experiments with water bottles

37 Water Science Experiments: Fun & Easy

We’ve curated a diverse selection of water related science experiments suitable for all ages, covering topics such as density, surface tension, water purification, and much more.

These hands-on, educational activities will not only deepen your understanding of water’s remarkable properties but also ignite a passion for scientific inquiry.

So, grab your lab coat and let’s dive into the fascinating world of water-based science experiments!

Water Science Experiments

1. walking water science experiment.

This experiment is a simple yet fascinating science experiment that involves observing the capillary action of water. Children can learn a lot from this experiment about the characteristics of water and the capillary action phenomenon. It is also a great approach to promote scientific curiosity and enthusiasm.

Learn more: Walking Water Science Experiment

2. Water Filtration Experiment

A water filtering experiment explains how to purify contaminated water using economical supplies. The experiment’s goal is to educate people about the procedure of water filtration, which is crucial in clearing water of impurities and contaminants so that it is safe to drink.

Learn more: Water Filtration Experiment

3. Water Cycle in a Bag

The water cycle in a bag experiment became to be an enjoyable and useful instructional exercise that helps students understand this idea. Participants in the experiment can observe the many water cycle processes by building a model of the water cycle within a Ziplock bag.

4. Cloud in a Jar

The rain cloud in a jar experiment is a popular instructional project that explains the water cycle and precipitation creation. This experiment is best done as a water experiment since it includes monitoring and understanding how water changes state from a gas (water vapor) to a liquid (rain) and back to a gas.

Learn more: Cloud in a Jar

5. The Rising Water

The rising water using a candle experiment is a wonderful way to teach both adults and children the fundamentals of physics while also giving them an exciting look at the properties of gases and how they interact with liquids.

6. Leak Proof Bag Science Experiment

In the experiment, a plastic bag will be filled with water, and after that, pencils will be inserted through the bag without causing it to leak.

The experiments explain how the plastic bag’s polymer chains stretch and form a barrier that keeps water from dripping through the holes the pencils have produced.

Learn more: Leak Proof Bag Science Experiment

7. Keep Paper Dry Under Water Science Experiment

The experiment is an enjoyable way for demonstrating air pressure and surface tension for both adults and children. It’s an entertaining and engaging technique to increase scientific curiosity and learn about scientific fundamentals.

Learn more: Keep Paper Dry Under Water Science Experiment

8. Frozen Water Science Experiment

The Frozen Water Science Experiment is a fun and engaging project that teaches about the qualities of water and how it behaves when frozen.

You can gain a better knowledge of the science behind the freezing process and investigate how different variables can affect the outcome by carrying out this experiment.

9. Make Ice Stalagmites

10. Bending of Light

A fascinating scientific activity that explores visual principles and how light behaves in different surfaces is the “bending of light” water experiment. This experiment has applications in physics, engineering, and technology in addition to being a fun and interesting method to learn about the characteristics of light.

11. Salt on a Stick

This experiment is an excellent way to catch interest, engage in practical learning, and gain a deeper understanding of the characteristics of water and how they relate to other substances. So the “Salt on Stick” water experiment is definitely worth trying if you’re looking for a fun and educational activity to try!

Learn More: Water Cycle Experiment Salt and Stick

12. Separating Mixture by Evaporation

This method has practical applications in fields like water processing and is employed in a wide range of scientific disciplines, from chemistry to environmental science.

You will better understand the principles determining the behavior of mixtures and the scientific procedures used to separate them by performing this experiment at home.

13. Dancing Spaghetti

Have you ever heard of the dancing spaghetti experiment? It’s a fascinating science experiment that combines simple materials to create a mesmerizing visual display.

The dancing spaghetti experiment is not only entertaining, but it also helps you understand the scientific concepts of chemical reactions, gas production, and acidity levels.

14. Magic Color Changing Potion

The magic color-changing potion experiment with water, vinegar, and baking soda must be tried since it’s an easy home-based scientific experiment that’s entertaining and educational.

This experiment is an excellent way to teach kids about chemical reactions and the characteristics of acids and bases while providing them an interesting and satisfying activity.

15. Traveling Water Experiment

In this experiment, you will use simple objects like straws or strings to make a path for water to pass between two or more containers.

Learn more: Rookie Parenting

16. Dry Erase and Water “Floating Ink” Experiment

The dry-erase and water “floating ink” experiment offers an interesting look at the characteristics of liquids and the laws of buoyancy while also being a great method to educate kids and adults to the fundamentals of science.

Learn more: Dry Erase and Water Floating Ink Experiment

17. Underwater Candle

In this experiment, we will investigate a connection between fire and water and learn about the remarkable factors of an underwater candle.

18. Static Electricity and Water

19. Tornado in a Glass

This captivating experiment will demonstrate how the forces of air and water can combine to create a miniature vortex, resembling a tornado.

Learn more: Tornado in a Glass

20. Make Underwater Magic Sand

Be ready to build a captivating underwater world with the magic sand experiment. This experiment will examine the fascinating characteristics of hydrophobic sand, sometimes referred to as magic sand.

21. Candy Science Experiment

Get ready to taste the rainbow and learn about the science behind it with the Skittles and water experiment! In this fun and colorful experiment, we will explore the concept of solubility and observe how it affects the diffusion of color.

Density Experiments

Density experiments are a useful and instructive approach to learn about the characteristics of matter and the fundamentals of science, and they can serve as a starting point for further exploration into the fascinating world of science.

Density experiments may be carried out with simple materials that can be found in most homes.

This experiment can be a great hands-on learning experience for kids and science lovers of all ages.

22. Super Cool Lava Lamp Experiment

The awesome lava lamp experiment is an entertaining and educational activity that illustrates the concepts of density and chemical reactions. With the help of common household items, this experiment involves making a handmade lava lamp.

Learn more: Lava Lamp Science Experiment

23. Denser Than you Think

Welcome to the fascinating world of density science! The amount of matter in a particular space or volume is known as density, and it is a fundamental concept in science that can be seen everywhere around us.

Understanding density can help us figure out why some objects float while others sink in water, or why certain compounds do not mix.

24. Egg Salt and Water

Learn about the characteristics of water, including its density and buoyancy, and how the addition of salt affects these characteristics through performing this experiment.

25. Hot Water and Cold-Water Density

In this experiment, hot and cold water are put into a container to see how they react to one other’s temperatures and how they interact.

Sound and Water Experiments

Have you ever wondered how sound travels through different mediums? Take a look at these interesting sound and water experiments and learn how sounds and water can affect each other.

26. Home Made Water Xylophone

You can do this simple scientific experiment at home using a few inexpensive ingredients to create a handmade water xylophone.

The experiment demonstrates the science of sound and vibration and demonstrates how changing water concentrations can result in a range of tones and pitches.

Learn more: Home Made Water Xylophone

27. Create Water Forms Using Sound!

A remarkable experiment that exhibits the ability of sound waves to influence and impact the physical world around us is the creation of water formations using sound.

In this experiment, sound waves are used to generate patterns and shapes, resulting in amazing, intricate designs that are fascinating to observe.

28. Sound Makes Water Come Alive 

These experiments consist of using sound waves to create water vibrations, which can result in a variety of dynamic and captivating phenomena.

29. Water Whistle

The water whistle experiment includes blowing air through a straw that is submerged in water to produce a whistle.

This experiment is an excellent way to learn about the characteristics of sound waves and how water can affect them.

Water Surface Tension Experiments

You can observe the effects of surface tension on the behavior of liquids by conducting a surface tension experiment.

By trying these experiments, you can gain a better understanding of the properties of liquids and their behavior and how surface tension affects their behavior.

30. Floating Paperclip

In this experiment, you will put a paper clip on the top of the water and observe it float because of the water’s surface tension.

31. Water Glass Surface Tension

Have you ever noticed how, on some surfaces, water drops may form perfect spheres? The surface tension, which is a characteristic of water and the cohesive force that holds a liquid’s molecules together at its surface, is to blame for this.

32. Camphor Powered Boat

The camphor-powered boat experiment is a fun and fascinating way to explore the principles of chemistry, physics, and fluid mechanics. In this experiment, a miniature boat is used to travel across the water’s surface using camphor tablets.

33. Pepper and Soap Experiment

The pepper in a cloud experiment is a simple and interesting activity that explains the concept of surface tension. This experiment includes adding pepper to a bowl of water and then pouring soap to the mixture, causing the pepper to move away from the soap.

Learn more: Pepper and Soap Experiment

Boiling Water Experiments

Experiments with boiling water are an engaging and informative way to learn about physics, chemistry, and water’s characteristics.

These investigations, which include examining how water behaves when it changes temperature and pressure, can shed light on a variety of scientific phenomena.

It’s important to take the proper safety measures when performing experiments with hot water. Boiling water can produce steam and hot particles that are dangerous to inhale in and can result in severe burns if it comes into contact with skin.

34. Make It Rain

This experiment can be accomplished using basic supplies that can be found in most homes, make it an excellent opportunity for hands-on learning for both kids and science lovers.

Learn more: Make it Rain

35. Fire Water Balloons

Learning about the fundamentals of thermodynamics, the behavior of gases, and the effects of heat on objects are all made possible by this experiment.

36. Boil Water with Ice

The Boiling Water with Ice experiment is an engaging and beneficial approach to learn about temperature and the behavior of water. It can also serve as an introduction for further discovery into the wonderful world of science.

37. Boil Water in a Paper Cup

The “boil water in a cup” experiment is an easier but powerful approach to illustrate the idea of heat transmission by conduction. This experiment is often used in science classes to teach students about thermal conductivity and the physics of heat transfer.

