Global 
Predict it. Test it. Explain it.
40 hands-on experiments you can do at home or school, a lab notebook, a science fair planner and every major math and science competition in the USA and Canada.
Safety first
Six lab rules.
Read every step and gather everything before you start.
Always for heat, sharp tools, electricity or anything marked ‘adult step’.
Wear safety glasses for anything that can splash. Tie back long hair.
Never eat or drink experiment materials unless the steps say it is food.
Never use flames, and never mix household cleaners. Some make toxic gases.
Wash hands and tools after every experiment.
Experiments
Pick your level.
Predict first, then reveal the science. Your notes and progress stay on this device. shown.
Science fair
Plan your science fair project.
Seven steps judges look for. Pick an experiment above, change one variable, and build it into a real project. Saved on this device.
Competitions 2026–27
Math and science competitions.
The major contests in the USA and Canada, with countdowns that update by themselves. Most are entered through a school or club, so ask early. Always confirm on the official site.
Math Kangaroo
Grades 1–12 (USA)
A friendly international math contest with 75-minute problem-solving papers for each grade band.
- Register by:December 31, 2026 (late registration until February 1, 2027)
- Contest day:Thursday, March 18, 2027
MATHCOUNTS Competition Series
Grades 6–8 (USA)
The best-known middle school math contest: Sprint, Target and Team rounds, plus the Countdown Round.
- School registration:Guaranteed by December 15, 2026
- Chapter:February 2027
- State:March 2027
- National:May 9–10, 2027, Washington, D.C.
AMC 8, 10 and 12 (MAA)
Grades 8 and below (AMC 8), 10 and below (AMC 10), 12 and below (AMC 12)
The first step of the U.S. math olympiad path: top scorers go on to the AIME, then the USAJMO or USAMO.
- AMC 10A/12A:November 5, 2026
- AMC 10B/12B:November 13, 2026
- AMC 8:January 21–27, 2027
CEMC Waterloo contests
Grades 3–12 (Canada and worldwide)
University of Waterloo contests: Gauss (Grades 7–8), Pascal, Cayley and Fermat (Grades 9–11), Euclid (Grade 12), plus Beaver Computing.
- Pascal, Cayley, Fermat:Wednesday, February 24, 2027 (tentative)
- Euclid:Tuesday, April 6, 2027 (tentative)
- Gauss:May 10–21, 2027 (tentative)
Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC)
High school students (Canada and beyond)
Canada’s national math competition and the first step toward Canada’s Math Olympiad team.
- Contest day:Thursday, October 29, 2026
Science Olympiad
Grades 6–12 (USA)
Team science: 23 events per division mixing tests, labs and engineering builds.
- Regionals and states:February to April 2027
- National Tournament:May 14–15, 2027, The Ohio State University
National Science Bowl (U.S. Department of Energy)
Middle and high school teams (USA)
A fast-paced quiz on biology, chemistry, earth and space, energy, math and physics.
- Regional registration:Opened October 5, 2026; closes 3 weeks before your regional
- Regionals:January to March 2027
- National Finals:April 29 – May 3, 2027
Regeneron Science Talent Search
High school seniors (USA)
The oldest U.S. science research competition. The top 300 scholars and 40 finalists win awards; first prize is $250,000.
- Apply by:November 5, 2026
- Scholars named:Early January 2027
- Finals:March 2027, Washington, D.C.
Regeneron ISEF
Grades 9–12 (worldwide)
The world’s largest high school science and engineering fair. Students qualify through an affiliated regional or state fair.
- Local and state fairs:Usually February to April 2027
- ISEF:May 8–14, 2027, Los Angeles
Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge
Grades 6–8 (USA)
The national middle school science and engineering competition. Students are nominated at affiliated science fairs, then apply.
- How to enter:Do a project for an affiliated fair in 2026–27; nominees apply in spring
U.S. science olympiads for high school
Grades 9–12 (USA)
Paths to international olympiad teams: USNCO (chemistry), USA Biology Olympiad, F=ma and USAPhO (physics) and the USA Earth Science Olympiad.
- Chemistry (USNCO):Local exam in spring through your American Chemical Society local section
- Biology (USABO):Open exam usually in February
- Physics (F=ma):Usually in late January or February
Canada-Wide Science Fair
Grades 7–12 (Canada)
Canada’s top youth science fair. Students qualify through regional fairs in March and April.
