50 Exciting 2nd Grade Science Projects for the Classroom and Beyond

These simple ideas will help kids fall in love with science.

Collage of 2nd grade science projects, including tie-dye slime and insect pollination model
We Are Teachers; I Heart Arts and Crafts; Around the Kampfire

Kids love science, especially when it involves hands-on experiments. These 2nd grade science projects, experiments, and activities are guaranteed to bring excitement and enthusiastic vibes into your classroom. Your students will learn basic concepts about physics, chemistry, biology, and more while having a blast!

To make it even easier to find the best 2nd grade science projects, we’ve given each a rating based on difficulty and the materials you’ll need.

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 and/or effort

Materials:

  • 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

Jump to:

Nature and Earth Science 2nd Grade Science Projects

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Explore animals, ecosystems, geology, plate tectonics, and more with these interesting and interactive 2nd grade science activities.

Pollinate like a bee

Pipe cleaner twisted into bee shape on a child's finger, sitting on a paper flower
Around the Kampfire

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Use pipe cleaner bees to discover how these pollinators pick up and move cheese powder “pollen” from one juice box flower to the next. Simple, fun, and adorable!

Learn more: Cheese Powder Pollination Activity at Around the Kampfire

Simulate a landslide

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

This NASA video shows you how to create an indoor landslide in a milk carton, showing students the power of weather, erosion, and nature in action.

Grow a sprout house

Model house made of colorful sponges with bean sprouts growing from it
The STEM Laboratory

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium

This two-part science project first challenges kids to use their engineering skills to construct a miniature house made of sponges. Then, they plant chia, alfalfa, or other quick-sprouting seeds and keep the sponges moist until they start to grow.

Learn more: Sponge Garden at The STEM Laboratory

Re-create the water cycle in a bag

Plastic bag with clouds and sun drawn on it, with a small amount of blue liquid at the bottom
Grade School Giggles

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

This simple but effective experiment explores the water cycle. Fill a plastic bag partway with water and set it on a sunny windowsill to see how the water evaporates up and eventually “rains” down.

Learn more: Water Cycle Bags at Grade School Giggles

Create an earth model from play dough

Layered model of the Earth built from playdough
The Crafty Classroom

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Play-Doh has so many uses in the classroom! Use it to teach 2nd grade science students about the layers of the earth by building a fun and colorful model.

Learn more: Layers of the Earth at The Crafty Classroom

Explore erosion with sugar cubes

Plastic cup holding sugar cubes and smaller candies
The First Grade Roundup

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Simulate the effects of erosion by shaking sugar cubes in a cup with some pebbles to see what happens. Get more ideas for 2nd grade science activities about erosion and weathering at the link.

Learn more: Weathering and Erosion at The First Grade Roundup

Find out which liquid is best for growing seeds

Four cups of soil, each labeled with a different type of liquid including tap water, bottled water, and soda
Lessons for Little Ones

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

As you learn about the life cycle of plants, explore how water supports their growth. Plant seeds and water them with a variety of liquids to see which sprout first and grow best.

Learn more: Watering Experiment at Lessons for Little Ones

Build a folded mountain

Pile of different colored towels pushed together to create folds like mountains
The Chaos and the Clutter

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

This clever demonstration helps kids understand how some types of mountains are formed. Use layers of towels to represent rock layers and boxes for continents. Then pu-u-u-sh and see what happens!

Learn more: Towel Mountain at The Chaos and the Clutter

Explode a balloon seed pod

Children exploding a balloon with seeds flying out
Around the Kampfire

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

After you learn about pollination, take the next step and explore how plants disperse their seeds far and wide. One way is with exploding seed pods. Use a balloon to see how it works.

Learn more: Seed Dispersal Activity at Around the Kampfire

Watch a leaf “breathe”

Leaf submerged in water with air bubbles
KC Edventures With Kids

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Plants “breathe” through transpiration, and you can see the process in action simply by submerging a leaf in water.

Learn more: Leaf Transpiration at KC Edventures With Kids

Grow a self-sustaining ecosystem

Small plants growing inside a plastic bottle filled with soil
Carly and Adam

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Plant seeds inside a sealed plastic bottle and observe both the water cycle and the plant life cycle in one simple 2nd grade science experiment.

