Curiosity at Home: 6-8 Activities
Discover activities specifically designed for grades 6-8 learners. Each features age appropriate questions, and helpful tips for both parents and more formal educators to scaffold information for growing and developing minds.
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Astronomy Activities
Crater Creators
Learn about the impact asteroids and meteorites have on planets in Crater Creators.
Star Finder
Make a rotating star locator to find the constellations in Star Finder.
Marshmallow Constellations
Make 3D models of constellations in Marshmallow Constellations.
Light
PacSci Now: Spectroscopy
Watch PacSci Now: Spectroscopy to learn about how gas interacts with light AND how lightsabers work.
Planets and Moons
Crater Creators
Learn about the impact asteroids and meteorites have on our moon and other planetary bodies in Crater Creators.
Extraterrestrial Adventure
If you met an extraterrestrial, what do you think it would it look like? Create a new life form in Extraterrestrial Adventure.
Going Through a Phase
Create a model of the phases of the Moon, Earth, and Sun in Going Through a Phase.
Make a Sundial
Make a Sundial to tell the time using only some simple items and a sunny day!
Milky Way Haze
Wonder why the Milky Way resembles a hazy, cloud-like strip in the sky? Find out in Milky Way Haze.
Shadow Tracking
How did people keep track of time before electricity? Learn how to track shadows to see how the sun changes positions throughout the day in Shadow Tracking.
Virtual Planetarium Shows
Blast-off to the outer reaches of the universe, discover constellations, or explore the planets in our own solar system. View the video playlist
Star Science
Astronomical Navigation
Build a special tool used by sailors long ago, then use it to learn about navigation and the night sky in Astronomical Navigation.
Marshmallow Constellations
Learn about some constellations and make 3D models of your favorites in Marshmallow Constellations.
Milky Way Haze
Wonder why the Milky Way resembles a hazy, cloud-like strip in the sky? Find out in Milky Way Haze.
Make a Sundial
Make a Sundial to tell the time using only some simple items and a sunny day!
Sizing Up the Stars
Stars come in many colors, temperatures, and sizes. Make your own models of stars in Sizing Up the Stars.
Star Finder
Make a rotating star locator to find the constellations visible in the night sky throughout the year in Star Finder.
Virtual Planetarium Shows
Blast-off to the outer reaches of the universe, discover constellations, or explore the planets in our own solar system. View the video playlist
Plants and Animals Activities
Test Your Spider Knowledge
How well do you know spiders? Try Test Your Spider Knowledge.
Blind Spot and Hole in the Hand
Experience the process of your eyes sending information in Blind Spot and Hole in the Hand.
Adaptation Artistry
Design a habitat on Earth 100+ years from now in Adaptation Artistry.
Animals
Adaptation Artistry
Use your imagination to design a habitat on Earth 100+ years from now in Adaptation Artistry.
Animal Tracks
What can animal tracks tell us? Play the Animal Tracks matching game to identify footprints, then make your own tracks.
Bird Beak Buffet
Find out why birds have such different beaks and how this adaptation helps them survive in Bird Beak Buffet.
Habitat Match
Explore different animal adaptations that may help them overcome challenges living in their environments in Habitat Match.
Jump for Joy
Which animals can jump farther than humans? Find out the answer by comparing your jump distance with animals’ in Jump for Joy.
Live Science Show: Masters of Mimicry
How do animals hide in plain sight? Explore adaptations and evolution through storytelling and interactive experiments in Masters of Mimicry.
Live Science Show: Snake Tales
Meet one of PacSci’s corn snakes and go on a poetic journey in our Live Science Show, Snake Tales.
Naked Mole Rats Observation
Observe and scan sample our Naked Mole Rat colony, then record your findings in the Naked Mole Rats Observation activity.
PacSci Now: Fossil Clues
Watch Fossil Clues and examine fossils and skulls to uncover mysteries about dinosaurs.
Whale Feeding
Did you know that whales feed in two different ways? Learn more in the Whale Feeding activity.
Insects
Bee Hotel
Learn how to build a Bee Hotel to provide nesting habitat to solitary bees.
Butterflies Emerging
Have you ever see the moment that butterflies emerge from a chrysalis? Watch this insider’s glimpse.
