light experiment kindergarten

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Light Science for Kids: Ways to Explore Refraction and Reflection

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Here’s a fun collection of light science for kids ! You’ll find light science experiments about both light refraction and light reflection in this science roundup.

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Because we have been having so much fun with our most recent light science activities, I decided to round up some more fun science ideas for kids having to do with light. You’ll find ideas for examining light refraction (the bending of light) and light reflection (when light bounces off an object) in this collection, as well as science experiments for various ages- from preschool and on up!

10+ Light Science Activities for Kids

Light refraction and rainbow science.

Make a Spectroscope Using a Cardboard Tube from Buggy and Buddy

Explore Light Patterns with a CD and Paper from Buggy and Buddy

Rainbow Science: Exploring Prisms from Buggy and Buddy

Light Box Magic from  True Aim

Making a Rainbow with Water and a Mirror from No Twiddle Twaddle

Light Refraction with Water

Water Refraction Science Experiment from What Do We Do All Day?

How to Make a Magnifying Glass from Science Sparks

Light Reflection and Mirrors

How to Make a Kaleidoscope from Buggy and Buddy

Exploring Reflections with Mirrors from Buggy and Buddy

Water, Mirrors, and Reflection from My Nearest and Dearest

Exploring Shapes and Patterns in a Mirror Box from The Imagination Tree

Exploring Reflections with Mirrors from Little Bins for Little Hands

Explore Light Patterns with a Mylar Light Box from Buggy and Buddy

Find more STEM activities in our ebook! Learn more about it here , or b uy it now here !

Chelsey was previously an elementary teacher for 12 years and is now creating, playing, and learning at home with her two children. You can follow Buggy and Buddy on Twitter or Facebook by clicking on the icons below.

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Light Experiments For Kids (Free Light Worksheets)

Explore the science of light energy with kids! Learn about what light is with a simple definition, and everyday examples of light energy. Grab the free printable light worksheets below, and set up these fun and hands on light experiments for kids!

What Is Light?

Here is a simple definition of light energy for kids:

Light energy is a type of electromagnetic radiation that we can see. It travels in waves and can move through empty space. It comes from sources like the Sun, light bulbs, and flashlights. Light energy helps us see things around us and gives off heat. When light hits an object, it can be reflected (bounced back), absorbed (soaked up), or transmitted (passed through).

Free Printable Light Energy Worksheets

Grab the free printable light worksheet pack [here] .

Fun Light Experiments For Kids

Extend the learning with hands-on light science for kids! There are many great ideas for investigating the properties of light.

Recommended Grade Level: 1-3rd grades

Color Wheel Spinner

Famous scientist Isaac Newton discovered that light is made up of many colors. Learn more by making a spinning color wheel! Can you make white light from all the different colors?

Does Light Pass Through?

Use flashlights to shine light through everyday objects and discuss whether the materials are transparent, translucent, or opaque. Grab the free printable worksheet!

Drawing Shadows

Observe and draw the shadows of a variety of everyday objects. Experiment with how changing the angle of the light source changes the shadow.

Glow Stick Chemistry

Place glow sticks in different temperatures (the freezer, warm water etc.) and observe how the brightness changes.

Glowing Spinach

Transform ordinary spinach that you eat into a glowing green mixture under ultraviolet light! Explore the phenomenon of fluorescence. A fun light experiment for older year groups.

Kaleidoscope

Create a kaleidoscope and observe the patterns formed by reflected light.

Light Through Different Liquids

Shine a flashlight through different liquids (water, oil, syrup etc.) to explore how light bends (refraction).

Make Rainbows

Explore light and refraction when you make rainbows using a variety of simple supplies including a prism – awesome hands-on science for kids of all ages.

Mirror Reflections

Set up a simple mirror activity for preschool and kindergarten science play and explore light and reflections through hands-on play.

For older students, Investigate how angles and surfaces affect the reflection of light. Set up experiments with mirrors at different angles and observe the angle of reflection.