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30 Easy Water Experiments For Kids

Water experiments aren’t just for summer! Water is easy and budget-friendly for science learning with preschoolers, elementary-age kids, and even middle school science. Check out our list of our favorite science experiments with water and look for the free printable water themed science camp week guide!

SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS WITH WATER

What do all these science experiments and STEM projects below have in common? They all use water!

These water experiments are perfect for at home and in the classroom with simple household items like salt. Also, check out our science experiments with baking soda.

Let’s dig in if you want to explore science with water as the main ingredient! While you’re at it, make sure to check out more kid-friendly science experiments.

Our science activities and experiments are designed with you, the parent or teacher, in mind! Easy to set up, and quick to do, most activities will take only 15 to 30 minutes to complete and are heaps of fun!

USING THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

The scientific method is a process or method of research. A problem is identified, information about the problem is gathered, a hypothesis or question is formulated from the information, and the hypothesis is put to the test with an experiment to prove or disprove its validity. Sounds heavy…

What in the world does that mean?!? The scientific method should be used as a guide to help lead the process.

You don’t need to try and solve the world’s biggest science questions! The scientific method is all about studying and learning things right around you.

As kids develop practices that involve creating, gathering data evaluating, analyzing, and communicating, they can apply these critical thinking skills to any situation. To learn more about the scientific method and how to use it, click here.

Even though the scientific method feels like it is just for big kids…

This method can be used with kids of all ages! Have a casual conversation with younger kiddos or do a more formal notebook entry with older kiddos!

Click here to get your 12 days of science challenge calendar!

WATER EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS

Click on each link below to explore cool experiments with water! Here you will find easy water experiments for preschoolers through middleschoolers, including the water cycle.

This age group is beginning to learn about core concepts in chemistry , including states of matter, how different substances mix or interact, and the properties of different materials.

ICE IS NICE SCIENCE

Explore the solid form of water and ice. Look at three great ice experiments that highlight the scientific method perfectly!

BENDING WATER

Can you bend water? Yes, you can with static electricity. Grab a balloon and some water to set up this easy experiment.

CANDLE IN WATER EXPERIMENT

Can you make the water rise by burning a candle under a jar? Grab a few simple supplies and find out.

CELERY EXPERIMENT

Here’s a simple explanation of how osmosis works with celery and water and a fun science demonstration!

COFFEE FILTER FLOWERS

Water is the main ingredient in this gorgeous but super easy combined science and art activity. Make a bouquet of colorful, coffee-filter flowers and explore solubility too!

COLOR CHANGING FLOWERS

This engaging color-changing flower experiment explores the concept of capillary action as your flowers magically turn from white to green. Easy to set up and perfect for a group of kiddos to do at the same time or as an interesting water science fair project.

CRUSHED SODA CAN EXPERIMENT

What happens when you heat and cool water inside a soda can?

DISSOLVING CANDY

There are all kinds of fun things you can dissolve in water!

DRY-ERASE MARKER EXPERIMENT

Is it magic or is it science? Create a dry-erase drawing and watch it float in water.

FREEZING WATER EXPERIMENT

Will it freeze? What happens to the freezing point of water when you add salt? Check out this easy water experiment to find out.

GROW A RAINBOW

A fun and colorful experiment that uses a paper towel, markers and water to demonstrate the process of capillary action.

GUMMY BEAR OSMOSIS LAB

Learn about the process of osmosis when you try this easy gummy bear osmosis experiment. Watch your gummy bears grow as you investigate what liquid makes them grow the biggest.

HOW DO SHARKS FLOAT?

Explore buoyancy with this simple oil and water experiment.

HOW MANY DROPS OF WATER ON A PENNY?

All you need for this experiment are a few coins, an eyedropper or pipette, and water! How many drops fit on the surface of a penny? What else could you use? A bottle cap turned over, a flat LEGO piece, or another small, smooth surface! Take a guess at how many drops it will take and then test it out.

ICE FISHING

Did you know you can go fishing indoors with salt, string, and ice! Kids will have a blast!

ICE MELT ACTIVITIES

Playful hands on science and learning which is perfect for our preschoolers. Explore water science with one of these fun theme ice melt activities.

LEGO WATER EXPERIMENT

Build a dam from Lego bricks and explore the flow of water.

OCEAN CURRENTS

Build a simple model of the ocean currents with ice and water.

OCEAN LAYERS

Just like layers of the earth, the ocean has layers too! Have you ever wondered how you could see them without going scuba diving in the ocean? Explore the layers of the ocean with a liquid density tower experiment for kids. 

OIL AND WATER EXPERIMENT

Do the oil and water mix? Explore the densities of liquids with this simple oil and water experiment.

POTATO OSMOSIS LAB

Explore what happens to potato when you put them in concentration salt water and then pure water. Learn about osmosis when you try this fun potato osmosis experiment with the kids.

RAINBOW IN A JAR

Can you make a rainbow in a jar? This neat rainbow water experiment explores water density with just a few materials. Instead of salt we use sugar and food coloring to stack the colors of the rainbow.

PENNY BOAT CHALLENGE

Design a simple tin foil boat, and see how many pennies it can hold before it sinks in the water. How many pennies will it take to make your boat sink?

MAKE A PADDLE BOAT

Fill the kiddie pool or tun with water and make this DIY paddle boat for fun physics!

SALT LAVA LAMP EXPERIMENT

Explore what happens when you add salt to oil and water.

SALTWATER DENSITY EXPERIMENT

Can you make an egg float? Will different items sink in freshwater but float in saltwater? Compare saltwater to freshwater with a fun experiment with salt and water. Make your predictions and test your results.

SINK OR FLOAT EXPERIMENT

Check out what you have in the kitchen for an easy science experiment with water   with some very interesting results!

SKITTLES EXPERIMENT

A super simple water science experiment with everyone’s favorite candy! Did you know you can try it with M&Ms too? You can also you those red and white mints, old candy canes, and even jelly beans!

SOAP POWERED BOAT EXPERIMENT

Explore surface tension as kids observe firsthand how soap influences the movement of a small boat on the water’s surface.

SOLID LIQUID GAS EXPERIMENT

Learn about the properties of solids, liquids and gases with this simple water experiment. Have fun observing how water changes from a solid to a liquid to a gas.

STRAW BOATS

Design a boat made from nothing but straws and tape, and see how many items it can hold before it sinks in the water. Explore buoyancy while you test out your engineering skills.

TOOTHPICK STARS

Make a star out of broken toothpicks by only adding water. Learn about capillary action with a totally do-able water experiment.

WALKING WATER EXPERIMENT

Can water walk? Make a colorful rainbow with a little color theory mixed in too! This walking water experiment is super easy and fun to set up! Mason jars, plastic cups, or bowls will also work just fine for this experiment.

WATER CYCLE IN A BOTTLE

Make a discovery bottle all about the water cycle. One of the best water science activities is one where we can learn more about one of the most important and necessary cycles on Earth, the water cycle!

WATER CYCLE IN A BAG

The water cycle is important because it’s how water gets to all the plants, animals and even us!! Learn about the water cycle with this easy water cycle in a bag experiment.

WATER DISPLACEMENT EXPERIMENT

Add this simple water displacement experiment to your science lesson plans this season. Learn about water displacement and what it measures.

WATER EVAPORATION EXPERIMENT

Dive into the process of evaporation (a liquid changes to a gas) with this simple water evaporation experiment. Investigate how different factors like temperature, airflow, and surface area affect the evaporation rate.

WATER REFRACTION EXPERIMENT

Why do objects look different in water? A simple water experiment that shows how light bends or refracts as it moves through water.

WATER XYLOPHONE

A homemade water xylophone is perfect for exploring physics and sound science!

WATER ABSORBTION EXPERIMENT

This is a very simple and fun water experiment which is great for preschoolers. My son had a blast exploring what materials absorb water and what don’t.

WHAT DISSOLVES IN WATER

This is super simple chemistry using common items around the house to explore mixtures and discover which items dissolve in water !

Compare how fast different everyday items melt in the sun, including ice cubes. A fun experiment to do in the summer!

WATER WHEEL

Hop on this engineering project and design a water wheel that moves! Use our idea as a springboard to create your own or follow the step-by-step directions.

WATER CLOCK

Find out how to use water to tell the time with this water clock project .

Plan a Water Summer Science Camp

Grab this free guide and plan a day or two of water theme science camp activities . We have 12 free guides, each with a different theme! Use them all year long.

ALSO TRY THESE EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS

• States of Matter Experiments
• Surface Tension of Water Experiments
• Chemistry Experiments
• Physics Experiments
• Fizzing Experiments
• Physical Changes
• All About Atoms

MORE HELPFUL SCIENCE RESOURCES

Science vocabulary.

It is never too early to introduce some fantastic science words to kids. Get them started with a printable science vocabulary word list . You will want to incorporate these simple science terms into your next science lesson!

WHAT IS A SCIENTIST

Think like a scientist! Act like a scientist! Scientists like you and me are also curious about the world around them. Learn about the different types of scientists and what they do to increase their understanding of their specific areas of interest. Read What Is A Scientist

SCIENCE BOOKS FOR KIDS

Sometimes the best way to introduce science concepts is through a colorfully illustrated book with characters your kids can relate to! Check out this fantastic list of science books that are teacher approved and get ready to spark curiosity and exploration!

SCIENCE PRACTICES

A new approach to teaching science is called the Best Science Practices. These eight science and engineering practices are less structured and allow for a more free**-**flowing approach to problem-solving and finding answers to questions. These skills are critical to developing future engineers, inventors, and scientists!