Butterfly Puddle Station
Create a healthy habitat for butterflies and observe who visits your Butterfly Puddle Station.
Insect Exploration
Go on an Insect Exploration and learn which insects pollinate which plants!
PacSci Now: Meet a Tarantula
Meet Senora, an Arizona Blonde Tarantula in this PacSci Now video! Learn about how arachnids see, move, feel around, and more.
PacSci Now: The Last Butterfly
Watch The Last Butterfly, a behind-the-scenes look at how PacSci gets, hatches, and cares for the butterflies in our Tropical Butterfly House, as well as what’s happened during our temporary closure.
PacSci Now: Washington’s Native Bumblebees
Discover Washington’s Native Bumblebees! Learn about how scientists catch and study bees, sonication, and how you can help bumblebees.
Spider Silk Hunt
All spiders produce silk, but they do it for very different reasons. Go looking for spider webs in Spider Silk Hunt.
Test Your Spider Knowledge
Spiders are often seen as scary and are misunderstood. How well do you know spiders? Try the Test Your Spider Knowledge activity.
What’s That Buzz
Play a sorting game to learn which buzzing insect is which in What’s That Buzz?
Food Science
Tinker Tank at Home: Cookie Making
Make chocolate chip cookies and the science behind each ingredient and step.
Tinker Tank at Home: Food Science
Experiment with yeast and other ingredients at home to learn more about food.
Human Body
Blind Spot and Hole in the Hand
Can you trust everything your eyes see? Experience the sensory process of your eyes sending your brain information in Blind Spot and Hole in the Hand activities.
Color My World
Make a light box to view different objects in different colors in Color My World.
Create an Afterimage
Our eyes work together with our brains to create a conscious image of the world around us. Experience a type of illusion in Create an Afterimage.
DNA Extraction
Use common kitchen items to extract DNA from fruits and veggies.
Don’t Bug Me
Step into an epidemiologists’ shoes and prevent the spread of the flu in Don’t Bug Me!
Hand Hygiene Science
Try your hand at this germ-busting hygiene activity.
Handwashing Challenge
How does handwashing prevent the spreading of viruses? Watch this video to find out.
Illusion of Forced Perspective
Experiment in the Illusion of Forced Perspective activity and make a small object look bigger than you are in a photograph.
Live Science Show: Illusions
Watch the Illusions Live Science Show and learn how the brain and eyes work together to create optical illusions.
Make a Model Lung, Reaction Time, Blind Spot
Download the English activity version
Download the Spanish activity version
Make Your Own Thermometer
Learn about temperature and make your own thermometer.
Mock DNA Profile
Make a mock DNA profile then compare profiles.
More Than Meets the Eye
Look at these optical illusions and discover the role your brain plays in interpreting sensory input.
PacSci Now: Human Brains
See and learn from a real human brain in this video activity.
PacSci Now: The Respiratory System
Wondering how lungs work? Watch this demonstration with PacSci’s educators.
Reaction Time
Learn about reflexes and measure your reaction time.
Trick Your Taste Buds
Trick your taste buds and see how these two senses are linked in the brain.
Trick Your Taste Buds, Fat Breakdown, DNA, Bendable Bones, After Image
Plants
Blowing in the Wind
Not all flowers are pollinated by insects or other animal pollinators. Learn which flowers rely on pollen Blowing in the Wind!
Flower Dissection
Take a closer look at flowers and identify their different parts in Flower Dissection.
Growing Together
Build a fantastic flower, then predict what animal would be its perfect pollinator in Growing Together.
Paint Me Pollinated
How does pollination work? Use colorful chalk or paint to mimic pollen as it’s carried from plant to plant in Paint Me Pollinated.
Pollen For Breakfast
Use a fruity cereal to create a model of ancient soils and learn how pollen can tell the story of long ago climates in Pollen For Breakfast.
Chemistry Activities
Bubble Blast
Learn about bubbles’ chemical properties and design your own bubble in Bubble Blast .
Cryptic Chromatography
Try Cryptic Chromatography and learn about the chemistry behind colors.
Chemistry
Beat the Heat
Design and test insulators in Beat the Heat and figure out a way to keep a vaccine cool.
Bubble Blast
Is it possible to make bubbles better? Become a chemical engineer in Bubble Blast to learn about bubbles’ chemical properties and design your own bubble.
