World Science Day Activities - 99 Quick Ideas to Celebrate World Science Day in Your School 🌍🔬✨
- Popcorn Education
- Sep 14
- 3 min read
World Science Day for Peace and Development (11th November) is the perfect opportunity to bring science to life across your school. To make it easy, we’ve put together 99 quick-fire ideas — simple, practical, and fun for children of all ages.
Use them in class, assemblies, or as whole-school challenges.
99 Quick Ideas 💡
Build a vinegar and baking soda volcano.
Make parachutes from plastic bags and test drop speeds.
Explore shadows with torches and card cut-outs.
Grow cress in recycled yoghurt pots.
Test materials to see which are waterproof.
Challenge children to design a water filter.
Create rainbow milk with food colouring and washing-up liquid.
Measure heart rates before and after exercise.
Make a balloon rocket along a string.
Investigate magnets with everyday objects.
Build bridges from straws and test their strength.
Sort classroom waste into recycling categories.
Test how different liquids affect plant growth.
Try the “dancing raisins” experiment with lemonade.
Build towers from spaghetti and marshmallows.
Observe ice melting at different room temperatures.
Make a rain gauge from a plastic bottle.
Explore surface tension with paperclips floating on water.
Create static electricity with balloons and hair.
Make butter by shaking cream in a jar.
Use mirrors to explore reflections.
Drop balls of different sizes to test gravity.
Grow crystals from salt water.
Compare the strength of different magnets.
Design posters about saving bees.
Investigate which paper aeroplane design flies furthest.
Use food dye to watch celery absorb water.
Explore dissolving with sugar, salt, and sand.
Create an egg parachute to stop it breaking.
Build a periscope with mirrors and cardboard.
Explore fingerprints with magnifying glasses.
Use torches to make a sundial indoors.
Investigate which materials conduct electricity.
Make lava lamps with oil, water, and fizzing tablets.
Try invisible ink with lemon juice.
Sort seeds and classify by type.
Measure pulse recovery after running.
Test which objects sink or float.
Watch how ice balloons melt and reveal objects inside.
Explore colour mixing with light and cellophane.
Plant bulbs and predict growth times.
Investigate friction with toy cars and ramps.
Build boats from foil and test how many coins they hold.
Compare how far different balls bounce.
Explore how sound travels through string telephones.
Create a simple circuit with a bulb and battery.
Try chromatography with felt tips and paper towels.
Explore food chains with simple diagrams.
Make slime and explore viscosity.
Observe clouds and identify types.
Investigate how soap affects grease on dishes.
Explore biodegradable vs non-biodegradable waste.
Use stopwatches to test reaction times.
Grow beans in plastic bags with damp cotton wool.
Make spinning paper helicopters.
Try the “walking water” experiment with food dye.
Create a density column with sugar water.
Test soundproofing with boxes and materials.
Explore which materials insulate best.
Measure shadows outdoors across the day.
Sort rocks into igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
Explore air pressure with an upturned glass of water.
Watch how yeast makes dough rise.
Make fizzing bath bombs.
Explore how different surfaces affect ball rolling.
Create balloon-powered cars.
Test parachute materials to see which is slowest.
Make a kaleidoscope with mirrors and beads.
Explore how far different seeds travel when dropped.
Try freezing different liquids and compare results.
Build straw panpipes and test pitch.
Explore osmosis with gummy bears in water.
Make pendulums and test swing speed.
Test how far elastic bands can catapult paper.
Explore phases of the Moon with Oreos.
Create compass needles with magnets and water.
Investigate how soap affects water tension.
Explore mould growth on bread (safely sealed).
Create colourful density jars with oil, water, and syrup.
Build a waterwheel from spoons and cups.
Use thermometers to compare temperatures in shade and sun.
Explore which fruit conducts electricity.
Test aerodynamics with paper gliders.
Use balloons to explore lung capacity.
Make a rainbow with a glass of water and sunlight.
Explore how plants lean towards light.
Make a stethoscope from funnels and tubing.
Investigate which materials make the best insulators for ice.
Try the “rubber egg” experiment in vinegar.
Explore how sound changes in different containers.
Test whether size affects how quickly something cools.
Explore camouflage by designing insect patterns.
Use baking soda and vinegar to inflate balloons.
Build simple machines with Lego or classroom materials.
Try the pepper and soap experiment to show germs.
Explore buoyancy with clay vs foil boats.
Make models of the solar system with fruit.
Test how light affects reading speed in dim rooms.
End the day with a Science Gadget Shop — a fun, fundraising stall full of experiments and toys that children can take home.
Final Thought
With 99 quick ideas, you’re ready to make World Science Day an inspiring celebration of curiosity, creativity, and discovery. Choose a handful that fit your class and enjoy bringing science to life!