Printable Science Projects Pack

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

• 90+ classic science activities  with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information.  NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
• Best science practices posters  and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
• Be a Collector activities pack  introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
• Know the Words Science vocabulary pack  includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
• My science journal writing prompts  explore what it means to be a scientist!!
• Bonus STEAM Project Pack:  Art meets science with doable projects!
• Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics
• Science Fair Project Pack with experiments to try!

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Science in School

Fantastic feats: experimenting with water teach article.

Author(s): David Featonby

How can air hold the water in an upturned glass? Why does water stay in a bottle with a hole in its base? Find out with these entertaining experiments.

From their earliest years, children enjoy playing with water, and so do many older students. In this set of experiments, we look at the forces that are significant when dealing with water, demonstrating some basic science principles – and some surprising results. All the experiments are safe to do at home as well as at school, and require just simple household objects as the equipment, plus plenty of water.

Experiment 1: the upside-down glass

Many people have tried this experiment in some version, but can you work out what’s really going on?

• Straight-sided water glass
• Piece of thin card (large enough to cover the open end of the glass)
• Pour water into the glass until it is nearly full.
• Place the piece of card on top of the beaker.
• Turn the beaker upside down with one hand, holding the card in place with the other hand.
• Remove the hand holding the card (figure 1).
• Note what happens. Does the card fall off and the water fall out? Can you explain why not?

Surprisingly, when the glass is inverted, the card and the water remain in place. Why is this?

Let’s consider the forces on the card. These are:

• gravity, from the weight of the card itself (acting downwards)
• gravity, from the weight of the water pushing on the card (acting downwards)
• air pressure, which pushes on the outer surface of the glass and card, acting at 90 0 to the surface of the card (so producing an upward force on the card where this has just water above it).

So in this experiment, the force of air pressure pushes upwards on the card at the open end of the glass, opposing the force of gravity and keeping the water in the glass.

Extension: estimating the upward and downward forces

How do we know that the upward force of air pressure is enough to oppose the downward force gravity, to hold the water in the glass? We can estimate these forces quite easily.

The weight of the card is much less than that of the water, so to simplify we can ignore the weight of the card itself. This means that the downward gravitational force on the card is the weight of the water column

= h x A x ρ x g

where h is the height of the water column, A is the cross-sectional area of the glass, ρ  is the density of water (1 000 kg/m 3 ) and g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 10 m/s 2 ).

So if h is 10 cm (0.1 m) and A is approximately 25 cm 2 (0.0025 m 2 ), the downward force is approximately

0.1 x 0.0025  x 1000 x 10  = 2.5 N

For the upward force, this is the atmospheric pressure, P , multiplied by the area over which it acts, A.

Atmospheric pressure is approximately 100 000 Pa (pascals, or N/m 2 ).

So the upward force on card = P  x A

= 100 000 x 0.0025  = 250 N

So for a 10 cm water column, the upward force due to the atmosphere on the card far exceeds the downward force of gravity on the card due to the water.

We also need to recognize that the air above the water plays a significant role.  If this remained at atmospheric pressure, the weight of the water would be sufficient to remove the card, however as soon as the water exerts a downward pressure on the card, it reduces the pressure of this trapped air, which is sufficient to enable the upward atmospheric pressure on the card to support the water. A 1/100 change in volume of this air is sufficient to balance the water, i.e., the pressure reduces by 1/100 th  which is equivalent to the pressure of the water.

Further investigation

You can also think about the questions below, and perhaps carry out further experiments to answer some of them:

• Does this experiment work if the glass is completely full of water?
• How does the ratio of air to water change the experiment outcome?
• Would this experiment still work, no matter how tall the glass is?
• What other shaped containers (e.g., bottles) can be used?

Experiment 2: water’s invisible ‘skin’

In this experiment, we discover how cohesive forces within water act like an invisible ‘skin’ that can keep the liquid in an upturned cup – sometimes.

• Piece of thin woven nylon cloth (large enough to cover the open end of the cup)
• Elastic band
• Thin card (large enough to cover the open end of the cup)
• Cover the open end of the cup with the nylon cloth (figure 2, left).
• Pull the cloth tight, and secure it with the elastic band (or glue it to the cup around the rim).
• Pour water into the cup through the cloth, nearly filling it.
• Place the card over the nylon and the open end of the cup.
• Turn the cup upside down.
• Note what happens: the water should stay in the cup, as in experiment 1.
• Now carefully remove the card. Does the water flow out through the nylon cloth? If not, why? Water was poured in through the cloth, so why doesn’t it pour out again?
• To pour the water out turn the cup upright again quickly, then tip up the cup slowly while pressing a finger on the nylon (figure 2, right).

The reason why the water does not flow out through the very small holes in the nylon is because there are forces of cohesion between the molecules in the water. These forces make the surface of the water act like a ‘skin’ between the tiny holes in the nylon cloth. This effect is known as surface tension, and it is the same principle that keeps you dry under a woven nylon umbrella: there are tiny holes in the cloth, but the rain won’t get through due to the cohesive forces of surface tension between water molecules.

Further investigations

There are plenty more experiments you can do with surface tension and molecular cohesion. Perhaps look up ‘surface tension experiments’ on the internet and see what other activities you can find?

Here are two further simple experiments you can try.

Paperclip boat

Take a dish of clean water and a paper clip. Hold the paperclip in a strip of paper towel and lower it into the water. Then allow the paper to sink or carefully sink it with a toothpick. The paperclip will appear to float but is in fact being held by the surface tension of the water.

What else can you ‘float’ – for example, a ring pull from a drinks can? What happens to the paper clip if a drop of washing-up liquid is added to the water? How can you explain what you see?

This effect can also be used to make a ‘ soap boat ’.

Joined-up water jets

Take a clean empty drinks can, plastic cup, or bottle and make three small holes close together, near the base. Fill the can with water, and when three jets come out, use your fingers to try and join the jets together. You will be able to do this, because of the cohesive forces between water molecules.

Another fun experiment to illustrate cohesion is pouring water down a string .

Experiment 3: bottled water

These activities use a simple bottle of water to reveal some surprising effects due to surface tension and gravity. It’s a good idea to do them outdoors because water spillage is likely (see figure 3).

• Plastic bottle (250 ml) with screw cap
• Large needle or nail

Use the needle or nail to make one (or more) very small holes near the base of the plastic bottle by heating it over a flame (safely held) until it is hot enough to melt the plastic. In schools, this should be done by the teacher in advance of the experiment, for safely.

• For fun, you can add a label to the bottle saying ‘Do Not Open’ – and see if people ignore this.
• With the cap off, quickly fill the bottle with water, holding your finger over the hole, and then replace the cap.
• Hold the bottle still (or hand it to someone else) with the cap closed. What happens to the water?
• If the warning is ignored and the bottle cap is opened, what happens?

Once a container is sealed, water will only flow out of a small hole if that water can be replaced by air or more water. A bottle with one small hole can therefore hold water if the cap is sealed. Once the cap is unscrewed the water will flow out, due to the weight of the water. The hole needs to be small enough for the surface forces to hold the water.

Another interesting experiment to try with a full bottle of water with a hole near the base is: what happens when you throw the bottle up and catch it?

If you fill the bottle with water and hold it with the cap unscrewed for a few seconds (figure 4), the water will flow out of the hole.

Now throw the bottle up in the air (figure 5), and watch it carefully as it falls. Observe each part of its journey – on the way up, at the top of its flight, and on the way down.

When the water is in free fall (i.e. on the way down), water will cease to flow out of the bottle. This is because the water within the bottle becomes weightless relative to the bottle itself, as both the bottle and its contents are in free fall. Thus, in this situation the weight of the water does not force it out of the bottle.

This effect can also be demonstrated with a water-filled hollow tube (around 50 cm, with a diameter that can easily be covered by a finger). The bottom of the tube is covered with one hand while it is launched into the air, with this hand exerting the launching force and the other just supporting the tube. However, this can be a little tricky to demonstrate because it is essential that the hand covering the tube end is the last to let go when throwing the tube up and the first to contact the tube again on catching it, to avoid accelerating/decelerating the tube without the water column.

You can also try to answer these final questions:

• What happens to the water when the bottle is travelling upwards during the throw? Can you explain this?
• If you try to catch the bottle, what happens to the water? Can you explain this?
• What else can you throw in the air so that there is a change in what happens when it is in free fall, compared with when it is stationary? Hint: Think of toys or devices that work with gravity, e.g. where particles or moving parts or liquid fall through a gap.
• A more detailed version of the thrown water bottle experiment: Tsakmaki P, Koumaras P (2017)  When things don’t fall: the counter-intuitive physics of balanced forces . Science in School 39 :36–39
• Try a similar experiment to the paper cup and nylon cloth activity:  https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/water-screen/
• Watch this video with more activities to try with your students using water:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCxbI1qRsWY&ab_channel=DrewtheScienceDude
• Learn how to make a soap boat:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU76wwmg9Hs
• Watch a video on the running water experiment:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nOU7jbRPPo&ab_channel=DrBoydTheChemist
• Read other Teach articles from the Fantastic Feats series:
• Featonby D (2017)  Fantastic feats.   Science in School 39 :45–47
• Featonby D (2018)  Further fantastic feats: falling and bouncing .  Science in School   43 :37–54
• Featonby D (2019)  Fantastic feats: magic with money .  Science in School   47 :46–50

David Featonby taught physics throughout his career in a large UK comprehensive school, and now shares his ideas across Europe through the organisation Science on Stage, of which he is a board member, helping to organize its activities. He has presented workshops in various European countries and written articles for both Science in School and Physics Education , including a regular series called What Happens Next? in the latter. David has a particular interest in making physics relevant to all ages through experiments that use everyday equipment.

