Hands-on science experiments and projects encourage students to put scientific principles into practice through inquiry and problem-solving. Plus, they’re so much fun! These 5th grade science projects help kids explore concepts aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards, including states of matter, energy, Earth’s systems, space systems, and engineering. We’ve also got ideas for 5th grade science fair projects, engaging classroom demos, and more!
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In schools that follow the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), 5th graders focus on:
Explore the specifics of each standard at nextgenscience.org.
Each project or activity on our list includes estimated difficulty, a materials list, and a brief description. We’ve also noted which projects are true experiments vs. demos or hands-on projects and how they’re NGSS-aligned when applicable.
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Standards Alignment: NGSS 5-PS1, NGSS 5-PS2, NGSS 5-PS3
These 5th grade science projects help students explore what matter is made of and how it behaves. From density and states of matter to chemical reactions and polymers, these hands-on experiments make big science concepts easier to see and understand.
Mix dish soap and 3% hydrogen peroxide in a bottle, then add activated yeast. Students can watch foam rapidly expand as oxygen gas is released and trapped in the soap bubbles. Use the demonstration to discuss chemical reactions, catalysts, and gas production.
Use Ping-Pong balls to create simple models of solids, liquids, and gases. Arrange the balls tightly together to represent a solid, loosely inside a container to represent a liquid, and farther apart to represent a gas. Invite students to compare how the particles are arranged and discuss how they move in each state of matter.
Mix root beer and ice cream to explore solids, liquids, and gases interacting in one fun treat. Students can observe the foam, melting ice cream, and fizzy bubbles to identify examples of each state of matter in action. Ask them to describe how the ingredients change as the float sits.
Place dry ice in a container with warm water, then stretch a soapy film across the opening to trap the carbon dioxide vapor inside a giant bubble. Students can watch the bubble expand until it bursts. Use this adult-led demonstration to explore sublimation, gas expansion, and surface tension. Caution: Dry ice should never be handled with bare hands.
Add food coloring to hot and cold water, then carefully place one container on top of the other with a card between them. Remove the card and observe how the liquids move depending on which container is on top. Students can see how temperature affects density and movement in liquids.
Pour milk into a shallow dish and add drops of food coloring. Dip a cotton swab in dish soap and touch it to the milk. Students can watch the colors swirl as the soap interacts with the fat molecules in the milk, offering a colorful introduction to surface tension and molecular interactions.
Rub a balloon or comb against hair or wool fabric, then hold it near small pieces of paper. Students can observe the paper moving toward the charged object without being touched. Use the activity to introduce static electricity, electrical charges, and attraction.
Combine glue, cornstarch, and a diluted borax solution to create a moldable mixture. Shape the material into balls and test how well they bounce. Students can compare different ingredient ratios to explore polymers, elasticity, and how chemical reactions can create new materials.
Place unopened cans of regular and diet soda into a container of water and observe whether they sink or float. Ask students to predict what will happen before testing. Discuss how the amount of dissolved sugar affects density even though the cans are the same size.
Position a lightweight pinwheel above a candle flame, leaving a safe distance between the paper and the flame. As warm air rises, the pinwheel begins to spin. Use this adult-led demonstration to explore convection and the transfer of thermal energy.
Create a simple low-voltage circuit and test whether different water samples allow electricity to flow. Students can compare distilled water, tap water, and salt water by observing whether the LED lights up. Use battery power only, never a wall outlet.
Pour vinegar into a bottle and use a funnel to add baking soda to a balloon. Stretch the balloon over the bottle opening, then lift it so the baking soda falls into the vinegar. Students can watch the balloon inflate as the reaction produces carbon dioxide gas.
Place hydrated water beads in cups and add different amounts of salt. Students can observe how the beads shrink as water moves out of them. Measure the beads before and after the experiment to explore osmosis and the effects of solute concentration.
Add baking soda to a model volcano or container, then pour in vinegar mixed with dish soap and food coloring. Students can observe the foamy eruption caused by a reaction that releases carbon dioxide gas. Test different ingredient amounts to see how they affect the size of the eruption.
Place eggshell halves with the curved sides facing upward, then carefully add weight on top. Students can record how much weight the shells hold before breaking. Discuss how the shell’s dome shape distributes force and why similar designs are used in architecture.
Fill a zip-top bag with water, seal it, and carefully push sharpened pencils through both sides of the bag. Students can observe that very little water leaks out. Explain how the flexible plastic stretches around each pencil and forms a seal.
Activate several glow sticks and place them in cups of water at different temperatures. Students can compare how brightly each stick glows and how long the effect lasts. Use the activity to explore how temperature affects the rate of a chemical reaction. Keep glow sticks sealed throughout the experiment.