Learn more: Plastic Bottle Planter at Carly and Adam

Compare and contrast animal habitats

Pine branches and woodland animal figurines on a tray labeled woodland
KC Edventures With Kids

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Build a variety of habitats (woodland, arctic, savanna, etc.). Then have kids compare to see how they are similar (all have water) and how they are different (trees, temperatures, etc.).

Learn more: Animal Habitats at KC Edventures With Kids

Discover plate tectonics with graham crackers

Two graham crackers overlapping on a bed of whipped cream
Playdough to Plato

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Use graham crackers as the Earth’s crust floating on a bed of whipped topping “mantle” to learn about how tectonic plates interact.

Learn more: Graham Cracker Plate Tectonics at Playdough to Plato

Collect and classify rocks

Child peering at a pile of rocks through a magnifying glass
Rhythms of Play

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Take a nature walk to pick up rocks of all kinds. Bring them back and have kids examine them closely and sort them into groups by properties (color, size, shape, texture, and so on). This is a fantastic lead-in to learning about the types of rocks.

Learn more: Classifying Rocks at Rhythms of Play

Make edible dirt cups

Second grade science experiments can demonstrate layers of soil, as seen in this picture of a cup layered with chocolate pudding, Oreo cookie crumbs, and graham crackers.
The Kitchen Is My Playground

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Help your students remember the four types of soil with this tasty 2nd grade science experiment. Layer pudding, graham crackers, and Oreos for a mouthwatering, memorable lesson.

Learn more: Edible Soil Cups at The Kitchen Is My Playground

Food Science Activities and Projects for 2nd Graders

Raid the pantry and try these kitchen science experiments with your second graders! They all use common food items to explore all sorts of fascinating science concepts.

Power up a lemon battery

Lemon with a nail and a coil of wire stuck into it
Education.com

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Here’s another classic science experiment every kid should try. They’ll be amazed to learn a citrus fruit can generate an electric current!

Learn more: Lemon Battery at Education.com

Conduct a cookie dunk experiment

The Great Cookie Dunk printable worksheet with a blue pen
Around the Kampfire

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Introduce or review the scientific method with a fun and easy experiment to determine which cookies float or sink when dunked in milk. Then you can eat the results! (Find more great edible science experiments here.)

Learn more: Milk and Cookies Scientific Method Experiment at Around the Kampfire

Use bread to learn about handwashing

Slices of bread in plastic bags showing various amounts of mold
Parenting Isn’t Easy

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

There’s never been a better time for an experiment involving the importance of washing your hands! All you need for this one is bread, plastic bags, and some dirty hands.

Learn more: Moldy Bread Experiment at Parenting Isn’t Easy

Drink root beer floats to learn about states of matter

A root beer float in a clear plastic cup
Learning Lab Resources

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

What’s easy to make, delicious to eat, and demonstrates all three states of matter at once? Root beer floats! This will easily be your students’ favorite science lesson of the year.

Learn more: Root Beer Float Science at Learning Lab Resources

Mix flavors in a lollipop lab

Plastic cups filled with water and different flavors of DumDum lollipops
Fantastic Fun and Learning

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Candy science experiments are always a hit with kids! In this one, they’ll dissolve sugary lollipops in water, then mix flavors to make something new.

Learn more: Lollipop Lab at Fantastic Fun and Learning

Learn about osmosis with gummy bears

Two regular-sized gummy bears next to two large bears that have been soaked in water (2nd Grade Science)
Nurture Store UK

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

This is one of those classic experiments your 2nd grade science students will love to see in action. Soak the gummies in water to watch them grow through the power of osmosis.

Learn more: Osmosis Gummy Bears at Nurture Store UK

Freeze and observe liquid expansion

Clear bottles on a freezer shelf labeled milk, juice, salt water, water, and sugar water
Education.com

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

As you explore the states of matter, experiment to see if some types of liquid expand more than others when frozen.

Learn more: Freezing Liquids Experiment at Education.com

Use crackers to learn about properties of matter

Child's hand holding magnifying glass over a cracker, with worksheet labeled Cracker Lab in the background
Around the Kampfire

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Practice sorting, comparing, and classifying using properties of matter in this tasty experiment. All you need is a variety of snack crackers and inquiring minds! (These magnifying glasses would be fun too.)