Cryptic Chromatography
Try this Cryptic Chromatography activity and learn about forensic science and the chemistry behind colors.
Ice Cream in a Bag
Try out a little chemistry in the kitchen by creating Ice Cream in a Bag that turns liquids into solids in a tasty experiment.
Instant Ice
What kinds of shapes can you make as you rapidly turn water to ice in Instant Ice.
Material World
Try your hand at materials science engineering by creating then testing the properties of a new mystery substance in Material World.
Natural Tie Dye
Discover the chemistry behind colorful clothing using produce from home in Natural Tie Dye.
Osmosis Eggs
Watch eggs grow and shrink in this eggstraordinary eggsperiment, Osmosis Eggs!
PacSci Now: Chemical Reactions
How do you know a chemical reaction is taking place? Watch these chemistry experiments and learn about the four indicators of reactions!
PacSci Now: Liquid Nitrogen Experiment
Air moves fast, liquids move slowly, and solids don’t move much at all. Is the same true for molecules? Watch this video to see how liquid nitrogen (LN2) moves.
Phase Change Sandwich
Water can exist as a gas, liquid or solid. Observe all 3 phases of water in this Phase Change Sandwich.
Purple Produce pH Indicator
Use red cabbage to make a Purple Produce pH Indicator solution that can tell if a liquid is an acid or a base.
Shoofly Pie
Learn about chemical reactions between common ingredients while baking a Shoofly Pie.
Tinker Tank at Home: Elephant Toothpaste
Watch this video to learn how to make Elephant Toothpaste at home and see a chemical reaction unfold before your eyes.
Tinker Tank at Home: Food Science
Watch this video, then experiment with yeast and other ingredients at home to learn more about food science.
Engineering Activities
Crash Test
Build and test a model vehicle for safety in this mini Crash Test activity.
Design a Solution
Design new inventions that can solve problems in Design a Solution.
Wind Powered Cars
Design a vehicle that is powered by the wind in Wind Powered Cars.
Chemistry and Physics in Engineering
Ball Bounce
Do all balls bounce in the same way? Discover materials and structures’ different characteristics in Ball Bounce.
Bioplastic
Design for a sustainable future and make your own Bioplastic with natural materials.
Making Oobleck
Discover with the PacSci team! Become a material scientist and make Oobleck and investigate its weird properties.
PacSci Now: Making Slime
Yucky, gooey slime! Make slime using everyday materials with the PacSci team.
Tinker Tank at Home: Electric Circuits
Watch Electric Circuits and use the scientific method to learn about electricity, circuits, and conduction with objects you can find at home.
Tinker Tank at Home: Make Mini Lightsabers
Watch and make a mini lightsaber with Tinker Tank at Home.
Innovation
Beat the Heat
Be a materials engineer and design and test an insulators in Beat the Heat.
Design a Solution
Use your engineering skills to design new inventions that can solve problems, using natural and renewable resources in Design a Solution.
Filtration Station
Design a Filtration Station and explore different materials and methods for cleaning water.
Get Wired, Straw Towers, Oobleck
Download the English activity version
Download the Spanish activity version
Oil Spill Cleanup, Toothpick Bridge Building, Hovercrafts
Download the English activity version
PacSci Now: Pedal Power
Learn how to design an engineering solution to convert physical to electrical in Pedal Power.
Tinker Tank at Home: Build a 3D Hologram Projector
Build 3D hologram projector using a smart phone with Tinker Tank at Home.
Tinker Tank at Home: Electric Circuits
Watch Electric Circuits and use the scientific method to learn about electricity, circuits, and conduction with objects you can find at home.
Tinker Tank at Home: Make Mini Lightsabers
Watch and make a mini lightsaber with Tinker Tank at Home.
Structures
Cardboard City
Design and build a Cardboard City that reflect the services, layouts, features, and styles of the residents that will live there.
Keep Things Cool
Test out different materials to find out which trap heat and which Keep Things Cool.
Oil Spill Cleanup, Toothpick Bridge Building, Hovercrafts
Download the English activity version
PacSci Now: Build an Arch
Use your civil engineering skills to Build an Arch without glue or nails.
Spaghetti Towers
Explore shape and structure in Spaghetti Towers while designing, building, and redesigning the tallest tower possible.