Pinhole Camera

Create a simple pinhole camera and observe the inverted image formed inside the box. Observe how light travels in straight lines.

Potato Battery

Create a simple electrical circuit to power a light bulb.

Shadow Puppets

Make simple animal shadow puppets and learn about the science of shadows.

Use a pizza box to create a solar oven and cook s’mores, as a fun way to explore solar energy and absorption.

Spectroscope

Create your own DIY spectroscope from a few simple supplies and make a rainbow from visible light for a fun physics project for kids.

Set up a sundial outside and observe how the shadow moves throughout the day.

Place objects on construction paper and leave them in sunlight to create sun prints.

Water Refraction

Why does the image appear reversed? Have fun with a hands-on demonstration of what happens when light bends!

Refraction vs Reflection

Consolidate the learning with the printable activity below!

More Physical Science Activities

Here are a few more science experiments similar to light science that focus on other fundamental physical science concepts. All are engaging, educational and budget-friendly!

• Gravity Experiments
• Magnet Activities
• Simple Machine Projects
• Potential & Kinetic Energy
• Static Electricity
• Surface Tension Experiments

💡 Groudhog Day is also a fun time of year to dive into light science or light energy projects!

Science Experiments By Age Group

We’ve put together a few separate resources for different age groups, but remember that many experiments will cross over and can be re-tried at several different age levels. Younger kiddos can enjoy the simplicity and hands-on fun. At the same time, you can talk back and forth about what is happening.

As kiddos get older, they can bring more complexity to the experiments, including using the scientific method , developing hypotheses, exploring variables , creating different tests, and writing conclusions from analyzing data.

• Science for Toddlers
• Science for Preschoolers
• Science for Kindergarten
• Elementary Science by Season
• Science for 1st Grade
• Science for 2nd Grade
• Science for 3rd Grade
• Science for 4th Grade
• Science for 6th Grade
• Science for Middle School

Helpful Science Resources To Get You Started

Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

• Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
• Science Vocabulary
• All About Scientists
• Free Science Worksheets
• DIY Science Kits
• Science Tools for Kids
• Scientific Method for Kids
• Citizen Science Guide
• Join us in the Club

Printable Science Projects For Kids

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

Subscribe to receive a free 5-Day STEM Challenge Guide

~ projects to try now ~.

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

Last Chance: Get Your FREE Poster to Teach News Literacy. So Relevant!

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40 Easy Kindergarten Science Experiments for Hands-On Learning

Every day brings a new discovery!

Every day is chock-full of new discoveries when you are a kindergartner! These hands-on kindergarten science experiments and activities take advantage of kids’ boundless curiosity. They’ll learn about physics, biology, chemistry, and more basic science concepts, gearing them up to become lifelong learners.

To make things even easier, we’ve rated every one of these kindergarten science experiments based on difficulty and materials:

Difficulty:

• Easy: Low or no-prep experiments you can do pretty much anytime
• Medium: These take a little more setup or a longer time to complete
• Advanced: Experiments like these take a fairly big commitment of time or effort
• Basic: Simple items you probably already have around the house
• Medium: Items that you might not already have but are easy to get your hands on
• Advanced: These require specialized or more expensive supplies to complete

Food Science Experiments for Kindergarten

Water science experiments for kindergarten, more kindergarten science experiments.

What better way to dive into the world of science than to play with your food? These food science experiments for kindergartners are sure to grab their interest.

Use apples to learn what science is all about

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

This apple investigation is a great way to start. It encourages kids to examine an apple using a variety of techniques to learn its properties. Get a free printable worksheet for this activity at the link.

Learn more: Apple Investigation at Preschool Play & Learn

Eat your way through soil layers

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium ADVERTISEMENT

Layer a variety of foods to represent the soil layers, from bedrock on up. If candy doesn’t fit your school’s nutritional guidelines, use fruits, yogurt, granola, and other healthy options. Either way, the results are scrumptious!

Learn more: Edible Soil Layers at Super Teacher Blog

Dehydrate your own raisins

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Easy

Have students dry grapes in the sun over a period of days to see them turn into raisins. Then talk about the process of dehydration as a method of preserving food.