Learn more: Properties of Matter Cracker Lab at Around the Kampfire

Demonstrate heat energy with chocolate kisses

Picture of a child holding a Hershey kiss candy in the palm of her hand, as an example of second grade science experiments.
Sandy Fiorini/TPT

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Give each student two chocolate kiss candies to hold onto for five minutes. Students should keep one palm open, while closing their other around the kiss. See what happens simply from our body heat.

Learn more: Chocolate Kiss Experiment at Sandy Fiorini/TPT

Explode a watermelon

Watermelon with 50 rubber bands wrapped around it to demonstrate second grade science experiments for the classroom.
123 Homeschool 4 Me

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium

How many rubber bands does it take to make a watermelon explode? Find out while observing the concepts of potential and kinetic energy with your students.

Learn more: Exploding Watermelon Science at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Turn an egg into a bouncy ball

Photo of a child's hand shown above an egg that has been through a chemical change and is now rubberized and can bounce on top of a dish without breaking.
Cool Science Experiments Headquarters

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Simply soak an egg in vinegar for 48 hours for this amazing chemical reaction. This is guaranteed to blow your students’ minds!

Learn more: Bouncy Egg Experiment at Cool Science Experiments Headquarters

Build a solar oven to make s’mores

Solar ovens made out of pizza boxes and foil with smores inside are showing a second grade science experiment relating to solar energy.
Desert Chica

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium

Observe the power of solar energy while baking a delicious, gooey dessert in the process. Yum!

Learn more: Solar Oven Project at Desert Chica

Conduct an egg drop

Picture of an egg placed in a contraption constructed of straws to protect it in an egg drop experiment.
Buggy and Buddy

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

In this STEM project, your students will create a protective egg holder from simple materials. They will love seeing if their contraption keeps their egg in one piece during the competition.

Learn more: Egg Drop at Buggy and Buddy

Drop a Mento in soda and watch it erupt

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Here is another 2nd grade science experiment that will make your students explode with excitement. Drop a Mento candy in different types of soda, and see which one causes the tallest geyser.

Build marshmallow-and-pretzel structures

Photo of a second grade science STEM project of structures built by combining marshmallows and pretzels.
The STEM Laboratory

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Get creative while practicing engineering skills by building structures with marshmallows and pretzels. Sweeten the deal by eating them afterwards!

Learn more: Pretzel Marshmallow STEM Challenge at The STEM Laboratory

More 2nd Grade Science Experiments and Activities

Kids will love these 2nd grade science ideas, from making their own slime to projecting stars on their ceiling, and everything in between!

Brew up tie-dye slime

Student playing with neon colored slime
I Heart Arts and Crafts

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Slime is more than just an ever-popular toy. It’s also got a lot of great science behind it. Mix up some eye-popping tie-dye slime and take the opportunity to learn about polymers and non-Newtonian fluids.

Learn more: Tie-Dye Slime at I Heart Arts and Crafts

Dissect a seed

Child dissecting a large seed, with parts like plant embryo, seed coat, and leaf labaled
The Applicious Teacher

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Soak a large seed (beans are ideal) in water, then carefully take it apart to see what’s inside. Draw a diagram to label parts like the seed coat and plant embryo.

Learn more: Seed Dissection at The Applicious Teacher

Use cereal to learn about states of matter

ATOMS Matter worksheet with cereal arranged to represent atoms in solids, liquids, and gases
The First Grade Roundup

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Learn how atom arrangements affect the states of matter with this easy 2nd grade science activity that doubles as a snack!

Learn more: Cereal States of Matter at The First Grade Roundup

Make a bouquet of chromatography flowers

Colorful tissue paper flowers with pipe cleaner stems
123 Homeschool 4 Me

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Use chromatography to split secondary paint colors into their original hues. The results are both pretty and fascinating!

Learn more: Chromatography Flowers at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Concoct a foaming rainbow

Small paper cups filled with colorful foam with a box of baking soda
Messy Little Monster

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Every kid loves the classic baking soda and vinegar chemical reaction experiment. This version makes a foamy rainbow, thanks to some added food coloring.

Learn more: Foamy Rainbow at Messy Little Monster

Sculpt pipe cleaner constellations

Pipe cleaners and beads bent to form constellations
123 Homeschool 4 Me

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Help kids find the constellations in the night sky by making these models from pipe cleaners. The little star beads are such a clever touch!

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Constellations at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Tell time with a sundial

DIY sundial made from a paper plate and a pencil
Paging Supermom

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

How did people tell time before clocks and watches? Help 2nd grade science students find out by making their own sundials from paper plates.

