30 Awesome Outdoor & Nature Science Activities

Try out this two-part water experiment! First – why can’t you blow up a balloon in a bottle? And, second – what happens when you do…and then fill it with water? Play with water pressure and create a water volcano that is seriously fun.

Using some household items, it's easy to make a giant bubble wand and bubble solution for giant bubbles. Take turns and see who can make the biggest bubbles!

Use the power of chemical reactions to launch Pop-Top Rockets! These mini rockets are so easy to make and so fun to set off, you’ll want to launch them again and again. 

Read the step-by-step tutorial or watch the video below:

Surface tension is what gives wet sand its strength for great sandcastle building. Too little water, and surface tension can’t hold the sand grains together. Too much water, and your sand collapses! Learn the science behind building a perfect construction.

Bring the beach to your backyard and use science to make sand slime – all you need is some clear glue and starch to transform simple sand into slime-like consistency. Then add an element of science fun by experimenting with different ratios of glue and liquid starch to form slime of varying consistencies. Learn about polymer science in the process!

Watch a marshmallow grow to three times its original size with a quick and easy experiment using everyone’s favorite summer treat!

Regrow your greens with your very own scrap kitchen planter! Set up a simple system to grow fresh greens and veggies from the leftovers of old food parts. Watch your scraps grow in both directions as roots reach down to drink water and stems stretch up for light. Along the way, learn about food waste — and the fun and easy ways you can fight it at home!

A squirt gun is a a great example of what happens when you apply pressure to a liquid. In this quick, fun experiment, learn how to make your own miniature water squirter using just two cups, a straw, and some clay!

Learn paper making and bookbinding techniques to make journals for your thoughts and doodles! The notebook you’ll make from recycled paper is providing that paper with “new life” — it has a new purpose thanks to you. This impact might seem small, but our daily actions help shape our communities and ecosystems.

Who knew you could make paper so easily... paper that grows flowers!

The more you know, the more you grow! Learn about plant science in a hands-on way, by assembling your own suction-cup window planters and growing a set of green bean and squash plants. Learn to take care of your plants, identify new plant parts as they sprout, and make yummy dishes using fruit and other plant parts! The perfect plant project for budding botanists everywhere.

Have you ever noticed how plants grow toward the light? Build this simple light maze, and watch the plant grow around the obstacles to reach the light! Try experimenting with different mazes and see how the plant reacts. Can your plant complete its maze?

Explore more ways to harness the power of the sun with a Solar Crayon Recycler from the KiwiCo Store. Make your own crayon recycler, transform crayon pieces into custom rainbow crayons, and more!

Use this recipe to make unpoppable bubbles! Bubbles are made of two basic things: a 'skin' that is mostly composed of a thin film of water, and some air. Adding soap and corn syrup to water helps make stronger bubbles because soap and corn syrup molecules can squeeze in between water molecules and help the film of water stretch out without breaking.

Grow your creativity with a chalkboard planter! Decorate your planter with a pair of stick-on shoes and a customizable chalk face, then complete your little planter pal with a wacky wheatgrass hairdo you grow yourself. Keep an observation journal to track how your wheatgrass grows, checking for budding plant parts like roots and seeds.

When the sun goes down and the stars come out, a campsite can get pretty dark if you don't have a lantern. Make a DIY lantern and share the light with friends and family during your next camping trip.

Get growing with this build-it-yourself seed-planting kit! Build a mini upright planter box, complete with extra storage. Plant snap peas on biodegradable fiber mats — then watch them grow behind a clear window. Learn all about how seeds grow into baby plants and how they get their energy.

Did you know that fire doesn't always burn orange? In fact, there are a wide range of colors that fire can be. In this chemistry experiment, we'll show you how to make a pinecone that creates green fire when tossed in your fireplace!

See how we did it and check out the video here!

Love the idea of preserving leaves? Pick up some fresh leaves on your way out of your house, and try your hand at this amazing leaf preservation technique!

Illuminate your adventures with a solar-powered lantern! Inside a wood lantern that you build yourself, a solar LED candle uses energy from the Sun to turn on in the dark — and turn off in the light. Learn about the Sun’s incredible energy, the electronics that make the candle work, and the ways people use eco-friendly solar power in the world around you.

Dive into environmental science with this hands-on sensory eco-adventure! Learn how oil affects oceans and the critters that live in them, and explore different ways to clean up spilled oil — from scooping it up to trapping it in a floating boom. Step into the shoes of real-world wildlife rescuers and environmental engineers!

Take a walk outside and find different kinds of branches and leaves to make your paint brushes. Once you've made all your leaf paintbrushes, test them out with some paint and see what kinds of textures they create.

Get ready to explore! Craft and create a beary fun backpack to use during your camping adventures and store your equipment. Build your own glowing campfire that lights up the night and cooks camping meals. Prep your delicious cookout and whip up two tasty treats — a s’more and a hotdog — with the help of your campfire.

Why not get a little messy and do some kitchen science? Try it in the backyard and let the whole thing become a super sensory experience.

Personalize your campsite this year with a DIY banner – it's the perfect combination of outdoor activity and creative crafting. Hang your leaf stamping art anywhere you and enjoy your nature-themed decoration!

Make your own felt succulent garden and learn about felt crafting and clay modeling!

With fall around the corner, we've been seeing the leaves in our neighborhood slowly start to change. Simple and quick, this experiment teaches kids about color in leaves. If you are a parent of curious kids, be sure to give this experiment a try!

Start your very own pretend-play produce stand! Craft a set of play tomatoes, carrots, peas, and corn using beads, fluff, pipe cleaners, and other colorful materials. Make a produce basket (complete with a chalkboard stand) and a DIY cash box (complete with play money). Then open your stand for business, and practice counting, sorting, matching, and more as you serve your many customers.

Engineer a drip irrigation system and sprout a love of botany and physics! Construct the water tower and trellis, set up the planter pots, then grow your own bean, wheatgrass, and watermelon plants. Explore the science of irrigation and the different ways that farmers put water to work (from flood irrigation to spray irrigation to computer-controlled farming!).

Fizz, fizz, zoom! This baking soda experiment boat is easy to build and fun to race.

Discover more about the science of pressure with a Bottle Rocket kit from the KiwiCo Store! Assemble a launcher, rocket, funnel, and launch mixture to experience some extremely fizzy fun.

Learn about helicopters by making a rubber band powered flying toy!

Discover more about the physics of flight with a Bottle Rocket kit from the KiwiCo Store! Assemble a launcher, rocket, funnel, and launch mixture to experience some extremely fizzy fun.