Earth Science Activities – Hands on learning activities for kids

Interesting earth science activities will definitely enhance a child learning about earth science even though a child can read up about caves, fossils, volcanoes and earth.

Excursion as an earth science activity - Visit to Caves

In their general reading, my kids came across topics about caves. They were fascinated how caves were form and the beautiful pictures in the book showing what a cave is like. I decided that a visit to a real cave would be a most valuable lesson to them. Therefore, off we went one day and head towards a cave (Gua Tempurung) in Perak, Malaysia.

What we saw in the cave - crystal, stalactites and stalagmites.

We learnt that it takes about 100 years for stalactites to grow 1 centimeter! We saw crystal forming on a big rock in the cave. Nothing beats this valuable experience of a visit to the cave when come to learning about caves.

Personally, I prefer to show my children the real stuff after they read from books. However, depending on accessibility and resources availability, I may not be able to show them all. That’s when hands-on earth science activities begin to develop at home.

Understand Earth Core from Cupcake

This is a good activity for kids to understand what lies beneath the surface of the Earth.

What you need:
Cupcake mix, plastic knife, frosting (act as soil), food coloring (at least 3 different colors), baking cups, transparent straws.

What to do:
Prepare cupcakes according to package direction but using 3 different colors of batter; layer batter in baking cups. Put frosting as the last layer, which is equivalent to soil.

Let kids use the straw to take some core sample from the cupcake by rotating the straw like a drill. Explain how geologist dig and analyze the composition of Earth’s interior similarly.

Volcano eruption from baking soda and vinegar

Most kids are going to love this eruption.

What you need:
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), vinegar, a container (a soda bottle will be ideal for the flow), a few drops of red food coloring (for effect)

What to do:
Place vinegar and food coloring into the container. Pour some baking soda into the container and watch the eruption.Note: It can get messy, so do it in the sink or on a tray.

Grow your own stalactites and stalagmites from washing soda

The stalactites and stalagmites they saw in the cave fascinated my kids. They were thrill when we decided to grow stalactites and stalagmites during their school holidays.

What you need:
2 empty jars, a strip of absorbent cloth, hot water, tray to hold the drips, 10 tablespoons of washing soda (sodium carbonate)

What to do:
Dissolved 5 tablespoons of soda with 1 1/2 cups of hot water in each jar. Set the jar apart side by side. Dip one end of the absorbent cloth into each jar and let it hang between both jar. The absorbent cloth will begin to drip and formation will grow.

Make fossil from dough

Your kids can start giving out these fossils as little gifts to their friends or keep it for themselves.

What you need:
Clay or dough (refer to recipe below), objects to imprint like leaves, coins, chicken/fish bones.

Dough recipe:
1 cup flour, ½ cup salt, 1 cup water, 1 tbsp oil, 2 tsp cream of tartar. Mix all ingredients and stir over medium heat until it formed into a ball. Remove from heat and knead on a non-stick surface.

What to do:
Make a rock from clay or dough and flatten to create a smooth surface. Make imprints using the objects you have including your foot and palm if you like. Let it air dry and polish it with acrylic sealer if you like.

While doing the above earth science activities, try your best to explain how it relates to the respective concept and topics.

Parents may not be scientists ourselves but with a little creativity, we can make learning earth science a fun and interesting experience for our kids.

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