Free Science Activities
Lesson and Lab Exchange
Visit our partner, Center for Chemistry Education (CCE), to download free lessons and labs developed by participants and instructors in CCE courses, including PACT, Risks & Choices, and OBOR-funded workshops. All have been classroom-tested.
National Chemistry Week Activities
These free, downloadable science activities are great for quick classroom experiences or fun student take-homes. For in-depth lessons and more detailed science explanations, see the source books listed for each activity or schedule one of our hands-on workshops.
Activities from National Chemistry Week 2005, The Joy of Toys (813 KB PDF)
- Color Change Toys
- Wall Walkers
- Diving Toys
- Glitter Wands
- Glow-in-the-Dark Vinyl
- Grow Creatures
- Hand Blasters
- Hand Boilers
- Magic Ink
- Magic Sand
- Mystical Tree
- Shrinky Dinks
- Silly Putty
- Self-Inflating Balloons
- Bubble Solutions
Activities from National Chemistry Week 2007, The Many Faces of Chemistry (1.1 MB PDF)
- Aspirin Tablets Can Differ
- Capturing Carbon Dioxide
- Hand-Boiler Distillation
- Inky Elevators
- Kool-Aid® Dyeing
- Look at One Part Per Million
- Marbling with Shaving Cream
- Recycling Paper
- Sense-Fooling Pie
- Sunscreens and SPF Ratings
- Trapping Particles
Activities from National Chemistry Week 2008, The Chemistry of Sports (1.5 MB PDF)
- Science of Athletic Shoes
- Let’s Break a Sweat
- Bubble Blowup
- Calories in Snack Foods
- Effects of Chlorine on Germs
- The Bounce of Playgrounds and Gym Floors
- Chemical Heat Packs
- If the Shoe Fits
- Playing with the METS
- Polyurethane Foam
- Effects of Wax on Sliding
- Electrolyte Content of Sports Drinks
- Sunscreens and SPF Ratings
- Surface Tension and High Diving
- Temperature Effects on Ball Bounceability
- Test Your Reaction Time
Activities with Movies
Investigating a Self-Inflating Balloon
- Download an Investigating a Self-Inflating Balloon activity (excerpted from Chemistry with Charisma, Volume One and the Chemistry with Charisma workshop)
- Watch clips of a Terrific Science teacher workshop and of kids investigating self-inflating balloons.