Vehicles and Travel
Crash Test
Build and test a model vehicle for safety in this mini Crash Test activity.
Take Flight
Can a paper plane fly with hoops for wings? Find out in Take Flight.
Tinker Tank at Home: Build a Milk Carton Boat
Make milk carton boats and challenge friends and family to a Milk Carton Derby!
Wind Powered Cars
Design a vehicle that is powered by the wind, test your invention, and redesign it to make it even better in Wind Powered Cars.
Earth and Environmental Science
Grow Your Own Crystals
Grown Your Own Crystals and observe their molecular structure.
Beach Erosion
Make a model of a beach and see what effect waves have in Beach Erosion.
Capture the Quake
Make a seismograph in Capture the Quake to measure your own home-made earthquakes.
Ecology and Environmental Science
Earth Day Scavenger Hunt
Explore the environment, flora, and fauna around your home and go on an Earth Day Scavenger Hunt.
Ecosystem Surveys
Be a scientist and observe a nearby ecosystem like a park or backyard and record your observations in Ecosystem Surveys.
Grow Your Own Pollinator Garden
Pollinators have a very important job in sustaining ecosystems: they fertilize plants as they travel ensuring that we and other animals and food and flowers. Support pollinators and Grow Your Own Pollinator Garden.
Hungry, Hungry Ocean
Take a dive into the ocean’s food web in Hungry, Hungry Ocean to create and connect marine organisms.
Imaginary Ecosystem
Create an Imaginary Ecosystem for animals that includes living and non-living factors.
Observations in Sound
Get a deeper understanding of the world around you by making a sound map in Observations in Sound.
Observing Our Oceans
Investigate the impact of ice melting due to climate change and how that affects sea levels in Observing Our Oceans.
Oil Spill Clean Up
Become an environmental engineer research, design, and test ways to clean up polluted bodies of water in Oil Spill Clean Up.
Pattern Hunt
Patterns can be found everywhere! Go on a nature Pattern Hunt and look for similarities and differences.
Tinker Tank at Home: Ocean Acidification
Discover how the ocean atmosphere interacts with carbon dioxide gas and how it diffuses into water in Ocean Acidification.
Watershed Exploration
Create a watershed model and explore how water interacts with the land in Watershed Exploration.
Geology
Beach Erosion
How do beaches change over time? Make a model of a beach and see what effect waves have in Beach Erosion.
Capture the Quake
Make a seismograph in Capture the Quake to measure your own home-made earthquakes.
Graham Cracker Plate Tectonics
Create plate boundaries in Graham Cracker Plate Tectonics and watch what happens to the Earth’s crust the plates move.
Grow Your Own Crystals
Crystals occur many places in nature, and now at your home! Grown Your Own Crystals and observe their molecular structure.
PacSci Now: Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes
Watch PacSci Now: Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes and Learn about plate tectonics and how these masses of rock cause earthquakes.
PacSci Now: Rocks and Minerals
Watch Rocks and Minerals and discover what rocks can tell us about the past as well as the history of Earth.
Rock Candy
Become a crystallographer by making sugar rock crystals and seeing how they form.
Rock Cycle
Make models of three different rock types in Rock Cycle to learn about how each is formed.
Rock and Roll: All Dried Up, Pumice of Paris, Graham Cracker Plate Techtonics
Download the English activity version
Download the Spanish activity version
Rock and Roll: Crystal Garden, Lava Layers, Rock Crayons, Crack This Case, Backyard Volcano
Meteorology and Weather
Astronomical Navigation
Build a special tool used by sailors long ago, then use it to learn about navigation and the night sky in Astronomical Navigation.
DIY Weather Vane
Make your very own DIY Weather Vane using some common materials and track the wind in your neighborhood!
Fog in a Jar
Discover the science behind weather and create fog inside of a jar.
Make a Sundial
Make a Sundial to tell the time using only some simple items and a sunny day!
Pollen For Breakfast
Use a fruity cereal to create a model of ancient soils and learn how pollen can tell the story of long ago climates in Pollen For Breakfast.
Tinker Tank at Home: Make a Rain Cloud
Watch this Tinker Tank at Home video to make a rain cloud using shaving cream, food coloring, and water.
Tinker Tank at Home: Make Fake Snow
Watch this video, make fake snow while learning more about sodium polyacrylate.