Learn more: Homemade Raisins at Learn Play Imagine

Cook up edible glass

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Basic

Just like real glass, this edible glass is made from tiny opaque grains, but in this case from sugar instead of sand. Cooked and then cooled, it becomes what’s known as an “amorphous solid.” So cool!

Learn more: Edible Glass at Go Science Kids

Paint with salt

OK, little learners probably won’t remember the word “hygroscopic,” but they’ll enjoy watching the salt absorb and transfer colors in this neat kindergarten science experiment.

Learn more: Salt Painting at A Dab of Glue Will Do

Play with “magic” milk

Sometimes science seems like magic! In this case, dish soap breaks down milk fats and causes a colorful swirling reaction that will mesmerize little learners.

Learn more: Magic Milk Experiment (With Free Printable Student Recording Sheet)

Explore buoyancy with oranges

Expand your exploration of buoyancy with this cool demo. Kids will be surprised to learn that even though an orange feels heavy, it floats. That is, until you peel off the skin!

Learn more: Orange Buoyancy at Playdough to Plato

Bounce popcorn with sound waves

Sound may be invisible to the naked eye, but you can see the waves in action with this demo. The plastic wrap–covered bowl is the perfect stand-in for an eardrum.

Learn more: Popcorn Sound Waves at Premeditated Leftovers

Build a Three Little Pigs STEM house

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium

Can your little engineers create a house that protects a little piggie from the Big Bad Wolf? Try this kindergarten STEM challenge and find out!

Learn more: Three Little Pigs STEM Challenge at Sweet Sounds of Kindergarten

Make egg geodes

Engage your students in the steps of the scientific method to create these stunning lab-grown geodes. Compare the results using sea salt, kosher salt, and borax.

Learn more: Egg Geodes at TinkerLab

Water play is a kindergarten favorite, so use it to engage them in these projects and activities. They make science for kindergarten students to much fun!

Change the color of flowers

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

This is one of those classic kindergarten science activities everyone should try at least once. Learn how flowers “drink” water using capillary action, and create beautiful blooms while you’re at it!

Learn more: Capillary Action at Fun Learning for Kids

Assemble a lava lamp

Help your students make their very own lava lamp using simple household ingredients. Then personalize the lamps by adding a couple of drops of food coloring to each bottle.

Create a tower of instant ice

Place a water bottle in the freezer for a couple of hours, but don’t let it freeze all the way through. Then, pour some of the water onto a couple of ice cubes perched on top of a ceramic bowl and watch a tower of ice form.

Learn more: Instant Ice at Only Passionate Curiosity

Watch colored water walk

Fill three small jars with red, yellow, and blue food coloring and some water. Then place empty jars in between each. Fold paper towel strips and place them in the jars as shown. Kids will be amazed as the paper towels pull the water from full jars to empty ones, mixing and creating new colors!

Learn more: Walking Water at Messy Little Monster

Create a tornado in a jar

As you fill in the weather during daily calendar time, you might have a chance to talk about severe storms and tornadoes. Show your students how twisters form with this classic tornado jar experiment.

Learn more: Tornado in a Jar at One Little Project

Suspend water inside a jar

Lots of kindergarten science activities involve water, which is terrific because kids love to play in it! In this one, show your students how air pressure keeps water in a jar, even when it’s upside down.

Learn more: Water Pressure Experiment at A Mothership Down

See popcorn kernels dance

Here’s an activity that always feels a bit like magic. Drop an Alka-Seltzer tablet into a glass of water with popcorn kernels, and watch as the bubbles cling to the kernels and make them rise and fall. So cool!

Learn more: Dancing Popcorn Experiment (With Free Student Printable Recording Sheet)

Find out what sinks and what floats

Kids learn about the property of buoyancy and get some practice making predictions and recording the results with this easy experiment. All you need is a container of water to get started.

