Book suggestions for experiments I can do at home with my son

January 17, 2021 9:42 PM

My province has switched school to online learning. I've noticed my kindergartener son is especially interested in the science experiments he watched his teachers do. Whether it's a vinegar and backing soda volcano or testing whether a column with a square, triangle circular base can support more weight. I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a book of experiments that I can do at home with my son. He's four years old in junior kindergarten.
posted by NoneOfTheAbove to Education (10 answers total)

As a kid, I had Gordon Penrose’s Dr. Zed’s Dazzling Book of Science Experiments, and it was wonderful. It’s out of print, but there are some used copies available through Canadian used book sellers on Amazon. (I tried to find non-Amazon sites but the two I found were based in the US and wanted $12 USD for the book and $50 USD for shipping. I liked the book a lot, but I’d be hard pressed to say it’s worth $80 CAD.)

There are several different out of print Dr. Zed books available by the same author, and the OWL magazine website appears to have several Dr. Zed experiments on the blog.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:47 PM on January 17, 2021

I can’t vouch for it because I haven’t seen a copy, but the dad lab is a good resource and he has a book.
posted by caek at 11:02 PM on January 17, 2021

Just google "science advent calendar" and you will see some stuff you could buy, but a lot of stuff that's just 24 simple science activities.
posted by amtho at 4:51 AM on January 18, 2021 [1 favorite]

Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco designed to be interactive. I have a couple of their books and they are really kid friendly.

Also The Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles has a similar set of exhibits and extensive gift shop with applied science activities.
posted by effluvia at 5:06 AM on January 18, 2021

Kitchen Science Lab for Kids: 52 Family Friendly Experiments from the Pantrys has lots of fun experiments.
posted by belladonna at 8:07 AM on January 18, 2021

They're forty years old and don't take advantage of some new common household technology, but Don Herbert's Mr. Wizard branded books are worth a look. Some experiments are a much too advanced to be interesting to a four year old, but there are some that would be fun.

(Your kid might also enjoy the old television shows with the same name. They're slow and not fancy, but thoughtful and usually kind.)
posted by eotvos at 8:56 AM on January 18, 2021

The baking-soda-and-vinegar stuff is fun, and I used to do those types of activities as a kid. But I'd recommend projects that are more like true scientific experiments -- where you have a hypothesis that you test. And maybe something that spans a few days or weeks, so you can have an ongoing project that you can check on a daily basis. These kinds of experiments will teach your son about the scientific method. (Admittedly, kindergarten might be a bit young for this kind of stuff.)

Anyway, I once stumbled across an interesting website run by a woman who has a PhD in biochemistry but is now a stay-at-home mom. Annie Pryor tests the effectiveness of different disinfecting agents. These are the types of experiments that require some effort to set up and perform, but I think are more interesting than just fun little demos.
posted by alex1965 at 9:21 AM on January 18, 2021

The Ontario Science Centre has a bunch of relevant resources, especially including outdoor activities.
posted by saucysault at 10:12 AM on January 18, 2021

Also, public libraries are offering curbside pickup and most have Dr Zed as well as many other books the Librarians can suggest.
posted by saucysault at 10:18 AM on January 18, 2021

I have The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments and we've done a lot of experiments out of it. It's set out really well with each page showing a mess factor rating, and whether it requires parental help. It has a "Science Question" for each experiment (eg "How does a diaper hold liquid?"), and then an explanation as to why the experiment worked.

I also have and like Tinkerlab, which has much more free-form experiments (and art projects) - it's split into sections called Design, Build, Concoct and Discover. It's supposed to help the child experiment and explore a concept, which you then discuss with them (eg "what do you think makes things float?"). It has heaps of ideas for creative activities which we have enjoyed.
posted by fever-trees at 5:29 PM on January 19, 2021