KiwiCo. (n.d.). Kitchen science experiments for kids ages 3 to 8. KiwiCo DIY. https://www.kiwico.com/diy/lists/kitchen-science-experiments-for-kids-ages-3-to-8

American Chemical Society. (n.d.). Chemistry for life: Activities for kids. https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/adventures-in-chemistry/experiments.html

National Science Teaching Association. (n.d.). Early childhood science activities. https://www.nsta.org/earlychildhood

Science Buddies. (n.d.). Fun science experiments and STEM activities. https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities

Exploratorium. (n.d.). Science snacks: Hands-on science activities for kids. https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks