Summer is a great time to get outdoors, play, explore and learn at the same time. I often find that if I set up some outdoor science experiments, my children keep coming back to them over a period of weeks or days, each adding their own twist to the activity.

Here are 10 of my favourite outdoor science experiments!

Teddy Zip Line

We’ve had zip lines set up in our garden for weeks. Children can experiment by using different materials for the zip line, changing the gradient, designing different harnesses and using different shapes and sizes of riders!

This is a fantastic activity for learning about the effect of gradients on speed, forces and friction.

Giant Oobleck Tray

A giant oobleck tray is always fun! You just need a big tray, a large amount of cornflour and some water. Kids can try to run across the gloop before they sink.

Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid that is sold when pressure is applied and returns to a liquid state when the pressure is released.

Take care with this one as the surface can be slippy.

Fruity Boats

These fruity boats are super easy to make and great fun to use on a water table. Children can use lemons, limes, melons and any other fruit they fancy trying.

How Tall is a Tree?

Take a trip into the forest to find out how tall a tree is. While you’re there, ask children to look for animal footprints and listen to animal sounds.

Build a Mud Kitchen

Set children a challenge to create their own mud kitchen using planks of wood or even a cardboard box. Once the kitchen is done, kids can make fizzy potions or just mud pies!

Straw Shooters

Straw shooters are great, as children can theme them in any way they want. We’ve made rockets, spacemen, spiders and even Father Christmas-themed shooters before. They’re also a great way to learn about aerodynamics.

Giant Bubbles

Make your own bubble mixture and some GIANT bubbles! Children can also look for rainbows in bubbles

Science with Scooters

Grab a scooter and try some fun scooter science!

Create a Water Wall

Water walls are great fun and easy to put together. You just need some plastic tubing, funnels, buckets and something to attach it to!

Splatter Patterns

This fun splatter pattern activity is fantastically messy. Drop paint-filled balloons and observe the splatter pattern they make as they hit a white sheet of paper.

Syringe painting is also great fun for a sunny day! Fill syringes with paint and fire them at a sheet hung on the fence or a large sheet of paper.

Can you think of any more outdoor science experiments for us?

Last Updated on August 14, 2024 by Emma Vanstone