Shape pipe cleaners into snowflakes and suspend them inside jars filled with hot borax solution. Leave the jars undisturbed overnight. Students can observe crystals forming as the dissolved borax comes out of the cooling solution and attaches to the pipe cleaners.
Mix cornstarch and water to create Oobleck, then press, squeeze, and slowly move your hands through the mixture. Students can observe that it behaves like a solid under pressure but flows like a liquid when handled gently. Use the activity to explore non-Newtonian fluids.
Shape small pieces of aluminum foil into lightweight “bugs” and carefully place them on the water’s surface. Students can test which designs float best. Add a drop of dish soap to observe how changing the surface tension affects the foil bugs.
Fill a clear container mostly with oil, then add water and food coloring. Drop in a piece of an antacid tablet and watch colored blobs rise and fall. Students can observe density differences and gas production as the reaction moves the water through the oil.
Soak gummy bears in different solutions and watch them expand or shrink. Students can measure the gummy bears before and after soaking to see how much they change. Compare results using plain water, salt water, and sugar water to explore osmosis and water movement.
Standards Alignment: NGSS 5-LS-1, NGSS 5-LS-2
Use these 5th grade science projects to help students investigate how living things grow, interact, and depend on their environments. Students can explore decomposition, plant growth, ecosystems, genetics, and the movement of matter and energy through living systems.
Place different foods in sealed containers and observe them over several days or weeks. Students can record changes in color, texture, and appearance to compare which foods decompose most quickly. Use the activity to discuss microorganisms, matter cycling, and the role of decomposers in ecosystems.
Learn about capillary action to find out how plants “drink” the water they need for photosynthesis. Fill each vase or bottle with water and a few drops of food coloring. Make fresh cuts at the bottom of each flower stem or stalk of celery, then place them in the water. Observe the flowers/celery over the following hours or days to see them pull the colored water all the way up to the top!
Plants take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen—a process you can see with this easy activity. Submerge a freshly picked green leaf in a dish of water. Check back in a few hours, and you should see bubbles on the surface of the leaf. That’s the oxygen the plant has “breathed” out!
Use hypothetical traits such as flower color or seed shape to model inheritance patterns. Students can complete Punnett squares or flip coins to simulate which traits offspring receive. Discuss dominant and recessive traits, variation, and probability.
Fill two containers with soil, adding plants to one while leaving the other bare. Pour the same amount of water over each container and compare the runoff. Students can observe how roots help hold soil in place and reduce erosion.
Layer gravel, sand, cotton, and a coffee filter inside a cut plastic bottle or cup. Pour dirty water through the materials and compare the filtered water with the original sample. Remind students that clearer water is not necessarily safe to drink.
Present students with temperature data and examples of changing environmental conditions. Ask them to form hypotheses about how these changes might affect plants, animals, water availability, or habitats. Students can use evidence to explain possible ecosystem impacts.
Set up two containers with soil and thermometers, covering one with plastic wrap while leaving the other open. Place both in sunlight or beneath a lamp and record temperature changes. Students can compare the results and discuss how trapped heat relates to the greenhouse effect.
Measure how the temperature of water changes as energy is added over time. Students can record temperatures at regular intervals and compare water with another material if appropriate. Use the activity to explore heat capacity and why water helps regulate temperatures in ecosystems.
Expose similar plants to different colors of light while keeping the amount of water, soil, and growing time consistent. Measure plant growth over several weeks. Students can compare the results and discuss how light energy affects photosynthesis and plant development.
Standards Alignment: NGSS 5-ESS2, NGSS 5-ESS3
These 5th grade science projects bring earth science to life through models and experiments. Students can explore erosion, groundwater, ocean currents, the water cycle, weathering, and other processes that shape our planet.
Peel an orange in several large pieces, then try to fit the segments back together around the fruit. Students can compare the peel pieces with Earth’s tectonic plates and discuss how they fit together, shift, and interact along their boundaries.
Create a small, closed ecosystem using soil, plants, water, and other natural materials. Students can observe changes over time and track condensation, plant growth, and signs of matter cycling. Discuss how organisms depend on both living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
Fill a jar with water and add a layer of shaving cream on top to represent a cloud. Slowly add drops of colored water to the shaving cream. Students can watch the “rain” fall when the cloud becomes saturated, modeling precipitation.
Prepare cups with water and diluted vinegar solutions, then place chalk or plant materials in each one. Observe changes over several days. Students can compare the results and discuss how acidic precipitation contributes to weathering and affects ecosystems.
Line a cardboard box with foil and black paper, then cover the opening with plastic wrap. Place a small food item inside and set the oven in direct sunlight. Students can monitor temperature changes and observe how sunlight is absorbed and trapped as thermal energy.
