DIY Science Fun

Can't get enough of fall? Preserve the reds, yellows and oranges of freshly fallen leaves using simple household materials, and learn the science of fall colours along the way!

Do you know your white oaks from your red maples? A Quercus alba from an Acer rubrum? Challenge yourself and learn something new by matching leaves to their trees in this play-at-home game that will have you looking up on your next trip outside.

Sunny summer days are a great time to experiment with shadows! Learn how shadows are created and produce your own shadows to trace using a toy of your choice.

Sunny summer days are a great time to experiment with shadows! Learn how shadows are created and produce your own shadows to trace using a toy of your choice.

Recycle scraps to make your own paper.

Diamonds, snowflakes and even pencil leads are all crystals. Got a few days? Grow your own crystal, in a jar, using materials you can find around your home.

Get the basics on pH as you learn about the impact of acidity on marine life. Test how long it takes an eggshell to dissolve in vinegar—and don't forget to write down your observations!

Want to create a colourful coral craft? All you need is a pipe cleaner, some food colouring and a few coffee filters! Discover the beauty of coral reefs with this fun, easy activity.

Investigate the negative curves of hyperbolic geometry by creating your own coral-inspired structure. Cut out colourful heptagons, then use them to build a hyperbolic model inspired by the round shapes and curves found in nature.

Learn how to create and solve a magic square, where the sum of the numbers in any horizontal, vertical or diagonal line is always equal. Then impress your friends & family with your mad math skills!

Create your own Pepper's Ghost! This illusion is a tried and true trick that dates back to 1584. With just a few basic materials, construct a projection pyramid to produce an authentic-looking apparition—all while learning the science of optics.

Can you climb through a hole in a sheet of paper? Find out how to fit your entire body through a piece of paper while learning about perimeter and area. With practice, you might be able to squeeze through an index or business card!

Test your flexibility, jump, speed, agility and strength in five different outdoor events. Fun for the whole family, this pentathlon blends friendly-competition, exercise and science. Go for the gold!

Look for notable women scientists in this word search and learn more about their contributions to modern science history. 

Create a winter wonderland indoors by making your own snow using common household supplies. Easy to make, this packable, rollable and buildable snow keeps for up to a week.

Make an origami finger game that reveals snowy science facts--from the coldest temperature to the biggest snowfall.

Play with chemistry as you measure, mix and knead ingredients to create play dough you can pull, squeeze, twist and poke!

Lots of wildlife lies low during the colder months, but many creatures stay busy as ever. They leave behind traces of their activity everywhere, especially after a fresh snowfall! Create your own animal tracks from the warmth of your kitchen—and prepare a tasty treat while you’re at it. Once you’re done munching on cookies and studying the toes, claws, size and gait of common creatures, why not head outside and look for the real thing?

Collect as many different types of leaves as you can find for this leaf rubbing activity. How many trees can you identify based on their leaves?

From monarch butterflies to raccoons, animals have different strategies for surviving the winter. Find out about the most common strategies and then test your knowledge.

Simulate the crashing and smashing of a meteor impact at home using flour, cocoa and marbles to learn how craters are made—from rim to rays.

Use your design and engineering skills to create a headpiece for this year’s virtual Toronto Caribbean Carnival.

From the mighty moose to the grumpy goose, test your knowledge of Canadian critters with this simple trivia game—and learn lots along the way!

Make vegetarian (gelatin-free) marshmallows in time for camping season.

Play with primary colours to create a rainbow using the forces of cohesion, adhesion and gravity.

Enjoy a serving of fruits and vegetables in puzzle format.

Do other senses affect your ability to taste? Find out by conducting an experiment- blindfolded!

Make a percussion instrument out of ordinary glass containers. It’s as simple as Do, Re, Mi!

Chart the passage of time using a homemade sundial, and observe how the shadows change their length.

Make two simple paper objects and explore their aerodynamics--how they move through the air.

Have a whale of a time as you unscramble the letter jumbles to reveal words related to ocean life.

Explore the densities of different liquids through an easy layering experiment. Try creating a five-layer rainbow in honour of Pride Month.

From top to tail, how much do you know about snakes? Try your hand at this puzzle.

Upcycle a plastic bag to create your own pet jellyfish and learn about the dangers ocean plastic poses to sea turtles.

Turn up the bass! Use music vibrations to make your flame groove to the beat.

Change a material’s performance by rearranging its atoms, creating a magnet.

Solve general science clues to complete this playful puzzle.

Use ketchup to conduct an electrical current in this easy, overnight experiment. It’s not just for fries!

Explore gravity and air resistance by making and testing different shaped parachutes.

How can you put ice-cream in the oven without having it melt? Conduct this edible experiment to find out!

Repurpose a plastic pop bottle to create your very own indoor or outdoor bottle garden. It’s a perfect springtime activity for both big and little hands!

Ready to get goopy? Make your own slime using our tried, tested and true recipe.

Learn about the forces of potential energy, kinetic energy and friction when you create your own rover from simple materials and test its ability to move over different terrains. Plus, discover the challenges awaiting NASA’s Perseverance rover on the rough, windy surface of Mars.

Set up your launch pad, build your bottle rocket and prepare for an impressive display of Newton’s three laws of motion. Create an equal and opposite reaction to remember with this explosive experiment!

Uncover the calculations behind timing a trip to Mars as you plot out the orbits of Earth and Mars around our Sun, dive deep into the Hohmann transfer orbit and learn the importance of timing for space travel.

Biodiversity measures how many different kinds of things can live together in one place. Bring your bingo card and see how your neighbourhood is doing!

We’ve taken the classic game HedBanz and added a science twist! Introducing Cranium Qs. This game is a great way to review-and pick up!-science vocabulary.

What do you get when you combine Pictionary with science? Science Doodle! This fun, family game gives players a chance to sharpen their drawing skills while reviewing—and picking up!—science vocabulary.

Brush up on your space vocabulary during your next family game night. Take a card—no peeking!—and ask “yes” or “no” questions until you guess what the card says. Communication is key to this game!