1. Let kids work together on the same project. They can each do the experiment, and will each have to do a science board or report, but you’ll only have to help find one idea and gather the materials from one list. This is the way to go if your kids are in different schools.

2. Use different variables for the same experiment. If you’re comparing amounts of Vitamin C in substances, for example, let one child test various canned fruit juices, and another child test different juices from fresh fruit. The research and procedure is the same, but the experiments are different.

3. Recycle projects. Our family has always done projects together, then saved them in the attic. One year one of our boys used the same experiment his brother had done the year before. We redid the experiment, but reused the science board, simply adding the fresh data and photographs.

4. Submit different types of the same project. If your school science fair allows it, one child can submit and experiment based project, and the other submit a demonstration. For example, one child can demonstrate how to take the shell off an egg without boiling, and another can experiment to see if water goes through the membrane.

Science projects are supposed to be wonderful learning experiences for kids – and they can be. Don’t let your family get bogged down in the process. Look for ways to streamline and coordinate, and make science fair time a fun educational time for your kids.

Get your free parents guide to science projects at http://www.24hourscienceprojects.com. We also have a list of fast and easy science project guides that can be done in a very short amount of time – many of which are easily adaptable for use with more than one child.

Exploring Weather – Fill a baking pan with dirt from your backyard. Tilt one end about four inches, and lean on a stack of bricks. Place the bottom end into another baking pan. Wait for rain, and watch how the water erodes the dirt. If you want, fill a second pan with dirt that has grass growing in it, and compare the amount of soil that washes into the ‘catch’ pan.

Messy Volcano Science Project – Form a mud ‘volcano’ around an empty plastic soda bottle. First, add a package of quick acting yeast to the bottle, then add a cup of hydrogen peroxide. Stand back for the eruption.

Sun Bleach – Place several different colors of construction paper in the back window of your car. On each piece of paper, place random solid objects, such as scissors, keys, or small toys. Leave in the car all day, then remove the object. The sun will have faded the part of the paper not covered up.

Night Vision – Go outside at night to a very dark spot. Take a look around, and note what you see. Wait fifteen minutes and watch how much more your eyes can see after they have adjusted to the darkness.

Or think of your own projects. Bubbles, water, plants, rocks, wind…all are great science projects to do outside. For even more ideas, get our free science project guide at http://www.24hourscienceprojects.com. In addition to a FREE science project guide, we’ll show you how to learn a lot and have a lot of FUN with your OUTDOOR science project!

I would first like to say that I am quite surprised you answered my email. I did not really expect you to. When I originally wrote to you, it was Tuesday evening and my daughter’s project was due on Thursday. We are not typically the type to wait until the last minute. Certain circumstances forced us into that predicament. We did Undercover Sneeze and it was really easy and we actually had fun doing the experiment. – DD

My class won 1st place in our school-wide science board fair!! Yes, I purchased the 24 Hour Science Projects on a Sunday evening. We conducted the class experiment on Monday, set the board and journals up on Tuesday/Wednesday, submitted it to the “faire” on Thursday, and …..WON! Now, we go District-wide. Thank you so much for this fabulous site and such a great variety of student-friendly projects. – Trish

You know my son won first place last year and I am very competitive so we are out to redeem his title. – Christine (using the projects for the second year!)

We are going to do the egg experiment and beef it up with great drawings of the human cell and discuss all about osmosis. What a great idea. It saved us this year. Thanks so much! – Elisa

As a retired 6th grade teacher I was glad to find this kind of help online for my grandsons. I have 5 grandchildren and three of them need to get ready for science fair projects. – Lorolie

I used your service last year and it was super. – Connie

I purchased the yeast beat from you two years ago, and she won first place. – Mary

I purchased your product to help a developmentally challenged student to complete a required science fail project. The project has been great! – Sue