Layer sand, gravel, and soil in a clear container. Slowly pour colored water over the surface and watch how it moves through the materials. Students can observe infiltration, groundwater storage, and the way water collects in underground spaces.
Place cold colored water or ice on one side of a container and warm colored water on the other. Students can watch currents form as differences in temperature and density cause the water to move. Use this activity to introduce ocean circulation.
Build small landforms from sand and rocks inside trays. Use straws to blow across some of the models and droppers to add water to others. Students can compare how wind and water reshape the surface over time.
Add a small amount of colored water to a resealable bag and tape it to a sunny window. Students can watch water evaporate, condense on the sides of the bag, and collect into droplets. Label the stages to reinforce the processes of the water cycle.
Fill one bottle with water, connect it securely to a second bottle, and turn the setup upside down. Swirl the water in a circular motion and observe the vortex that forms. Students can explore how rotating fluids create a funnel shape.
Place rocks in containers and expose them to repeated freezing and melting conditions using ice and sugar or salt. Observe the surfaces over time with a magnifying glass. Students can discuss how changes in temperature and water contribute to physical weathering in nature.
Standards Alignment: NGSS 5-ESS1, NGSS 5-ESS2, NGSS 5-ESS3
Help students look beyond Earth with 5th grade science projects about stars, planets, moon phases, and solar energy. These activities use simple models and demonstrations to make space systems easier for students to visualize.
Use beads or small balls to represent stars and connect them with pipe cleaners. Students can re-create familiar constellations or design their own. Compare the models with star maps and discuss how constellations help people identify patterns in the night sky.
Place small lights or reflective objects around a darkened room to represent stars. Turn on a bright flashlight to represent the sun and observe how the dimmer objects become harder to see. Discuss why sunlight makes stars difficult to observe during the day.
Mix a small amount of powdered milk into water and shine a flashlight through the container. Students can observe how the light changes color as it passes through the mixture. Use the model to explain how particles in the atmosphere scatter light during a sunset.
Build and launch a bottle rocket outdoors using a baking soda and vinegar reaction. As carbon dioxide gas builds up inside the bottle, pressure eventually forces the cork out and launches the rocket. Students can explore force, motion, gas pressure, and energy transfer while following careful safety procedures.
Twist open sandwich cookies and shape the filling to represent the phases of the moon. Arrange the cookies in order from new moon through full moon and back again. Students can connect the models to the repeating patterns they observe in the night sky.
Use foam balls and paint to create models of the sun and planets. Arrange them in order and compare their relative sizes. Discuss the challenge of showing the enormous distances between planets accurately in a classroom-sized model.
Fill a cup with water, cover it with an index card, and carefully turn it upside down. Slowly remove your hand from the card and observe that the water stays inside the cup. Students can explore how air pressure pushes upward against the card.
Fill a tray with flour or sand and drop marbles from different heights. Students can measure and compare the craters that form. Experiment with different rock sizes and drop angles to explore how impact events shape planetary surfaces.
Students shape clay or dough to represent planets based on relative size. They can arrange the planets from smallest to largest and compare how different they are. This activity gives students a visual way to understand the scale of planets in our solar system.
Place the globe in the center of a table. Turn on the flashlight and aim it at the globe to represent sunlight. Hold the paper plate at arm’s length from the globe. Keep the plate facing the globe as you slowly move it in a circle around Earth. As the plate moves around the globe, observe how much of its surface is illuminated by the flashlight from different positions. Stop at several points along the circle to demonstrate the new moon, crescent, first quarter, gibbous, full moon, and waning phases.
Use flashlights of the same size and brightness to show kids how a star’s brightness is affected by its distance from Earth. In a big dark space (a gymnasium is ideal), set several flashlights on their sides, all facing the same direction, at a variety of distances from one end of the room. Turn them on, and turn the lights off. Ask students to guess how big each flashlight is based on the brightness of the light they can see. When you turn the lights back on, they’ll be surprised to find out they’re all the same—the only difference is the distance!
Use the skewers or nails to poke the pattern of star constellation into the bottom of each cup. Tape each cup over the light of a flashlight, then turn out the classroom lights. Have kids shine their lights toward the ceiling, then have fun identifying the different constellations you can see.
Start this science demo as early in the day as possible. Pair students up, and have them choose one student to be the “dial.” They stand still on a spot marked “X” while their partner traces their shadow and writes in the current time. Return throughout the day to repeat the process, noting the changes in the length and direction of shadows as the sun moves through the sky.
Standards Alignment: NGSS 3-5-ETS1
These 5th grade science projects challenge students to build, test, improve, and try again. From bridges and towers to cars, boats, and catapults, each activity encourages problem-solving, creativity, and real-world engineering thinking.