Learn more: DIY Sundial at Paging Supermom

Race clothespin cars

Simple cars made from clothespins and drinking straws
The Primary Brain

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Explore simple machines by building race cars from basic supplies like clothespins and drinking straws. It’s a really fun way to learn about wheels and axles.

Learn more: Clothespin Cars at The Primary Brain

Build a body from play dough

Bones made out of playdough sitting on a mat showing the human body
123 Homeschool 4 Me

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Play-Doh activities are always fun to do! Visit the link below for free printable mats to use as you have your 2nd grade science students sculpt the bones, organs, and muscles of the body.

Learn more: Play-Doh Body at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Turn pom-poms into crystal balls

Child's hand holding crystal-covered pom pom balls (2nd Grade Science)
A Dab of Glue Will Do

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Every kid loves making crystals! They’ll learn about supersaturated solutions as they make these cute little crystal pom-pom balls.

Learn more: Crystal Pom-Poms at A Dab of Glue Will Do

Test sunscreen for effectiveness

Black construction paper with gingerbread man outlines covered in sunscreen, showing paper has faded except where protected by sunscreen
JDaniel4’s Mom

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Kids might wonder why they need to wear sunscreen when they’re at the park or playing soccer. This experiment shows them the power of the sun’s rays and the protection sunscreen provides.

Learn more: Sunscreen Experiment at JDaniel4’s Mom

Design and build an index card tower

Tower built from index cards in stacks and columns
Education to the Core

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Challenge your 2nd grade science students to a little early engineering. Given only index cards, how tall and/or strong of a structure can they build?

Learn more: Index Card STEM Challenge at Education to the Core

Repel glitter with dish soap

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Every teacher knows that glitter is just like germs … it gets everywhere and is so hard to get rid of! Use that to your advantage, and show students how soap fights glitter and germs.

Bend objects to test flexibility

Child's hands bending a blue plastic ruler
Around the Kampfire

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Explore one of the properties of matter with this easy experiment. Kids plan how to test flexibility, then try it out with a variety of basic objects.

Learn more: Flexibility Experiment at Around the Kampfire

Discover density with saltwater solutions

Glasses of liquid labeled baking soda water, sugar water, control plain water, and salt water
The Science Kiddo

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

This simple experiment covers a lot of 2nd grade science concepts. Learn about solutions, density, and even ocean science as you compare and contrast how objects float in different water mixtures.

Learn more: Water Density at The Science Kiddo

Blast off drinking-straw rockets

Student blowing on a drinking straw to launch a tiny rocket
Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Engineer rockets from drinking straws and have a blast when you send them flying! Kids can tweak the design to see whose can fly the highest.

Learn more: Straw Rockets at Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

Create a solar system out of play dough

Second grade science project modeling the planets in the solar system using play dough.
Good to Know

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

This is a perfect culminating project for your space unit. Your students can display their models at home when the project is complete.

Learn more: Play Dough Solar System at Good to Know

Count how many water drops will fit on a penny

Photo of 5 pennies and a water dropper to demonstrate the second grade science experiment relating to water tension. One penny has 4 water drops on it.
Little Bins for Little Hands

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

How many water drops fit on a penny? Find out with this fun and easy experiment that focuses on surface tension. Your students will be amazed by the results!

Learn more: Penny Surface Tension at Little Bins for Little Hands

Project stars on the ceiling

DIY star projector for a second grade science experiment, constructed of an upside-down paper cup with seven holes punched on the bottom of it, a blue circle the size of a quarter, and a bigger white circle surrounded by dashes.
Mystery Science

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Everyone loves visiting a planetarium. Turn your very own 2nd grade science classroom into one with this simple DIY star projector.

Learn more: Star Projector at Mystery Science

Write secret messages with invisible ink

In this second grade science experiment, students write a letter with invisible ink, as shown in the photo. The secret message is visible when a flashlight is shined onto it.
ThoughtCo

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Make your own invisible ink from just baking soda and water, then have your students write messages to one another. Reveal the secret messages with a flashlight once the ink is dry.

Learn more: Invisible Ink at ThoughtCo

Looking for more? Try these 25 Second Grade STEM Challenges To Help Kids Think Creatively.

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Second grade science students will learn so much as they make foaming rainbows, tie-dye slime, crystal pom-poms, and so much more!