Little Experiments, Big Ideas: Science for Ages 5 and 6

Introducing young children to science, technology, engineering, and maths doesn't need to be complicated. At this age, it's really about nurturing curiosity—helping them notice how things work and encouraging them to ask questions about the world around them.

Hands-on experiments are one of the easiest ways to do this. When children can pour, build, watch, and test things for themselves, big ideas start to make sense in small, playful ways. Simple activities can gently introduce ideas from chemistry, physics, and biology without turning learning into a lesson.

Here are a few simple experiments to get you started.

Chemistry: The Bubbly Colour Experiment

You know how bubbles seem to appear from nowhere? That's a chemical reaction happening right in front of you.

What You'll Need

• A clear jar or glass
• Water
• A little vegetable oil
• Food colouring
• A small piece of an Alka-Seltzer tablet

What You'll Do Fill your jar about halfway with water. Pour a little oil on top and watch how it sits above the water rather than mixing in. Add a drop of food colouring—notice where it goes. Then, with an adult nearby, drop in a small piece of Alka-Seltzer and watch what happens.

What You'll See Coloured bubbles rising through the oil, then sinking back down. It looks a little like a lava lamp. The bubbles carry the coloured water up through the oil, then fall when the gas escapes.

Why It Works The Alka-Seltzer creates a gas called carbon dioxide. That gas attaches to the coloured water and lifts it upward. When the bubble pops at the surface, the water sinks back down. Oil and water don't mix—so the colour moves through the oil rather than blending with it.

At this age, it's enough to notice what floats, what sinks, and how things move. The vocabulary can come later.

Physics: Building Strong Shapes

You know how some bridges stay standing for hundreds of years while others wobble and fall? That's structure at work.

What You'll Need

• Popsicle sticks
• Small balls of clay or playdough
• A few small objects to use as weights (coins, a toy, a small book)

Use the clay to connect the popsicle sticks into different shapes—squares, triangles, flat platforms. Build a small bridge or tower, then gently press down on it. Try a few different designs and see which ones hold up best.

Pro tip: Triangles are stronger than squares. If a structure keeps collapsing, try adding a diagonal stick across the middle.

What You'll See

Some shapes hold firm. Others bend, buckle, or fall apart under pressure. Children quickly notice which designs feel sturdy and which ones don't—and start adjusting without being told to.

Why It Works

Triangles distribute weight evenly across all three sides, which makes them hard to squash. Squares can lean and collapse because the corners aren't fixed. Engineers use this same principle when designing real bridges and buildings.

Biology: A Tiny Garden in a Jar

You know how plants seem to grow from almost nothing? That's biology quietly doing its work.

What You'll Need

• A small glass jar or cup
• Soil
• A few seeds (cress and beans both sprout quickly) or a small plant
• Water
• A sunny windowsill

Fill your jar about two-thirds with soil. Press a few seeds gently into the top, or nestle in a small plant. Water lightly—just enough to dampen the soil without soaking it. Place it near a window and check it each day.

What You'll See

Within a few days, small shoots will begin to appear. Children can watch the plant change gradually—a little taller each morning, leaves slowly uncurling.

Why It Works

Plants need three things to grow: light, water, and nutrients from the soil. Move the jar away from the window for a few days and watch what happens. Then move it back. This simple comparison helps children understand that plants are alive and responsive—just in a slow, quiet way.

At five and six, STEM works best when it feels like play. Keep activities short, hands-on, and flexible. Ask open questions, follow their curiosity, and let the fun lead the learning.

The goal isn't to produce little scientists. It's to help children grow up believing that questions are worth asking—and that the world around them is worth paying attention to.