One of our most popular posts is this great collection of Fairy Tale science activities, so when the lovely Mrs Mactivity asked if we'd like her to create some resources to sit alongside our Fairy Tale STEM challenges, we said YES!

These Fairy Tale STEM activities are great for elementary or primary school-age children and a fantastic introduction to learning how to set up investigations correctly to start working scientifically. Most of all, they are just good old-fashioned science fun! All are very hands-on and great for keeping kids engaged.

Next time you design a raft for the Three Billy Goats Gruff, grow a bean for Jack, make a candy house for Hansel and Gretel, or a bridge for The Gingerbread Man, don't forget to use these too!

Fairy Tale STEM Challenges

If you try any of the activities, I'd love to see them, so don't forget to share photos on social media and tag @sciencesparks. I think my favourite is the candy house for Hansel and Gretel; it always keeps my children busy for hours!

More Science for Kids

If you enjoyed these activities, you might also like my science experiments for World Book Day or my collection of easy STEM challenges.

The post FREE Fairy Tale STEM Challenges appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

In the story of Hansel and Gretel, the children leave stones and then breadcrumbs to find their way home, but the breadcrumbs get eaten, and the children end up in a witch's house.

The idea of this science activity is to find a new way for Hansel and Gretel to leave a message or draw a map so they can find their way back home.

These Hansel and Gretel activity ideas are fantastic for younger children at home or school.

Secret Messages with Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is great for writing secret messages. Squeeze the juice from a lemon or lime and use a small paintbrush to write a message on paper. Pop the paper in a warm oven for a few minutes to reveal the writing.

If you don't have lemon juice, lime juice or milk also works well!

Why does lemon juice turn brown

Lemon and lime juice react with oxygen ( they oxidise ), which makes them turn brown when heated!

Instead of a message, lemon juice can also be used to draw a secret map!

Crayon Resist Messages

To write a crayon-resist message, you'll need a white crayon and watercolour paints or wax crayons.

Draw a map or write a message using the white crayon ( you'll need to press down hard ). To reveal the message, paint or crayon lightly over the top.

I need to create a better image for this one, but you get the idea.

More Hansel and Gretel Science Activities

Build a house made from sweets or a house made of gingerbread for the witch. One way to turn this into an investigation is to experiment with different types of sticky things to hold the pieces of the house together. Icing sugar, glucose syrup or even jam are good to try!

The post Leave Messages for Hansel and Gretel appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

My six year old has been learning about Traditional Tales recently, so I've put together a collection of fairy tale science experiments that would sit brilliantly alongside this topic. The activities include Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Billy Goats Gruff and more.

I also have four easy FREE Fairy Tale STEM Challenge printable instruction sheets available.

Fairy Tale Science Experiments

Three Billy Goats Gruff Activities

Make a raft for the Billy Goats  Gruff so they don't need to cross the bridge. We used lolly sticks to make a basic raft shape and added corks to the bottom of one, then tested to see if the rafts could support the weight of PlayMobil goats without sinking.

Billy Goat Gruff Extension Challenge

Build a bridge for the troll using different materials, such as paper, lolly sticks and thick cardboard.

Jack and the Beanstalk Science Experiments

Build a zip wire to help Jack down the beanstalk. Experiment with different gradients to find out how gradient affects speed.

After investigating how changing the gradient of the zip wire changes the speed Jack travels down it, try experimenting with different types of harnesses and different types of string for the zip wire.

A thicker, rougher string should mean Jack travels more slowly down the wire as there's more friction than when using a smooth wire.

Grow a bean in a jar. How tall will it grow without needing some support? This is a great activity for learning about the conditions needed for germination.

How about planting a bean and growing a beanstalk for Jack?

What happens if you grow a bean in the dark? This is a great plant science investigation to run over a period of days or weeks.

Make your own recycled beanstalk

Design and build a beanstalk with cardboard tubes or other recycled materials. Measure how tall it is once you're finished!

Goldilocks and the Three Bears Activities

For little ones, ask children to order bowls, beds and chairs in order of size, one for each bear.

For older children, you could monitor how much heat is lost from three different-sized bowls of porridge over a period of time using a food thermometer, Inspiration Laboratories has a great post on this.

We love this wooden spoon craft from Red Ted Art as well.

The Princess and the Pea

Make a mattress with different materials so the Princess can't feel the pea.

Cinderella Activities

Try some weighing and measuring with pumpkins.

Play an ordering game with shoes. Order by the size of the shoe, then the size of the heel. You could even sort by the type of material the shoes are made from.

Build a new carriage for Cinderella using a balloon as a pumpkin.

Hansel and Gretel Activities

Build a house made from sweets or chocolate as an investigation to find out which type of sweet gives the most stable shape.