Learn more: Sink or Float? at Buggy and Buddy

Make it rain with shaving cream

Here’s another neat weather-related science experiment. Make shaving cream “clouds” on top of the water, then drop food coloring in to watch it “rain.”

Learn more: Shaving Cream Clouds at One Little Project

Bend light with water

Light refraction produces some incredible results. Your students will think it’s magic when the arrow on the paper changes direction … until you explain that it’s all due to the way water bends the light.

Learn more: Light Water Play at Go Science Girls

We’ve got even more ideas about teaching science to kindergarten students here, from plant and dirt science to static electricity and more.

Craft some recycled paper

Teach your kindergartners how to transform something old into something new. Use scrap paper, old newspapers, and magazine pages to create beautiful handcrafted paper.

Learn more: Homemade Paper at The Craftaholic Witch

Make their hair stand on end

Kids love to play with balloons! Find out all about the properties of static electricity with these three fun and super-easy balloon experiments. ( Get more fun balloon experiments here. )

Create a model of the human spine

Kindergarten science students love to learn through play. Make this simple egg carton spine model to encourage your students’ interest in the human body and how it works.

Learn more: Spine Model at Mombrite

Inflate a balloon without blowing into it

Teach your students the magic of chemical reactions using a plastic bottle, vinegar, and baking soda to inflate a balloon. This classic experiment is a wonderful way to explore science for kindergarten kids.

Learn more: Balloon Experiments

Move a paper butterfly’s wings with static electricity

Part art project, part science lesson, all fun! Kids make tissue paper butterflies, then use the static electricity from a balloon to flap the wings.

Learn more: Static Electricity Butterfly at I Heart Crafty Things

Race balloon rockets

Introduce little ones to the laws of motion with easy-to-make balloon rockets. When the air shoots out one end, the balloons will sail off in the other direction. Whee!

Learn more: Balloon Rockets at Hands On Teaching Ideas

Lift a bag with balloons

You’ll need helium balloons for this one, and kids are gonna love it. Ask them to guess (hypothesize) how many balloons it will take to lift various items in a bag attached to the strings.

Learn more: Helium Balloon Experiment at Mess for Less

Discover how plants breathe

Kids might be surprised when you tell them that trees breathe. This kindergarten science experiment will help prove it’s true.

Learn more: Leaf Transpiration at KC Edventures With Kids

Learn how germs spread

There’s never been a better time to add a handwashing experiment to your list of kindergarten science activities. Use glitter as a stand-in for germs, and learn how important washing your hands with soap really is.

Explore the properties of mystery items

Mystery bags are always a hit with kids. Tuck a variety of objects inside, then encourage kids to feel, shake, smell, and explore as they try to determine what the items are without looking.

Learn more: Mystery Bags at Raising Lifelong Learners

Play with fizzing ice cubes

While kinders may not entirely understand the concept of acid-base reactions, they’ll still get a kick out of spraying these baking soda ice cubes with lemon juice and watching them fizz away!

Learn more: Fizzing Ice at The Play-Based Mom

Sniff scented sensory bottles

Here’s another way to engage the senses. Drop essential oils onto cotton balls, then seal them inside spice bottles . Kids sniff the bottles and try to identify the smell.

Learn more: Scent Jars at Share and Remember

Play with magnets

Magnet play is one of our favorite kindergarten science activities. Place a variety of items into small bottles, and ask kids which ones they think will be attracted to the magnets. The answers may surprise them!

Learn more: Magnet Jars at Left Brain Craft Brain

Waterproof a boot

This experiment lets kindergartners try their hand at “waterproofing” a boot with a variety of materials. They use what they already know to predict which materials will protect the paper boot from water, then experiment to see if they’re right.

Learn more: Waterproof a Boot at Science Sparks

Dig into some soil science

Ready to get your hands in the dirt? Scoop up some soil and examine it more closely, looking for rocks, seeds, worms, and other items.

Learn more: Dirt Science at Go Science Kids

Mix up some oobleck

Perhaps no book leads so perfectly into a science lesson as Dr. Seuss’s Bartholomew and the Oobleck . Just what is oobleck? It’s a non-Newtonian fluid that looks like a liquid but takes on the properties of a solid when squeezed. Weird, messy … and so much fun!