- Regional fairs:Usually March to April 2027
- Canada-Wide Science Fair:May 29 – June 5, 2027, Hamilton, Ontario
Canadian science olympiads
High school students (Canada)
The Canadian Chemistry Olympiad, the Canadian Biology Olympiad and the Canadian Association of Physicists High School Prize Exam lead to national teams.
- When:Mostly in spring; schools register in winter
Practice in the Math Challenge ›Practice Science Olympiad events ›AI competitions in the AI Lab ›
The five Ws
Why, when, what, who and how.
40 hands-on science experiments, a lab notebook, a science fair project planner and a guide to the top math and science competitions in the USA and Canada.
Children learn science best by doing it: predicting, testing, measuring and explaining. These are the habits behind every science fair, olympiad and science career.
Students in Grades 1–12 in five levels, with parents, teachers and club leaders. Many experiments need a grown-up nearby.
Weekends, school breaks, science fair season (fall to spring) and before competitions. Most take 10–60 minutes.
Pick your level, read the safety rules, predict, do the experiment, then reveal the science. Save notes in your lab notebook and turn your favorite into a science fair project.
Disclaimer: For informational and educational purposes only. Experiments are for learning at home or school with appropriate adult supervision; follow every safety note, and the adult in charge decides what is safe for each child. Global Yuva is not responsible for injury or damage. Competition dates were checked on October 21, 2026 against organizer announcements and may change; always confirm on the official site. Global Yuva is not affiliated with or endorsed by any competition named here.
Walking rainbow water
Sparks · Grades 1–2Chemistry60 minKids can do it
You need
- 3 clear cups
- 2 paper towels
- Water
- Red and blue food coloring
Steps
- Line up the 3 cups. Fill the two outside cups with water; leave the middle cup empty.
- Add red to one outside cup and blue to the other.
- Fold each paper towel into a long strip. Put one end in a colored cup and the other end in the empty cup.
- Guess what will happen, then check every 15 minutes.
Lab notebook
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Sink or float?
Sparks · Grades 1–2Physics20 minKids can do it
You need
- A tub or sink of water
- A coin, a cork, a grape, an apple, a toy brick
- A square of aluminum foil
Steps
- Hold up each object and guess: sink or float?
- Gently place it in the water and sort the objects into two piles.
- Squash the foil into a tight ball and test it.
- Now shape a new piece of foil into a little boat and test it.
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Bean in a bag
Sparks · Grades 1–2Life science15 + daily looks minKids can do it
You need
- A zip-top bag
- A paper towel
- 3 dry beans
- Water
- Tape
Steps
- Wet the paper towel so it is damp, not dripping, and fold it into the bag.
- Push 3 beans between the towel and the bag so you can see them.
- Tape the bag to a sunny window.
- Look every day and draw what you see for one week.
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Magic static balloon
Sparks · Grades 1–2Physics15 minKids can do it
You need
- A balloon
- A wool sweater or your hair
- Tiny bits of paper
- An empty soda can
Steps
- Blow up the balloon and tie it (a grown-up can help).
- Rub it on your hair or the sweater for 10 seconds.
- Hold it just above the paper bits.
- Lay the can on its side and hold the balloon near it without touching.
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Shadow tracker
Sparks · Grades 1–2Earth & space10, three times a day minKids can do it
You need
- Sidewalk chalk
- A toy or a friend
- A sunny day
Steps
- In the morning, stand the toy on a sidewalk and trace its shadow with chalk. Write the time.
- Trace it again at lunchtime from the same spot.
- Trace it once more in the afternoon.
- Compare the three shadows.
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Ice melting race
Sparks · Grades 1–2Chemistry30 minKids can do it
You need
- 3 ice cubes the same size
- 3 plates
- Salt
- Sugar
Steps
- Put one ice cube on each plate.
- Sprinkle salt on one cube and sugar on another. Leave the third cube plain.
- Guess which will melt first.
- Check every 5 minutes and draw the cubes.
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Magnet treasure hunt
Sparks · Grades 1–2Physics15 minKids can do it
You need
- A fridge magnet
- A spoon, a paper clip, a coin, foil, a key, an eraser, a pencil
Steps
- Guess which objects a magnet will pick up.
- Test each object.
- Sort them into ‘sticks’ and ‘does not stick’.
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Dancing raisins
Sparks · Grades 1–2Chemistry10 minKids can do it
You need
- A clear glass
- Clear sparkling water or soda
- 6 raisins
Steps
- Fill the glass with sparkling water.
- Drop in the raisins.
- Watch closely for 5 minutes.