The simple experiences shown in the article, easy to reproduce and using materials that are easy to find, allow students to approach the topics of surface tension and pressure in liquids. The author, also, by highlighting the “magic side” of some experiments, makes them more interesting and also suitable for the general public. The article offers the possibility to make interdisciplinary links to biology topics, such as pulmonary respiration (and how nature provides the alveoli with surfactants to decrease surface tension), capillarity in plants, or how the surface tension allows some insects to walk on the surface of the water

Maria Teresa Gallo, Math and science teacher, Italy

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Happy Hooligans

Crafts and Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers to Tweens

Ocean in a Bottle with 3 Simple Ingredients

Last updated on June 11, 2020

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Make an ocean in a bottle with 3 easy ingredients.  One of the fastest and easiest-ever science activities for preschoolers .

I love to make  homemade toys for the hooligans.  Discovery bottles are always a favourite here.  They look so beautiful, and no matter what we fill them with.

This particular ocean in a bottle has to be the most amazing looking bottle we’ve made yet though!  It was SO easy to make, and you likely already have everything you need on hand.

This oil and water science experiment isn’t new by any stretch of the imagination.  It’s a classic preschool science activity that’s been around for years.  I actually can’t believe we haven’t done it before!  Yesterday, I happened upon this learning discovery bottle over at Play Trains, and I decided we’d make an ocean bottle of our own today.

To make our Ocean in a Bottle, we used:

• cooking oil (we used canola, but vegetable would work well)
• blue food colouring
• large clear, plastic bottle (2 litre pop bottle, shampoo bottle, mouthwash bottle etc.)

TIP:  a mouthwash bottle is perfect, as it has a child-proof lid which prevents the kids from opening it when playing with it.

If you want to explain the scientific details to your child, pop over and check out this article explaining why oil and water don’t mix .

How to make an ocean in a bottle:

I didn’t have a 2L pop bottle on hand, so we used an empty mouthwash bottle.   I like that the lid is child-safe, and too challenging for little hands to twist open.  If you’re using a bottle that’s not child-safe, you might want to run a little hot-glue around the inside of the bottle lid.

• Fill approximately 1/3 of your bottle with water.
• Add several drops of food colouring.
• Have your child shake the bottle to disperse the food colouring.

Now, simply top up the bottle with oil.  I filled ours right to the top and then popped the lid on.

Let the fun begin!

Tip the bottle upside down and watch your ocean come to life.

The pictures really don’t do this activity justice. You have to see it in action.

The way the waves roll cascade inside the bottle is just beautiful, and watching the big blobs of colour swoosh and fall through the yellow oil is really fascinating.

The more you agitate the bottle, the more the bubbly the ocean becomes.

Set your bottle down occasionally to let the bubbles settle, and then start all over again.

Doesn’t it look amazing?

More easy experiments for kids:

• Water Displacement Experiment
• Salt, Glue and Watercolour Art
• Wax Resist Art
• Melting Ice with Salt and Water
• Colour Mixing Experiment 

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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.

Reader Interactions

Dorothy Tulk

May 31, 2014 at 10:54 am

Do you use 1/3 oil .then fill up with water

happyhooligans

May 31, 2014 at 11:17 am

1/3 water, and then fill up with oil, Dorothy.

June 22, 2016 at 11:06 am

If you fill 2 litre bottle with oil, very expensive project?.???

June 23, 2016 at 12:10 am

You could use a smaller bottle, and probably get away with a half cup of cooking oil. If you think about it this way: you would use a cup of oil to bake a cake, and the cake would be gone in a couple of days. This will last forever. 🙂

May 31, 2014 at 5:34 pm

This is just WAY cool! I LOVE it and as an adult, I’d want to try it. I can’t wait for my son to get a little older and do cool stuff like this with him. Thanks so much for sharing!

April 22, 2023 at 6:40 pm

Would baby oil work?

Jackie Currie

June 8, 2023 at 4:36 pm

I haven’t tried making them with baby oil, Helen, but I imagine it would work!

Selina Strong

June 1, 2014 at 9:43 am

Please revise the instructions for ocean in a bottle. Oil is one of the three ingredients, but there is no mention of adding the oil to the bottle. Surely it is either added first ( although the food coloring doesn’t mix in ) or second? Thanks.

June 10, 2014 at 10:44 am

After the food coloring and water are shaken, the instructions say “Now, simply top up the bottle with oil.”

June 10, 2014 at 1:09 pm

Yes, simply top up the bottle with oil. That’s right, Dan.

June 9, 2014 at 6:04 pm

Such fun!! Using mineral oil instead of cooking oil means the oil is clear and I really love that effect with the food coloring in the water and the other half (the mineral oil) perfectly clear.

June 9, 2014 at 7:28 pm

Yes, or baby oil would have the same look too. I must pick some up at the dollar store!

Michelle Bordeaux

June 9, 2014 at 10:13 pm

This is really cool. I was thinking about doing it as the craft for an Easter Egg Hunt next year (2015). I was also thinking about buying small plastic sea creatures and/or small shells to add a few in. Have you tried anything like that before?

June 9, 2014 at 10:50 pm

I haven’t in the oil and water bottle, Michelle, but I’ve added odds and ends to bottles that I’ve filled with water or hair gel or coloured rice! I think it’s a great idea!

June 9, 2014 at 11:20 pm

Thank you for the response, I will have to test out a few ideas .

June 20, 2014 at 8:57 am

In case you are tempted to add glitter for a touch of glam… Don’t do it! Maybe someone who knows science better than I do can explain it, but it looks like the glitter catches everything up and emulsifies it , so it takes a very long time for the oil in the water to separate again! I just threw everything away and started over!!

September 22, 2014 at 9:38 pm

Thanks so much for the warning! That would have been something we’d try.

July 3, 2014 at 4:07 pm

Shake it too much and it never separates again. Very disappointed in this project.

July 3, 2014 at 8:11 pm

Very interesting, Nancy. Never?

August 7, 2014 at 9:12 pm

I think thats what happen to mine! right off! boo boo! Wish I had read this before I shook it like a crazy person! 🙁 now I have to go to the store and buy more oil

April 16, 2015 at 3:16 pm

That’s actually, totally, not possible. Chances are there was something else in your bottle to begin with. If it was an old lotion or soap bottle there could have been some residue left in the bottle from what was in it before that emulsified it. Water and oil cannot permanently emulsify from vigorous shaking alone. It needs the addition of an emulsifier.

April 16, 2015 at 3:35 pm

Oh, that is a very helpful response, Megan. Thank you! I was wondering how the oil and water could become completely emulsified, as mine always separate after resting. Brilliant. Thank you!

July 3, 2014 at 7:26 pm

We just made these for a preschool program. We called them sink-or-float bottles. We added small seashells and the larger glitter shapes. It was a great demonstration of what the word displacement means. The kids and parents loved them. 🙂

July 6, 2014 at 2:21 am

My 2y.o. will enjoy it 🙂 Thank you!

July 21, 2014 at 8:44 am

Absolutely beautiful. I think of the yellow oil as sunshine filtering through the water.

August 8, 2014 at 3:17 pm

Can you make this in a smaller bottle? I’d love to do this as a take home craft for my son’s birthday party, but I don’t know that I want to go in search of 14 2 liter bottles. Thanks!

August 9, 2014 at 10:14 pm

You could give one a try and see how it turns out, April.

July 1, 2015 at 3:21 pm

My younger brother (age 12) and I just did this experiment with an empty Poland Spring bottle. Still worked great!

July 2, 2015 at 11:26 am

Yay! So glad you loved it!

July 9, 2015 at 5:27 pm

they have those small water bottles, that would be great for a kids party thing. Perfect size too. I’m going to try this with sand and sea shells and make a beach in the bottle with my daughter. Hopefully it works…

August 16, 2014 at 6:32 pm

Ok, I am 57 years old and I love this. My son is 32 and have no grandbabies yet so this is for ME. I am decorating my home in the beachy coastal style and this would be a great way to bring the ocean into my home since there is no ocean near where I live in “Missouri”. I will put it in a large pretty bottle and sit it near my sea shells and let people shake it up and admire it when they come to visit. Thanks!

October 25, 2014 at 12:35 pm

I’m an 8th grade science teacher … and believe me … many of your experiments will enchant and delight 8th graders too. Thank you for these that show kids that science is interesting and FUN!

November 20, 2014 at 6:59 am

Tnks i won the science fair tnx for sharing

December 17, 2014 at 10:32 am

I used this for a white elephant recycling themed gift exchange for my cub scout. My son loved doing this, we used a baby oil bottle, bonus we used the last third of the oil for the project and topped it off with some veg oil. He chose blue also. And since it’s for scouts, we used plastic putty glue to permanently (I hope)glue shut the lid. Should be fun! Thanks!

December 17, 2014 at 7:07 pm

Trying to think of a way to use this as decor for an Ocean themed wedding. My niece is getting married next year and I think something like this would be awesome to display, maybe on tables. Just not quite sure on bottle types and if putting in sea shells would work. Any suggestions??? Pls help!

December 18, 2014 at 9:33 am

I’ve similar bottles with shells added, Heidi. As for how to display them, there’s a brand of bottled water called Voss. I’m not sure where you are, but if you have it there (in your grocery stores), you could use those bottles. It’s pricier than regular bottled water though, so you may need some pals splurge on it once in a while, and give you the bottle when they’re done. You could also check Michael’s or Hobby Lobby for interesting looking containers with lids that seal tight.