Challenge students to design a container that protects an egg when dropped from a set height. After each test, examine the results and discuss which features absorbed energy most effectively. Encourage students to revise their designs before trying again.
Build a simple catapult using craft sticks and rubber bands, then launch soft pom-poms toward a target. Students can test how changing the angle or number of craft sticks affects distance. Use the activity to explore stored energy, force, and motion.
Design a small boat powered by a rubber-band paddle. Wind the rubber band, place the boat in water, and release it. Students can test different hull shapes and paddle sizes to explore elastic energy and iterative engineering design.
Attach a straw to a balloon and tape it securely to a small car. Inflate the balloon through the straw, then release it and watch the car move forward. Students can change the car’s design and compare how each adjustment affects speed or distance.
Stretch string between two points and design a LEGO carrier that can travel down the zip line. Students can adjust the slope, weight, and design to improve speed or stability. Use the challenge to explore gravity, friction, and engineering trade-offs.
Build a ramp system designed to make a ball or toy car travel as slowly as possible without stopping. Students can adjust slopes, turns, and surfaces to increase travel time. Discuss how friction and gravity affect motion.
Build simple airplanes from clothespins and craft sticks, then test how far they glide or travel. Students can modify wing size, balance, and weight placement. Compare results to explore aerodynamics and iterative design.
Roll a toy car down the same ramp onto different surfaces and measure how far it travels. Students can compare results and identify which surfaces create the most friction. Encourage them to predict outcomes before testing.
Challenge students to design a cardboard vending machine that dispenses one item at a time. They can test levers, ramps, slots, and other simple mechanisms. The project encourages problem-solving, mechanical design, and persistence through trial and error.
Design a bridge that spans a gap and holds as much weight as possible. Add coins or washers gradually and record the maximum load. Students can compare bridge shapes and revise their designs to improve strength.
Build a freestanding tower using only paper and tape, then test whether it can support a book. Students can experiment with rolled paper columns, folded shapes, and wider bases. Discuss how weight distribution affects structural stability.
Construct a bridge using dry spaghetti and connectors such as marshmallows. Add small weights gradually to test the bridge’s strength. Students can investigate how tension, compression, and triangular supports affect a structure.
Design and build a Ferris wheel that can rotate around a central axle. Students can test different supports and connections until the wheel turns smoothly. Use the project to explore motion, balance, mechanical systems, and iterative design.
Create a stand that holds a phone upright at a useful viewing angle. Students can test stability and make improvements using limited materials. Encourage them to consider function, durability, and user needs as part of the design process.
Looking for science fair projects? Each of these ideas is a true experiment requiring students to pose a question, formulate a hypothesize, design and conduct an experiment, analyze their results, and draw conclusions.
Create a large bubble wand using straws or sticks connected with yarn. Dip it into bubble solution and slowly move it through the air to form giant bubbles. Change the wand size or bubble-solution recipe and compare the results.
Add yeast, sugar, and water at different temperatures to separate bottles, then place balloons over the openings. Students can observe how quickly each balloon inflates as the yeast produces carbon dioxide. Compare the results to explore how temperature affects biological activity.
Wrap cups with different insulating materials and place the same number of ice cubes inside each one. Measure how much ice remains after a set period. Students can compare the materials and determine which one slows heat transfer most effectively.
Use a low-voltage battery circuit to test whether different liquids allow electricity to flow. Students can record whether the LED lights up for each sample and compare the results. Use battery power only, keep liquids away from outlets, and have an adult manage the setup.
Expose similar plants to different music conditions while keeping water, soil, and light consistent. Measure growth over several weeks and compare the results. Discuss whether the data supports the original hypothesis and why controlling variables matters.
Place ice cubes in separate containers and sprinkle salt on some while leaving others plain. Observe which cubes melt fastest and record the results. Use the experiment to introduce freezing-point depression and explain why salt is used on icy roads.
Make several types of slime and compare how each recipe behaves. Students can test how well each slime stretches, bounces, melts, breaks, or changes when chilled. Ask them to record observations and identify which ingredients affect the slime’s properties.
Place different foods in separate sealed bags or containers and observe them over several days. Students can compare how quickly mold appears and record changes in color and coverage. Once sealed, the containers should remain closed and be discarded by an adult at the end of the experiment.
Add the same amount of baking soda to balloons and pour different liquids into labeled bottles. Attach each balloon to a bottle, lift it so the baking soda falls into the liquid, and time how quickly each balloon inflates. Students can compare reactions and discuss carbon dioxide production.
Compare microbial growth from teacher-managed samples collected from a dog’s mouth and a human mouth. Seal the petri dishes immediately after inoculation and observe them without reopening them. Students can compare visible growth patterns and discuss why a simple classroom experiment cannot identify specific microbes or determine whether one mouth is truly “cleaner.”
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