We followed one of the 24 Hour Science Projects step by step instructions and read a book in regards to the experiment along with the provided websites. We were very pleased and my son was very excited that he made this project happen. He has been chosen to go to the science fair by his teacher. – Sandra

This is our second time with science projects. I am thankful there are people like you out there to help us. I am not really that good on the computer, but we are all learning together! – Daisy

I am loving your site…there are really some great ideas. – Jean

Wow! Thanks for the fast response. As we are on the proverbial single parent time crunch, your fast response was greatly appreciated. – Bob

Your explantations really helped! Jennifer

He got first place in his 1st grade class and 1st place out of all the 1st grade classes – about 75 kids. So thanks! – Rebekah

Interested? Get your free copy of the “Non-Scientist Parent’s Guide to a Science Project” at 24 Hour Science Projects.

The following is an article by Chuck Lunsford.

Every science project is based on the scientific method, which is a step-by-step procedure that is used to prove or disprove your theory. Scientists in every aspect of science use the scientific method for every project that they work on.

The scientific method consists of the following steps:

Step one:

Write a research question. This is the question you are going to try to answer while doing your project.

Step two:

Research the topic. This will provide you with all of the information that is already available on your topic, you will get better results if you do a broad search on the topic, but you can also do a focused search.

Step three:

Write a hypothesis. This is what you think the answer to your question will be. You will be proving or disproving this statement in the next few steps.

Step four:

Develop an experimental procedure. This is where you are going to state how you are going to try and prove that what you think is the correct answer and you will also perform any experiments at this stage.

Step five:

Collect and state results. Here you will take all of the information you have obtained and the results of your experiments and record them in a notebook.

Step six:

Form valid conclusions. This step is the last step because here you are going to state if your answer was correct or incorrect based on all of the information and experiments that you have completed.

By basing each science project on the scientific method you are providing your child with an organized project that will help them develop important skills later in life. Depending on the exact project you are doing you might not have to use all of the steps in the scientific method and also depending on the age of the child you will want to gear the steps to their levels.

Here are three great reasons why you should do a science project with your kids today.

Reason one:

Doing a science project with your child means that you can spend quality time with them. Most parents do not have the opportunity to be stay at home parents so they are always trying to find more ways to spend time with their kids and a science project is a great opportunity. If you like plants you and your child can plant a garden and tend to it together, science projects like these require a lot of time and nurturing so it is not just an afternoon spent together. You can also involve your child in home improvement projects or you can spend the afternoon baking cookies or you can get on the internet to get a list of ideas and use stuff you have around the house or you can go to the store and buy a science kit.

Reason two:

Another great reason to do science projects with your kids are that you are teaching them how to make decisions based on the information that they find. This will help to promote your child’s critical thinking skills which will be relied upon more and more as they grow older. By doing this you are giving them the tools that they need to succeed in life.

Reason three:

By spending time with your child doing science projects you are sending them a silent message that is telling them that science is fun. The advantage to this is you might encourage an interest that your child was unaware that they had. And by picking a project that you are both interested in you can have fun while learning about something new. And kids have an endless thirst for knowledge, so giving them all of these opportunities to learn is a great way to quench that thirst.

Science projects are a big part of most elementary and middle school science programs. Most schools require that a student either participate in a science fair or do a science demonstration for their class. Whatever the assignment, science projects can be stressful on the parent! Deciding on a project topic, choosing the science experiment, gathering the supplies, conducting the research, keeping a science log, preparing the display board…it’s a lot!

Our family has four sons, and we used to struggle year after year with out science projects. But a funny thing happened on the way to the science fair. Over the years, we discovered some science projects that were easy and fun to do, but that satisfied the strict requirements of the science fair – and our science teachers. We put these projects together into a package called 24 Hour Science Projects. We have sold our science project packages to thousands of students and parents, helping them learn about science without the frustrations that often come with a science project.

You’ll benefit by reading the experiences of other families in the process of doing their science projects. Have fun with your project!