February 21, 2015 at 11:48 pm

The easiest place for me to find VOSS water locally is at Walgreen’s drugstores. They are often on sale, too, for $3 for two bottles.

Chickielady

August 25, 2015 at 9:31 pm

We used a VOSS water bottle for a similar project at our school and it was dropped on the floor and the lid cracked open. I’ve used soda bottles and not had this problem. I have saved some bottles from dry roasted peanuts to use.

February 1, 2015 at 8:22 pm

i tried it, its so cool! but instead i used a small coke bottle and eyeballed it!

March 14, 2015 at 1:39 pm

I was so excited to do this but I tried it twice and it didn’t work. I ended up with a layer of blue water and a layer of oil on the top no matter how much I shook it. Was it because I used vegetable oil?

March 14, 2015 at 1:40 pm

I mean olive oil?

March 14, 2015 at 10:51 pm

That might be the reason, Mae. I can’t think of any other reason it wouldn’t have worked for you.

April 8, 2015 at 5:37 pm

Hi! I came across this craft on Pinterest, and decided to try it with my tween sister (I’m a teen).

We made this craft and absolutely love it! We used smaller bottles, so we could display them on our window sills. I love to look at it, and I’m definitely going to make it again, and use green, pink orange, purple, any color really.

I wrote a review about it on my website if you want to check it out!

April 8, 2015 at 7:12 pm

Hey Ally! So glad you loved the ocean in a bottle. I think it’s great that you and your sister made them. An assortment of colours would be awesome! I need to do that too. Cool blog you’ve got there, girl!

May 16, 2015 at 9:37 am

I live 100 meters from the shore, I think I could just walk there with te bottle and trap some fishstinking water and called it “sea in the bottle” how about that 😀 😀

May 31, 2015 at 12:40 am

yeah….didnt work…4 year old was so disappointed…

May 31, 2015 at 12:49 pm

How odd. It’s simple science. I can’t imagine what would go wrong unless perhaps there was residue in your bottle. That could prevent the oil and water from behaving properly.

June 12, 2015 at 6:46 pm

This is great, thank you! My toddler and I used mini water bottles and they were the perfect size for little hands doing the pouring, squeezing, and shaking.

Allison Jones

June 19, 2015 at 6:56 pm

Beautiful! Great activity for the kiddos

July 22, 2015 at 3:59 pm

I made this when I was in Kindergarten. The teachers used baby food jars and just super glued the lids shut. We got to pick out tiny sea animals to put in ours. Definitely one of my favorite projects since I still remember it 20 years later!

August 1, 2015 at 5:26 am

awesome idea! add 1/2 alka seltzer tablet or other tablets that fizz and use half the quantities of oil and water. Stand back and watch it fizz! for more help on how to make this go here…. http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/easylavalamp.html

August 26, 2015 at 3:19 pm

I absolutely love this idea! We save our cleat 2 liter bottles for science and crafts, so we’ll have the bottles when we want to do something like this. Not too crazy about using 2/3 of 2 liters of oil though, so we’re going to definitely use a smaller bottle. Glad to know about glitter not being a good idea for this. If someone want’s a great science activity using 2 liter bottles, one is the tornado in a bottle and the good news is, glitter is a really good idea to put in them! On the other side of a coin, I’m already planning our Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet for next year. Planning on a theme to do with the sea, maybe Cubs Under the Sea or something like that. This will be perfect to have on the tables for both decoration and take home! Thanks for the wonderful idea!

December 12, 2015 at 8:19 pm

This is beautiful. I love the blue – very soothing. My nephews will love this, but i was also thinking what a great stress reliever it would be on the desk too.

December 12, 2015 at 10:13 pm

I love it just as much as the kids do, Cheri. It’s very relaxing!

January 20, 2016 at 1:14 am

I was wondering if it would work if we put it in ziplock bags and double sealed it with tape and put it in another zip lock bag?

January 21, 2016 at 7:52 pm

It might, Jayne. It’s up to you weather or not you want to risk the bag popping. That’s a lot of oil in there, which would ruin carpets/furniture etc if it did leak.

May 2, 2016 at 1:16 am

Is it working only with food coloring? Is it okay to use water color or acrylic paint?

May 3, 2016 at 12:05 am

Watercolour paint would work because it’s water soluble. I don’t think acrylics would work as well, but I’m just guessing there.

June 5, 2016 at 11:47 am

Just did this with my kids and didn’t turn out at all like I expected. The oil began to solidify after about 5 minutes of play, so it’s cloudy

June 6, 2016 at 9:44 am

How strange. What kind of oil did you use, Asia? Was it fairly fresh? I know old oil can go cloudy when you shake it up. As for solidifying, that is really odd. I’ve never known an oil to solidify.

November 13, 2016 at 11:28 pm

I made this myself and the oil became cloudy after first use, it was pretty fresh. And instead of going through the water, it went down the walls of the jar, so no ocean effect. I also washed it before putting stuff in it. I’m wondering what happened?

November 15, 2016 at 12:15 am

Hmm. I haven’t a clue, Kayaqua. I haven’t heard of that happening before. I’m sorry I can’t offer you a solution!

January 28, 2017 at 8:40 pm

could the food colouring work with paint?

Pam backman

April 17, 2017 at 1:36 pm

I do this every year with my preschool class. I use a small gatorade bottle or dr pepper instead of water bottle as the are thicker plastic. I have also used baby oil because it is clear. We habe out toy fish and sand in to make it more authentic looking. Sand was not as pretty . I let the kids choose the color so each one is unique and theirs.

April 17, 2017 at 1:42 pm

Should be have used toy plastic fish

April 23, 2017 at 10:33 am

This is really cool! I really want to make this. I need something to shake sometimes, if ya know what I mean. I made something too! I just used a baby food jar,filled it with water,add a drop of dish soap. Last add some pieces of string. Swirl it around. Really fun! In my opinion.

May 29, 2017 at 8:31 am

Would it still work well if I mixed this with a “jellyfish in a bottle”? I’m interested in making one if so. I might try it out soon!

May 29, 2017 at 2:06 pm

It might, but I’m not sure if the oil would interfere with the behaviour of the jellyfish. I’d give it a shot if I were you. Worst case, you can remove the jelly fish and still have an awesome sensory bottle for the kids to play with and observe.

July 18, 2017 at 11:45 am

My Church will be do this with VBS kids next summer. Thank you for sharing!

July 19, 2017 at 4:26 pm

Yay! You’re so welcome, Cyndi!

September 4, 2017 at 12:46 am

It works with water down acrylic paint

September 18, 2017 at 4:55 pm

To those getting cloudy oil, i suspect you are leaving air inside the bottle. If you shake it really hard with air inside, it will mix tons of air bubbles into the oil and make it cloudy. Try to let as little air inside the bottle as possible.

December 10, 2017 at 12:23 am

Will water colour not work instead of food colour?

February 16, 2018 at 1:03 am

I actually just made one of these for me to relax me…after my parents stopped freaking out because it’s something different and weird. I love the effect of the water and oil, and the food colouring ties it all together with the yellow-green-blue. A brilliant idea, and a beautiful one, at that!

February 21, 2018 at 12:46 am

Wonderful! I’m so glad you love it. How nice to know that it’s not just preschoolers enjoying our activities!

March 29, 2018 at 1:13 pm

This project turns out so well! I tried it with my toddler and he was completely amazed by the ocean in a bottle. I shared your link on my blog as part of a post about activities to do with toddlers indoors. Thank you for sharing such a great idea!

Leah Winters

April 20, 2018 at 10:57 pm

Hi Jackie! I love your project and linked it to my blog – would love to connect with you about cross-promotion if you’re interested.

February 19, 2019 at 9:02 pm

hey, just wondering im doing a project for my class is there anything else I need to worry about before I start. also what color is best?

February 19, 2019 at 9:12 pm

Hi Sam. Nothing really to worry about. Just make sure the lid is on tight of course. We’ve only used blue because we wanted it to look like an ocean, but I imagine any colour would work. Red or purple would be pretty cool. It might look like a lava lamp!

June 5, 2019 at 11:16 pm

So, just to get this straight in my head, it’s 2/3 water, blue food color, mix, add 1/3 oil??? Do you leave any air space? Thank you!

June 6, 2019 at 2:45 am

“Fill approximately 1/3 of your bottle with water. Add several drops of food colouring. Now, simply top up the bottle with oil. I filled ours right to the top and then popped the lid on.”

April 15, 2020 at 7:39 pm

Is it normal for it to look cloudy after a day? I used canola. I wonder if that’s normal for that type oil?

April 16, 2020 at 8:57 am

Hmm… Is it possible your bottle wasn’t completely clean? I’m thinking if there was any bacteria in it, it could cause the contents to go cloudy and eventually develop mold.

Shreiya Aggarwal-Gupta

June 25, 2020 at 3:36 am

Thanks so much, Jackie! This is so, so simple and enjoyable even though it’s been so many years since you published, obviously. I also enjoyed reading the tweaks in the comments. As you said, the pictures don’t do the activity justice – it’s simply amazing to see it in action 🙂

November 13, 2020 at 1:10 am

Help! I followed your instructions to a “T”, and it was beautiful . . . for a week. I even bought fresh oil, to ensure that everything would work perfectly. But after a week, something began to happen, where it looked like some of the oil was somehow disintegrating into the water — the water ended up looking dull, murky, and translucent instead of transparent, giving the effect of dirty, polluted water. I’m really disappointed, as this project looked just so stunning at first that I almost wanted to keep it for myself instead of giving it to my grandson.