Learn more: Oobleck at ABCs of Literacy

Grow crystal letters

No list of kindergarten science activities would be complete without a crystal project! Use pipe cleaners to make the letters of the alphabet (numbers are good too), then grow crystals on them using a supersaturated solution.

Learn more: Crystallized Letters at Gift of Curiosity

Blow up your fingerprints

You don’t need a microscope to look at fingerprints up close! Instead, have each student make a print on a balloon, then blow it up to see the whorls and ridges in detail.

Learn more: Balloon Fingerprints at The Natural Homeschool

Play a marble maze game

Tell kids they’re going to move a marble without actually touching it, and watch their eyes widen in surprise! They’ll have fun drawing mazes to guide a metal marble through with a magnet from underneath.

Learn more: Magnet Marble Maze at Go Science Girls

Germinate a seed

There’s something about seeing a seed develop roots and shoots with your very eyes that’s just so incredible. Sprout bean seeds in paper towels inside a glass jar to give it a try.

Learn more: Germinate a Seed at How Wee Learn

Keep the learning going with these Kindergarten Math Games That Make Numbers Fun From Day One .

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11+ Bright and Shining Light Experiments for Kids

Categories Science Experiments

These light experiments for kids are fun and easy to do. They’re the perfect way to teach them about how light works and even take it further to talk about refraction and reflection as well. You can also use these activities to talk about circuits and how energy travels to create the light that we’ve all come to need and love.

This list of fun science experiments for kids are a great way to show kids that it’s fun to learn by using hands-on experiments as well. These light science activities are all simple and easy to do and produce really bright and cool results!

Here are some great choices for unique light science experiments for kids.

Light Science Experiments for Kids

Kids love learning about light because it’s something we use everyday. If you’re learning about light, you’ll want to try some of the light experiments on this list!

Get ready to learn fun things about how light works, how shadows work, and where light comes from!

Where Does Light Come From?

Light is a form of energy. Energy is a power by which things move. On earth, most of our light comes from the sun.

The sun is a star. Other stars are too far away from our planet to give us usable light.

Light from the sun can travel by particle or by waves. Its wave form is how we see color. Long wavelengths produce colors like red and orange. Shorter light waves generate blues and purples. All the colors together create white light.

Light travels incredibly fast. Light can travel about 186,282 miles per second. Crazy!

Other light sources can include fire, electricity, and even some animals, plants and minerals can give off forms of light.

Supplies for Light Science Activities

Shop these Amazon affiliate links to make sure you’re not missing anything from your light experiments!

My Favorite STEM Products for the Preschool Classroom

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11+ Light Experiments for Kids

Check out these super fun experiments for learning about light!

Learn about the visible light spectrum when you make a rainbow density jar!

Learn about where light comes from when you learn about far away stars and galaxies with this Galaxy Jar Experiment .

Observe how light changes when it is filtered through this Melted Crayon Suncatcher.

Learn about how circuits and electric lights work when you learn How to Use Squishy Circuits .

The kids will love seeing how the light refracts from various angles in this Light Refraction Experiment .

Show them a true light show by using this fun Flashlight Constellations activity.

See how the light affects this oobleck and changes it into a Glow in the Dark Oobleck experiment .

Can you ever have too many Glow in the Dark Science Experiments ? I think not!

The light is what makes these Shadow Experiments so much fun.

Learning about Rainbow Salt Circuit s is a fun and easy way to learn about how electricity can flow through something natural and still make light!

The Easy Static Electricity Experiment with a Balloon is a great way to talk about energy and light flow.

Does the pencil really bend or is it just a refraction of the light? Find out with this bending pencil experiment.

This silver egg science experiment looks like magic, but it’s actually a really cool scientific trick of the light!

Find out if light will shine through different types of rocks.

Explore shapes and light with this geometric light table activity.

More Science Experiments for Kids

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