Thunderstorm in a Tub
Demonstrate the beginning stages of a thunderstorm by observing the mixing of warm and cool temperatures in Thunderstorm in a Tub.
Tornado in a Bottle
Observe the patterns and factors that influence a tornado by making your own tornado model with Tornado in a Bottle.
What Season Is It?
How do flowers know when to bloom and birds know when to migrate? Learn how to observe the timing of natural phenomena in What Season Is It?
Wildfire Watch
Practice being a meteorologist in Wildfire Watch by taking weather measurements, then predicting the fire danger in your area.
Math Activities
Fair and Square
From a Circle to a Square to a…
Personal Measuring Systems
Math
Mathfinder: Birth Date, Fair and Square
Download the English activity version
Download the Spanish activity version
Mathfinder: Weight, Scales, Self Similarity
Download the English activity version
Make a Mobius Strip
Make a Mobius Strip with this video, or download instructions
Mock DNA Profile
Make a mock DNA profile then compare profiles
Physics Activities
Under Pressure
Learn about the effects of air and air pressure in Under Pressure.
Use the Force
Learn about invisible forces and see if you can move an object in Use the Force.
Boat Afloat
Explore buoyancy and gravity by designing a boat in Boat Afloat.
Air and Pressure
Live Science Show: Amazing Air
Watch Amazing Air and experiment with the hidden power of high and low air pressure.
Live Science Show: Physics of Bubbles
Find out how bubbles work in Physics of Bubbles Live Science Show. See them float, fly, and burst into flames!
Pressure Inside
Wonder what makes popcorn pop? Get a taste of edible physics while learning about states of matter in Pressure Inside.
POW!: Unfriendly Balloons, Easy Roller
Download the English activity version
Download the Spanish activity version
Under Pressure
Learn about the effects of air and air pressure in the activity Under Pressure.
Buoyancy and Gravity
Boat Afloat
Explore buoyancy and gravity by designing a boat in Boat Afloat using the engineering processes of design, test, and redesign.
Sink or Float
Play Sink or Float to find out how objects with different masses and volumes react in water.
Forces
POW!: Create an Electromagnet, What’s an Angle
Download the English activity version
Use the Force
Invisible forces are at work on Earth and in space that move and shape our world. Learn about these forces and see if you can move an object without a physical push in Use the Force.
Liquid Science
Live Science Show: Super Cold
Experience the thrills, spills and chills of a liquid so cold it doesn’t exist naturally on Planet Earth! Watch one of everyone’s favorite Live Science Shows, Super Cold.
Make a Lava Lamp
Learn about fluid dynamics by making a lava lamp.
PacSci Now: Liquid Nitrogen Experiment
Air moves fast, liquids move slowly, and solids don’t move much at all. Is the same true for molecules? Watch this video to see how liquid nitrogen (LN2) moves.
Sound
Aiming and Catching Sound Waves
Use two cardboard tubes to aim sound waves at a wall and bounce them back into your ears. Try the Aiming and Catching Sound Waves activity.
Amp It Up
Discover what kinds of common objects can amplify sound by carrying vibrations further with Amp It Up.
Bouncing Sound Waves
Sound travels in waves that can bounce, or reflect off of some surfaces. In Bouncing Sound Waves, investigate ways to aim and catch bouncing sound waves.
Dancing Salt
Can you make salt dance using only a homemade drum? Find out in Dancing Salt.
Live Science Show: Monster Sound
Watch and investigate mad melodies, loud lyrics, roaring riffs and the science behind them in the Monster Sound Live Science Show.
Make Your Own Kazoo
Hum your favorite tune and amplify it with your own kazoo!
PacSci Now: Good Vibrations
Watch Good Vibrations and discover how vibrations create and transfer energy – and sound – into your ears.
Pin Plinker
Build and play your own thumb piano to learn about pitch and the history of this percussive instrument in Pin Plinker.
Rubber Band Box Guitar
Experiment with making a Rubber Band Box Guitar to learn about the ways string instruments make sound.
Singing Glasses
Feel the vibrations of sound waves as you make music with Singing Glasses.
Spoon Gong
Experiment with pitch and vibration in Spoon Gong by making a musical gong out of a kitchen spoon.
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