Please advise! Thanks!

November 14, 2020 at 8:20 am

Hi Diana, I wonder if there was some residue in the bottle that caused bacteria to form, or somehow, while making it, bacteria entered the bottle. We made our bottle about 6 years ago, and only recently did ours start going cloudy.

November 16, 2020 at 11:46 pm

Thanks for your reply, Jackie. I actually washed out the bottle (a new Voss glass water bottle) very thoroughly with hot soapy water and then carefully rinsed it out with hot water several times. And as mentioned in my previous email, I purchased a new bottle of oil for the project. The finished project was initially so beautiful when I first made it that I hate to give up. I think I’ll try it again with distilled water to see if it makes a difference. If it does, I’ll let you know.

November 18, 2020 at 12:12 pm

SO strange, Diane. I hope it works for you with the distilled water. Please let me know how it goes!

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H2-Oh! Engaging Activities and Science Experiments with Water

Water is a fascinating and versatile substance that is essential to life on Earth. It can take on many forms and can be found in oceans, lakes, rivers, and even in the air we breathe. Water is also a great medium for conducting STEM activities, as it is easy to work with and can be found in most households.

In this article, we will explore a variety of fun and educational water-based STEM activities that you can do with your kids. From exploring the properties of water density to conducting experiments on water pressure, these activities will help your kids learn about the world around them and develop their critical thinking skills.

Whether you are looking for indoor or outdoor activities, there is something here for everyone. So grab a bucket, fill it with water, and get ready to have some fun!

Water Displacement

Ever drop ice cubes in a glass and had some of the water spill out?  Or wonder why the water level in the tub goes up when you get in?  That’s water displacement at work. We’re going to do a simple water experiment to demonstrate how this works.  

Water displacement is when an object is placed in water and pushes the water out of the way as it sinks (or floats.) The amount of water that is displaced, or pushed aside, is equal to the volume of the object. Ultimately, the water level rises relative to the mass of the object.

Water displacement helps us understand how much space different objects take up. It can also help us understand why some objects float and some objects sink. If an object has a volume that is smaller than the amount of water it displaces, it will float. If an object has a volume that is larger than the amount of water it displaces, it will sink.

Light Refraction in Water

Light refraction is an interesting scientific phenomenon and can help us understand how light travels through different materials. It can also help us see things in a different way, like when we look at an object through a jar of water and it appears to be in a different place than it really is. Cool, right?

What you’re observing is refraction, meaning the light is bending as it passes through the water. This affects the what we see. The light travels in a straight line through the air. Water is a different material than air, and the light travels more slowly through water. When the light hits the glass, it will bend and change direction as it passes through the water.

The amount of bending or refraction that occurs depends on the angle at which the light hits the surface of the water and the difference in the properties of the air and the water. When the light hits the surface of the water at a shallow angle, it will bend more than it will if it hits the surface at a steep angle. Similarly, the greater the difference in the properties of the air and the water, the more the light will bend as it passes through the water.

Frozen Science

We did this with plastic dinosaurs and made some frozen dinosaur eggs – check out our full post on dinosaur activities for more!

Water freezes because the molecules, or tiny particles, in water slow down when it gets cold. When the molecules in water slow down, they don’t move around as much, and they start to stick together. When the molecules stick together, they form a solid, which is called ice.

Water is a very special substance because it can change from a liquid to a solid (ice) and back again, which leads us to our next simple science experiment:

Melting Ice

What makes ice melt?  If you’ve frozen some object in ice, it’s time to thaw them out. Have kids predict how long it will take for the ice to melt in different conditions (such as room temperature versus outside in the sun or under a hair dryer.) Then, have them measure and record the melting times for condition.

Related Post: For more on the water cycle, check out our post on experiments with states of matter and see how water moves from a liquid to a gas or solid.

Sink or Float Experiment for Kids

Fill a bowl or large container with water and provide a variety of objects, such as balls, rocks, and blocks. Predict which objects will sink and which will float, then test their predictions by placing the objects in the water.

Related Post: Learn about surface tension in our floating paper clip experiment.

Water Density Experiment

To do the water density experiment, you will need the following materials:

Water Glass Xylophone

To create a xylophone using drinking glasses filled with water, you will need a set of glasses of different sizes and a mallet or spoon to strike them with. First, fill the glasses with different amounts of water.

Form more on this (and some other cool experiments) check out our post on science experiments with sound.

Water Pressure Experiment

Fill a small plastic bottle with water and have kids predict what will happen when they squeeze the bottle. Then, have them carefully squeeze the bottle and observe the results.  

Water Absorption

We’ll use some paper towel, a dish cloth, and a sponge to see how much water each material absorbs over a set period of time.  Encourage your kids to come up with their own hypotheses about what factors will affect the water absorption of different materials, and which ones will absorb the fastest and the most water.

What did you find?  For us, the time didn’t matter too much; everything was super saturated after a minute or so.  The dishrag picked up the most (to be fair, it was the largest), followed by the sponge, and lastly the paper towel.

Now, what will you grab the next time you need to clean up a spill?

Self Contained Water Cycle in a Bag

Color mixing with water.

Kids can learn about color science with this simple experiment.

Note: You may also want to have paper towels or a sponge on hand to clean up any spills.

DIY Lava Lamp

We made ours in an empty water bottle, and you can check it out in our post on fun projects using recycled water bottles.

DIY Water Filter

Cut a plastic bottle in half and fill the bottom half with layers of materials such as gravel, sand, and charcoal. Add a few drops of food coloring to a cup of water and pour it through the filter. Observe how the water changes color as it passes through the different layers.

Here are the steps to do the DIY water filter experiment:

Wrap Up – Simple Water Science Experiments for Kids

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Done right, this experiment has the most rewarding whoosh. It's from the Nat Geo Kids book Try This!  

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

You’re mimicking the part of Earth’s water cycle in which evaporated water (water vapor) cools and condenses, forming clouds as they connect with dust. In this experiment, the alcohol acts like the dust, providing something cool for water droplets to attach to.

When you pressurize the soda bottle by pumping air in, the air molecules collide with each other and warm the bottle. Releasing the pressure causes the water vapor to condense quickly, forming a cloud.

Fit your cork to your bottle. You may need to shave the sides off the cork to get a tight fit. Your aim here is the tightest possible seal. Then trim the cork to the length of the bike pump needle. You want the needle to be able to pass through the cork into the bottle, maintaining a tight seal.

Make a path for the cork, using your skewer, drill bit, or needle. Be sure the object you use to pierce the cork is narrower than the bike pump needle, or you won’t have a tight seal. When the cork is ready, take it out of the bottle.

Pour one teaspoon of rubbing alcohol into the bottle and screw the cap back on.

With the cap on, turn the bottle horizontal and roll it so that the alcohol sloshes around and coats the inside of the bottle thoroughly and evenly.

Insert the cork.

Insert the bike pump needle in the cork, then pump the bike pump four or five times. Sometimes when you do this the cork will blow and you’ll have your reaction. Other times you’ll have to pump a few times more, then stop and pull the needle out.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Once the pressure is released—either because the cork blows or the needle is removed—a cloud should form quickly and dramatically in the bottle. Note: Aim the bottle away from you and anyone else.

No cloud? Your seal isn’t tight enough. Try a different cork, or use duct tape to tighten the seal.

BONUS: REVERSE THE EXPERIMENT!

Before the cloud disappears, put the needle back in and pump a couple more times. The cloud should disappear as quickly as it came. Release the pressure, and the cloud will form again.

Science Lab

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A Dab of Glue Will Do

Little Learners, Big Ideas

PS PK K 1 2

Water Cycle in a Bottle Science Experiment

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Spring is the perfect season to celebrate all things water, rain, and clouds. This spring, make this easy water cycle in a bottle science experiment with your class to illustrate how the water cycle works up close and personal. Kids will love making their own water biomes in a bottle and will be fascinated to watch the water turn into a gas, turn back into a liquid, and fall back into the bottom of the bottle.

Make this fun spring science activity with your class!

Supplies for the Water Cycle in a Bottle

• Plastic bottle
• Plastic cup
• Ice cubes (optional)
• Blue food coloring
• Permanent marker

Setting Up for the Water Cycle in a Bottle

Remove the labels from the bottles. Add a drop of blue food coloring to each bottle and fill about 1/3 of the way with water. Screw the caps on tightly.

Doing the Water Cycle in a Bottle Experiment

Let the kids decorate their bottles with clouds, water and rain drops.

Turn the bottles upside down inside a cup.

Discuss the water cycle and why water evaporates and rains.

Place a couple of ice cubes on top of each bottle and set it in a sunny location.

Check the bottles after about an hour.

There should be condensation on the top of the bottle, and there may even be a small cloud there!

Watch as the droplets of water fall back to the bottom of the bottle.

Water Cycle in a Bottle Questions to Ask

Will the water cycle occur even without the ice cube?

What happens when you put the bottle in the sun?

How long does your mini water cycle take to complete?

The Science Behind The Water Cycle in a Bottle Science Experiment

Water has three states of matter: Liquid, gas, and solid. When liquid turns into a gas, this is called vaporization. Water evaporates, turns into a gas, and rises into the air. This collects water droplets at the top of the bottle, known as condensation, when gas turns back into water. When the water gets heavy enough, it falls back to the bottom of the bottle just how rain falls back to earth. Water evaporating and then turning back into a solid or liquid and returning to earth is the water cycle.

More Science Activities and Ideas

Walking Water Science for Kids

Science Notebook

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Want science planned for you ALL YEAR LONG?!