Or how about making a gingerbread house? Try testing different types of icing to see which sticks the house together the best.

Peter Pan Activities

Can you fly tinkerbell down a zip wire?

Learn about state changes with these lovely melted bead fairy wands from The Artful Parent.

The Little Mermaid Activities

Ariel's cave of treasures is the perfect inspiration for sorting toys depending on the material they're made from.

Make some fun under the sea play dough like The Imagination Tree.

The Princess and the Frog

Learn about frog spawn and tadpoles with Rainy Day Mum.

The Three Little Pigs Experiments

Our Three Little Pigs science experiments are perfect for learning about lots of different science concepts. Test a stick, straw and brick roof to see which is the most windproof. We used the squeezy bottle to act like wind and placed tissue paper inside the house to see if the 'wind' reached it.

Red Ted Art has this brilliant three little pigs craft activity. Can you try to make the house from different materials to see which is the most stable?

Build a house for the three little pigs using sweets and straws. Which sweets work the best?

How about a version of this waterproof experiment where you blow with a straw instead of spraying with water?

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Explore symmetry with mirrors in this fun activity. Use a mirror to draw a symmetrical dwarf.

Little Red Riding Hood

Inspire some imaginative play with this gorgeous story box from The Imagination Tree.

Another idea is to create a map reading and problem-solving scene for children to work through.

The Gingerbread Man

Build a bridge to help The Gingerbread Man across the river. Or if you'd rather build him a raft, we've got a free Gingerbread Man activity download from Science Sparks - the book with many fun extension ideas too!

More Fairy Tale Science Experiment Ideas

A pulley for Rapunzel

Write secret messages for Hansel and Gretel using lemon juice or white crayon.

Melting Gingerbread men

How strong is a gingerbread man

Princess potions

Witchy potions

Jack's Parachute

How to build a strong Beanstalk

Icy castles

Do you have any more ideas for fairy tale activities or science experiments for us??

If you didn't find quite what you were looking for, try one of our many other science experiments for kids, we have 100s!

The post Easy Fairy Tale Science Experiments for Kids appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

In the story of The Princess and the Pea, the princess can't sleep because she can feel a pea through many layers of mattresses. We used the story to inspire first the building of a wooden bed and then the addition of mattress materials to see which cushioned our pea ( a marble ) most effectively. This Princess and the Pea STEM activity is great for kids of all ages and for working in a team or alone.

If you like this activity, we have lots more fun Fairy Tale STEM Challenges to try, too.

It's also a great STEM Challenge for World Book Day.

Princess and the Pea STEM Challenge

The challenge is first to build a bed frame and then test different mattress materials.

If you don't want to build a bed frame, you can also test mattress materials on a flat surface.

This printable planning and testing booklet might also be helpful.

The bed was built by my 9-year-old using materials from TTS. He used wooden dowels, square lengths of wood, triangles and a glue gun ( with help from me ).

Materials

A bed - if you don't want to make your own, this could be as simple as a thick piece of card or a small doll bed

A marble

Mattress materials such as sponges, bubble wrap, felt, etc

How to make a bed for the Princess and the Pea

Look at your materials and think about which would make the best mattress. Remember, the challenge is not to be able to feel the "pea" through the mattress.

Construct your mattress.

Press down, can you feel the "pea"?

Ask a friend to feel the mattress without telling them there is a hidden marble. Can they tell there is something there?

Princess and the Pea - Extension tasks

Investigate to find the thinnest mattress you can make and not feel the pea?

Find out whether the object in the bed affects how thick your mattress needs to be. Try using a coin or a dice.

Great for Key Stage 1 Science - Everyday Materials

Everyday Materials - Identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials

Working Scientifically

The post Princess and the PEA STEM Challenge appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

Growing a plant from seed is a great way for children to learn about the conditions plants need to grow successfully. Beans are an obvious choice as they are a nice big seed, grow relatively quickly ( they should have a large stem and leaves after about 10 days ), get big roots and grow quite tall. We've had mixed results with our beans this year though, so if you want something more reliable I'd recommend cress or rocket, both of which have grown fantastically for us recently.

We made this bean into a Jack and the Beanstalk bean, to make your own, download the printable beanstalk here. We used double sided tape to attach a lolly stick to the beanstalk allowing it to stand up.

How to successfully grow a bean

• Beans need a relatively warm temperature so don't try to grow them before spring.
• Beans need to be watered a couple of times a week, and planted in well drained soil.
• Beans like the sun, leave them in a sunny spot.
• Watch out for insects and protect the beans where possible.
• To grow a bean in a jar, just swill some water around the jar, add a damp piece of cotton wool or kitchen roll and place the bean so it's resting on the cotton wool/kitchen roll. Remember to spray with water every couple of days.

