Science Around the House

Simple Projects Using Household Recyclables

With this charmingly illustrated book — and a little help from a parent or other grownup — kids can conduct fun-filled science experiments using recycled household items. They'll learn about sound waves by transforming ordinary cardboard tubing into music-making didgeridoos and kazoos. Other eye-opening activities involve building a battery with pennies and tinfoil, playing a fishing game that illustrates the principles of magnetic force, and using food coloring and fizzy antacid tablets to make a lava lamp.
Additional projects include discovering the differences between crickets and grasshoppers, mixing up a batch of invisible ink, and learning how to clone plants. Easy-to-follow instructions explain how to make a butterfly feeder, a birdbath, eggshell planters, a windsock, a string telephone, and other items. Each activity features a simple explanation of its underlying scientific principles.