Do you want  science planned  for the  ENTIRE CALENDAR YEAR !? This  Endless Science Mega Bundle  will  save you so much time  and  keep your students engaged  and  excited about learning . This amazing resource contains  53 science topics  including  life science ,  physical science ,  earth science , and  animal studies .

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12 comments.

July 25, 2018 at 6:42 am

Great Post!! I really like your article. Keep on Posting

August 14, 2018 at 2:44 pm

Thank you so much for your kind words. Notes like this ALWAYS make my day and motivate me to keep doing what I am doing.

April 29, 2020 at 8:15 pm

i did this and it was cool

May 2, 2022 at 1:30 am

Best view i have ever seen !

[…] your own water cycle in a bottle as seen on A Dab of Glue Will […]

[…] Cycle in a Bottle Science […]

[…] Water Cycle in a Bottle […]

[…] Water Cycle in a Jar […]

[…] SESE: The water cycle. Watch the following video on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncORPosDrjI Listen to the water cycle song and make up your own actions to remember the song  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWb4KlM2vts Draw a picture of the water cycle. You may also like to do the following experiment to watch how the water cycle happens. (all you need is a plastic bottle ) https://www.adabofgluewilldo.com/water-cycle-bottle-science-experiment/ […]

[…] Image Source/Tutorial: A Dab Of Glue Will Do […]

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STEM Water Projects and Science Experiments For Kids

50+ STEM Water Science Experiments and STEM Projects for Kids in Elementary – play, educate and grow with nature’s favourite drink

Water is one of the greatest mediums for exploring science. It’s easy to work with, it’s readily available, it’s safe and kids love playing with it. It is impossible not to have fun while learning with water. Are you looking for some great ideas for water projects in your class, homeschool or home? Find inspiration on this list of over 50 fun science experiments and water projects for kids!

The Best Water Science Experiments for Kids

What you will discover in this article!

Disclaimer: This article may contain commission or affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer I earn from qualifying purchases. Not seeing our videos? Turn off any adblockers to ensure our video feed can be seen. Or visit our YouTube channel to see if the video has been uploaded there. We are slowly uploading our archives. Thanks!

To make navigating this resource easier, I have divided all of our water projects and STEM activities into some general categories.

CHEMISTRY WATER EXPERIMENTS

Bath Bombs or Bath Fizzies are the ultimate in bath time fun! They are also an exceptional chemistry experiment. You can simply make a bath bomb and see how water is the magic ingredient to trigger the reaction, or do a science experiment exploring the effect of water temperature on bath bomb reactions .

Water Lab Exploring Safe Drinking Water is a science experiment that turns students into water testers with an eye for safety. Using water sources around your home or school you can easily set up this activity and in the process learn a valuable lesson about how precious safe water is for families everywhere. For more testing ideas you can check out this article .

What’s the difference between baking soda and baking powder? Learn the answer in this experiment. Take water and add sodium bicarbonate or baking powder. Watch the results to see something spectacular!

Super Simple Chemistry is a kid favourite activity that explores how different substances mix with water. Not everything dissolves, start exploring these ideas with this simple activity.

Learn about pH (acidic and basic) properties with this fun fluids experiment that uses items from your kitchen to create a fascinating lab study.

Elephant Toothpaste might not seem like a water science experiment at first, but this activity is actually really cool because one of the by products of the chemical reaction is water!

WATER PROJECTS EXPLORING DENSITY

Skittles Experiments require only two things – Skittles and Water. It may be simple, but this is one water experiment that is stunningly gorgeous and will have kids begging for more science time! With our study we brought in Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night as a way to see fluid dynamics in action.

The classic oil and water experiment is a fascinating way to introduce students the density, and in this experiment the results are beautiful!

Marble Run Density Project is a simple activity that explores the density of different liquids using marbles. It’s fun and accessible for all ages. Everyone loves a good race!

Does It Float – Pop Can edition is a fascinating activity that demonstrates how the density of different canned drinks affects whether they float or not. The results are fun and this makes for a great activity during camp outs.

Teaching The Scientific Process With Water Balloons – This is a fantastic idea for learning how to create scientific proof by exploring the science behind the “does it float pop can edition” experiment.

COLOURFUL WATER PROJECTS

Chromatography Flowers is a super easy activity that even little kids will be able to do with minimal adult help. Watch how water helps colours travel through the coffee filter making pretty designs. For older kids, take the challenge up a level and light up your flowers with a simple circuit building activity.

Walking Rainbow – This was our attempt at the walking rainbow experiment but when things went wrong it became a whole new and exciting water science lesson.

WINTER THEMED WATER PROJECTS FOR KIDS

It’s time to get chilly with this mind bending experiment. In Snow and Ice Simple Science – Melting Magic we ask kids to predict the outcome of a test that will have them saying WOW! when they see the outcome.

Why does salt melt ice? This STEM activity dives into some great winter science as it explores how salt affects ice.

Live somewhere cold? Explore the Mpemba Effect in a spectacular way as you create snow.

Bottle Crush is a project that will have kids asking to go outside on a cold winter day over and over again. Like magic, kids will learn how to crush a plastic bottle without touching it, astounding their friends and family.

Ice Fishing Science Experiment – What is more winter than Ice Fishing? In this fun, hands on science, kids learn how salt and water interact as they go fishing for the big catch! A great challenge for a classroom or summer camp.

SWEET WATER SCIENCE

Slurpee Science Continue exploring the power of salt and water with states of matter changes with this experiment that ends with a tasty treat.

Layered Lollipops is a fascinating study into density. Makes a beautiful experiment that smells amazing!

Lego Gummy Mummies is a project that explores what happens when water is removed, also known as desiccation which is part of the mummification process. It’s also an experiment using candy minifigs, so kids love it!

ENGINEERING WITH WATER PROJECTS

Build A Water Clock and learn a bit about history with this easy STEM project. This project can be scaled for use by kids of all ages.

Ice STEM Projects explore all the amazing things you can do when water enters a solid state, better known as ice! The dinosaur ice sculpture is just too cute and kids will love engineering their own ice creations.

Build a Compass and embrace your inner Einstein! Witness the invisible forces that captured a young Einstein’s imagination and led to a lifetime of incredible discoveries.

Build a Heart Model filled with water (aka blood) and explore how the blood moves around the heart.

Engineer An Ice Lantern , perfect for the holidays.

WATER PROJECTS THAT ARE LIKE MAGIC

Chasing Hearts – This science experiment is like magic as you explore science and physics principles, all while playing a fun game!

Keep it Dry – A slight of hand activity that kids of all ages love to take a turn at. Become a magical scientist!

Why Does Water Rise? is an activity that is like magic! Kids love this STEM Activity that involves a little tech in the investigative process.

Build a Leak Proof Bag that is filled with water and pierced through with tons of pencils? Sounds impossible, but it’s not if you know the science!

ENVIRONMENTAL WATER PROJECTS FOR KIDS

Students get hands on with a major threat to our marine environments in this Oil Spill Cleanup Experiment .

Learn about the Water Cycle in this simple science experiment in a jar. Perfect for students or as a classroom demonstration.

In this experiment, explore how acid rain affects plant life . It is a simple experiment with powerful results.

Next, we explore how water pollution affects plants . This is a simple experiment exploring the effects of water pollution in two different ways. Students learn about osmosis, pH and the scientific method.

The Water Desalinization Project is a interesting activity that explores how to remove the salt from salt water making it safe to drink.

This Fish Diving Activity is a neat way to explore how fish use air to help them move around underwater. A similar activity involves creating a Cartesian Diver .

SENSORY WATER PROJECTS

DIY Play Dough Bubble Bath is not a water project exactly, but it’s an inexpensive way to create some bubble bath play dough. Perfect for doing water projects with kids in the bath tub or at a water table.

Oobleck is a captivating activity to explore the difference in liquids. With the addition of one ingredient to water you create the most bizarre substance. Oobleck projects are an excellent addition to the study of states of matter and the senses. We LOVE playing with Oobleck and have created dozens of fun ways to explore this non-Newtonian Fluid.

DIY Soap Projects , especially Soap Jellies are a fantastic sensory experience that will encourage kids to get clean! They are so much fun, and super easy to make. For an incredible cross study, make our DIY Layers of the Ocean soap and learn about the ocean with this gorgeous and easy soap making project.

More Water Science Experiments

Explore why the Sky Changes Colour in this fascinating and simple science project demonstrating how the skies change colour during sunrise and sunset.

Another great project is the Rainbow Rain Project . Students will create a stunning display of colour in a jar to explore how clouds (made with shaving cream), hold and release moisture, creating rain! This project is GORGEOUS and so simple.

Magic Glitter is a cool experiment that is also a powerful demonstration on how soap works and why it is so important to wash your hands with soap.

Have fun learning with nature’s most valuable liquid – water!

5 Days of Smart STEM Ideas for Kids

Get started in STEM with easy, engaging activities.

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Water Bottle With Holes Experiment

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This super cool and easy experiment can be used as a fun and educational air pressure demonstration, or a funny prank on your friends! It’s time to have some fun with this Water Bottle With Holes Experiment.

Get more fun and easy Plastic Bottle Experiments here!

Amaze your kids with this simple experiment when holes are poked into a bottle full of water and the water doesn’t leak out!

Table of Contents

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Supplies Needed:

• Water bottle with lid
• Food Coloring (optional)
• Pin or Needle
• Large Pan or Bowl

How to Make an Air Pressure Water Dispenser

• Fill a plastic bottle with water and screw the cap on.
• Carefully poke about 5 holes around the bottle about an inch or two from the bottom.
• Set the bottle down and observe that the water is not leaking even though there are holes in the bottle.
• Unscrew the cap from the bottle and watch the water begin shooting out of the holes.