More bean experiments

Did you know that beans don't need sunlight to germinate? Try leaving one bean in the dark and one in the light to investigate for yourself.

Grow a bean in a bag like Teach Preschool or even in a CD case.

Dissect a bean like Buggy and Buddy.

Key stage 1 Science - Plants

Find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy

Observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants

If you liked this activity, you'll LOVE our other easy plant science experiments for kids!

The post Jack and the Beanstalk Bean appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

My theme for the next few weeks is Fairy Tales and Traditional Tales, starting with a Billy Goats Gruff STEM Challenge to build a raft to help the Billy Goats Gruff avoid the bridge. First we read the story and then talked about which materials might work best for a raft. We decided the raft should float and be strong enough to take the weight of a toy goat. You could split this activity into several stages.

Raft Building STEM

• Design your rafts - which materials do you think will work best?
• Build your rafts - do you need to change your design?
• Test your rafts to see if they sink or float.
• Can your raft support the weight of your goat?

How to build a mini raft

Lolly sticks

Kitchen sponge

Corks

Glue/Double sided tape

Paper

Kitchen roll

Toy Goat or other animal

Raft building instructions

Build and test your rafts, to make it a fair test you should use the same toy goat and if possible the same sized rafts.

What happened?

We didn't expect our paper or kitchen sponge rafts to work, but tested them anyway.  Surprisingly the paper raft did float for a very short amount of time.

The kitchen sponge raft floated, but wasn't big enough to hold the weight of the goat.

Both lolly stick rafts floated, but the cork one was the most stable.

Extension Activities - Raft Building

Design a table to record the results and try to predict which rafts will sink and which will float before testing them.

Use a straw to blow the boats across a calm surface of water. Investigate to discover what happens when you blow gently and then with more force?

Does the boat move faster if you blow the air close to the boat or far away?

Use a straw to create waves across the water.

More Traditional Tale Science Experiments

Try my Fairy Tale STEM Challenge printables! One is perfect to use with this science investigation.

Make a carriage for Cinderella using a balloon car design.

Or how about creating a mattress for the Princess and the Pea?

Suitable for Early Learning Goal 16

Exploring and using media and materials

They safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.

Key Stage 1 

Everyday Materials

Uses of Everyday Materials

Working Scientifically

The post Billy Goats Gruff STEM Challenge appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

This germination science investigation is very simple but fascinating. Did you know you can grow a bean in a jar with just a little water? Once the seed has germinated, you can place it in soil for the plant to finish growing.

The jar allows children to see the seeds, roots and shoots easily.

What is germination?

Germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed.

Three factors are important for germination.

Water—Seeds need water for germination to occur. When a seed absorbs water, it starts to swell, the outer coat cracks and roots start to grow through.

Oxygen - oxygen is needed for a plant to grow (oxygen is needed for respiration to occur ). Seeds buried too deeply in the soil won't grow.

Temperature - the temperature can be important ( warm or cold ), depending on the type of seed.

Once a seedling has used all the nutrients from the seed, it then needs to take nutrients from the soil. Once your seed has germinated and grown a little bit, you'll need to transfer it into a pot of soil.

Light is not needed for germination but is needed for a plant to grow.

Roots grow downwards to anchor the plant in the ground and find nutrients, and shoots grow upwards to find light.

How to grow a bean in a jar

What you need

• A broad bean seed
• Jar
• Kitchen towel or a napkin
• Water

Instructions

• Swirl a small amount of water around the jar.
• Fold your napkin or kitchen roll and place it in the jar ( we also made the kitchen roll very slightly damp).
• Place the bean seed in the jar resting on the napkin.
• Spray some water on the bean every few days.

The bean should start to grow roots after a few days. This is called germination.

We kept one bean in the dark and one in the light. Both seeds germinated and grew into small bean plants. This shows that light is not necessary for germination.

You can see here that the plant grown in the dark is slightly less green than the one grown in the light. We have seen this before when growing cress.

What amazes me the most is that all this can grow from one tiny seed with no additional nutrients other than those contained in the bean.

After a few days in the light, the bean plant kept in the dark was as luscious a green colour as its counterpart.

Bean in a jar instructions

Download the instructions completely free!

More plant science

Little ones will enjoy growing a bean for Jack and the Beanstalk.

Inspiration Laboratories has a lovely plant science experiment growing seeds in different soil types, such as sand and stones.

Playdough to Plato has a gorgeous sprout house!

Another idea is to dissect a plant or try one of our other fun plant science experiments for kids.

Suitable for:

Key Stage 1 Science - Plants

Plants

Identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees.

The post Bean in a Jar Science Experiment appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.