Step 1: Fill a Plastic Bottle With Water

Most types of plastic bottles will work for this experiment, as long as they have a cap or lid that you can screw on tightly. I like to use a standard water bottle, but you can also use a larger 2-liter bottle as well.

You can use a sealed water bottle if you want, or you can fill an empty bottle all the way up with water.

You can add food coloring to make the water more visual, but be warned that water will spray out of the bottle later and the mess will be easier to clean up if you don’t use food coloring.

Once the bottle is full of water, make sure the cap is on tight so that it makes a good seal.

Step 2: Poke Some Holes in The Bottle

It might sound crazy to poke holes in a bottle that is full of water, but believe it or not you won’t get very wet…at least not yet that is!

Under adult supervision, use a very small thumbtack, pin, or needle to poke about 5 holes equally spaced around the outside diameter of the bottle. The best place for these holes is about an inch from the bottom of the bottle.

Don’t be alarmed if a little bit of water does leak out when you are puncturing the holes in the bottle. This is expected, but as long as you leave the cap on the bottle and don’t squeeze it, then you won’t get sprayed yet!

Step 3: Set the Bottle Down On the Counter or a Baking Pan

Remember that part that I mentioned this can either be used as an educational experiment for your children, or an awesome prank on your friends!?

Well this is the part where you need to decide what you want the final result of the experiment to be!

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Depending on your intentions in doing this water bottle with holes experiment, will determine where to place the bottle.

If you plan to use this as an educational tool, then you might want to place the bottle in a large bowl or on a baking pan. This will help collect the mess when water comes out of the bottle.

If you want your bottle to make a mess on one of your friends as a prank, then strategically place the bottle on the counter or even in the fridge.

This will set the stage for an unsuspecting person to find the bottle, grab it for a drink, and get a nice surprise of water spraying at them!

Step 4: Unscrew the Lid, or Squeeze the Bottle to See What Happens

Now it’s time for the fun to begin! Watch in amazement as your bottle with holes magically holds water inside without leaking…even though there are holes in the bottle!

Then carefully unscrew the cap and see what happens! You should see water starting to spray out of the holes in the bottle as soon as the cap is loosened a little bit.

You can also leave the cap on the bottle, but pick the bottle up and squeeze it for the same result. Water will start spraying out of the holes when the bottle is squeezed or when the lid is removed.

This is again what makes this a great experiment, but also a fun prank!

The bottle looks harmless and refreshing when sitting on the counter, but as soon as an unlucky person comes along and grabs (squeezes) the bottle it will spray all over them!

Water Pressure Experiment Explanation

Most of us would think that a water bottle with holes in it would leak water out of it, but that’s only the case if air can get into the bottle to replace the water.

In the case of this water bottle with holes experiment, air pressure and the surface tension of the water work together to keep the water in the bottle despite the holes in the bottle.

Surface Tension:

Believe it or not, the surface tension of water molecules actually allows water molecules to bond together enough to help keep the water from leaking out of the holes in the bottle.

With the help of the surface tension, and the difference of air pressure outside of the bottle and inside the bottle is why the water does not leak out of the bottle.

Air Pressure:

The air pressure is lower inside the bottle than the air pressure outside the bottle. Air always moves from high pressure towards low pressure, so the air outside the bottle is actually trying to get inside the bottle.

The holes in the bottle are too small to let the air sneak inside the bottle, so instead the outside air pressure pushes on the bottle and the water and actually keeps the water inside the bottle!

Check out this Rising Water Experiment for another cool example of how air pressure works to make water do unexpected things!

Once the cap of the bottle is removed, then the air is given a path to get into the bottle and will act with gravity to push the water out of the holes.

When the bottle is squeezed with the cap still on, the pressure inside the bottle also overcomes the pressure pushing on the outside of the bottle and allows the water to spray out of the holes!

More Easy Science Experiments for Kids:

• Baking Soda and Vinegar Balloon Experiment
• How to Make Instant Snow at Home
• Leak-Proof Bag Experiment

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Tornado in a Bottle Science Experiment – Easy to Follow Steps & Video

Wondering how to make a tornado in a bottle? All it takes is a little muscle, some practice and centripetal force and you can easily create one. 

Make your own tornado in a bottle with this fun and easy science experiment. Watch our demonstration video, gather your materials, and print out our instruction sheet to get started. Then, explore how and why the vortex is made with our easy to understand explanation of how the experiment works below.

JUMP TO SECTION:   Instructions  |  Video Tutorial  |  How it Works

Supplies Needed

• Empty Glass Bottle with Lid
• 3-4 tablespoons Glitter (the more glitter the better!)

Tornado in a Bottle Science Lab Kit – Only $5

Use our easy Tornado in a Bottle Science Lab Kit to grab your students’ attention without the stress of planning!

It’s everything you need to  make science easy for teachers and fun for students  — using inexpensive materials you probably already have in your storage closet!

Tornado in a Bottle Science Experiment Instructions

Step 1 – Use the funnel to put 3-4 tablespoons of glitter in an empty glass jar. Helpful Tip: The more glitter you use, the better you will be able to see the tornado. And after all, you can never have too much glitter, right?

Step 2 – Next, fill the jar about 3/4 full of water.

Step 3 – Put the lid back on the jar and make sure it is really tight.

Step 4 – Turn the bottle upside down and quickly move the bottle in a circular motion for 10-15 seconds.

Step 5 – Finally, set the bottle down on the table and observe the tornado that has formed. Helpful Tip : It will take some practice to get the tornado to show up as much as the one in the picture above. But even with a little shaking, a child should be able to get the water and glitter to spin around in the bottle.

Do you know the why you were able to create a tornado in a bottle? Find out the answer in the how does this experiment work section below.

Video Tutorial

How Does the Tornado in a Bottle Science Experiment Work

When you spin the bottle in a circular motion it creates a water vortex that looks like a tornado. The water spins around the center of the vortex because of centripetal force.

Centripetal force is any force that causes an object (in this case water) to move in a circular path.

Because there is glitter in the water you can see the spinning water more clearly. The glitter is similar to the dust and debris that are found spinning in an actual tornado.

I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here are some printable instructions:

Tornado in a Bottle Science Experiment

• 3-4 tablespoons Glitter

Instructions

• Use the funnel to put 3-4 tablespoons of glitter in an empty glass jar.
• Next, fill the jar about 3/4 full of water.
• Put the lid back on the jar and make sure it is really tight.
• Turn the bottle upside down and quickly move the bottle in a circular motion for 10-15 seconds.
• Finally, set the bottle down on the table and observe the tornado that has formed.

Reader Interactions

April 26, 2022 at 1:16 pm

Can you use a two liter plastic bottle

May 22, 2023 at 10:08 am

Yes you can.

August 4, 2023 at 8:56 am

cool and better than ever

April 27, 2022 at 2:54 pm

this is so much fun and cool I can’t wait that I am going to work on it!

August 8, 2022 at 12:54 am

Would this work as well with a plastic bottle? Just thinking of little kid safety in our library. Thanks in advance, looks like so much fun!

February 26, 2023 at 4:19 pm

can I redo the experiment several times in the same bottle?

May 22, 2023 at 10:05 am

Yes you can

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10 Science experiments you can do with a plastic bottle

August 17, 2022 By Emma Vanstone Leave a Comment

These science experiments you can do with a bottle are great for home or school, can be used over and over again and even recycled afterwards!

Make rockets, lava lamps and even a drinks dispenser that actually works! Have a rocket race, find out who can make the longest bubbly snake and discover how much rainfall you have where you live.

Raid your recycle bin and start creating!

Science experiments using a plastic bottle

1. squeezy bottle rocket.

Squeezy bottle rockets are a brilliant introduction to forces, particularly Newton’s Third Law of motion. Squeeze the bottle and watch the rocket fly.

2. Make A Model Lung

This model of a lung uses the top section of a plastic bottle to demonstrate how lungs work.

3. Collapse a bottle

Find out how to collapse a bottle using air pressure . All you need for this activity is an empty plastic bottle and hot water!

4. Easy Bubble Snake

Bubble snakes are great fun and only need a plastic bottle, elastic band, small piece of material and bubble mix! Simply blow down the bottle to create a long bubble snake!

5. Baking Soda Rocket

This mini baking soda rocket is powered by baking soda and vinegar. It’s not quite as explosive as the water powered version, but it is a great space themed science experiment and a fun way to learn about forces.

6. Water Powered Bottle Rocket

Use a large bottle to make a water powered bottle rocket . This is a brilliant outdoor science and engineering activity.

7. DIY Drinks Dispenser

This easy DIY drinks dispenser is super simple and great for learning about air pressure with a practical use as well!

8. Fizzy Lava Lamp

I’ve always used glass or plastic jars to make a lava lamp , but they work just as well in a bottle! All you need is oil, water, food colouring and an effervescent tablet.

9. Easy Rain Gauge

Did you know you can make a rain gauge from a plastic bottle? Just cut off the top and place it inside the remainder of the bottle upside down! Record the rainfall each day and find the average at the end of every month.

Can you think of any more science experiments you can do with a bottle for us?

Tea in the Wild has some gorgeous weather sensory bottles .

Use a plastic bottle to blow up a balloon without touching it !

Learn about the Bernoulli principle with a plastic bottle and a ball of scrunched up paper.

If you liked these activities you might also like my experiments you can do with just paper !

Last Updated on September 19, 2024 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

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