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Volcano with a fair test
Explorers · Grades 3–4Chemistry30 minAdult nearby
You need
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Dish soap
- A cup on a tray
- Measuring spoons and cup
- A ruler
Steps
- Put 1 tablespoon of baking soda and a drop of soap in the cup.
- Pour in ¼ cup of vinegar and measure how high the foam rises.
- Clean up, then repeat with 2 tablespoons of baking soda and the same vinegar.
- Do each version 3 times and find the average height.
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Paper airplane test lab
Explorers · Grades 3–4Engineering40 minKids can do it
You need
- Paper
- A tape measure
- Paper clips
- A notebook
Steps
- Fold one airplane design.
- Throw it 3 times from the same line and measure each flight.
- Find the average distance.
- Add one paper clip to the nose and test again.
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Make a rain gauge
Explorers · Grades 3–4Earth & space20 + 2 weeks minAdult step
You need
- A clear plastic bottle
- Scissors (adult only)
- A ruler
- Tape
- Pebbles
Steps
- A grown-up cuts the top third off the bottle.
- Put pebbles in the bottom, then turn the top upside down into the bottle like a funnel.
- Pour in water to just above the pebbles and mark that line as zero. Tape a ruler to the side.
- Put it outside in an open place and record the level every day for two weeks.
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Fingerprint detective
Explorers · Grades 3–4Life science25 minKids can do it
You need
- A pencil
- White paper
- Clear tape
- A magnifying glass
- Index cards
Steps
- Rub pencil hard on paper to make a dark patch.
- Rub your fingertip on the patch.
- Press clear tape on your fingertip, peel it off and stick it on a card.
- Use the magnifier to sort prints into loops, whorls and arches. Collect prints from your family.
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Lemon battery
Explorers · Grades 3–4Physics30 minAdult nearby
You need
- 4 lemons
- 4 galvanized (zinc-coated) nails
- 4 copper strips or copper coins
- 5 wires with alligator clips
- A small LED
Steps
- Roll each lemon to make it juicy.
- Push one nail and one copper piece into each lemon, not touching.
- Connect the copper of one lemon to the nail of the next, in a chain.
- Clip the free ends to the LED’s two legs. If it does not light, swap the legs.
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Liquid layer tower
Explorers · Grades 3–4Chemistry20 minKids can do it
You need
- A tall clear glass
- Honey
- Dish soap
- Water with food coloring
- Vegetable oil
- Small objects: a grape, a cherry tomato, a cork
Steps
- Pour the honey in first.
- Slowly pour the soap down the side of the glass.
- Slowly add the colored water, then the oil.
- Gently drop in each small object.
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Heartbeat and exercise
Explorers · Grades 3–4Life science20 minKids can do it
You need
- A watch or timer with seconds
- A notebook
Steps
- Find your pulse on your wrist or neck. Count beats for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.
- Do jumping jacks for 1 minute.
- Count your pulse again right away.
- Rest 2 minutes and count once more. Make a bar chart.
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Crater maker
Explorers · Grades 3–4Earth & space30 minKids can do it
You need
- A baking tray
- Flour
- Cocoa powder
- Marbles of different sizes
- A ruler
Steps
- Fill the tray with 3 cm of flour and dust cocoa on top.
- Drop a marble from 30 cm and measure the crater width.
- Drop it from 60 cm and 90 cm.
- Try a bigger marble from the same heights.
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Strawberry DNA
Builders · Grades 5–6Life science30 minAdult step
You need
- 3 strawberries
- A zip-top bag
- Dish soap
- Salt
- Water
- A coffee filter and cup
- Ice-cold rubbing alcohol (adult only)
- A wooden stick
Steps
- Remove the leaves and mash the strawberries in the bag for 2 minutes.
- Add 2 teaspoons of soap, ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ cup of water. Mash gently for 1 more minute.
- Pour the mix through the coffee filter into the cup.
- An adult slowly pours cold rubbing alcohol down the side of the cup to make a layer on top.
- Wait 1 minute, then twirl the stick where the layers meet.
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Red cabbage color changer
Builders · Grades 5–6Chemistry40 minAdult step
You need
- Half a red cabbage
- Hot water (adult only)
- A strainer
- Clear cups
- Lemon juice, vinegar, baking soda in water, soapy water, milk
Steps
- An adult chops the cabbage and soaks it in hot water for 15 minutes.
- Strain the purple juice into cups.
- Add a spoonful of a different liquid to each cup.
- Arrange the cups from red to green and make a color chart.
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Egg drop challenge
Builders · Grades 5–6Engineering60 minAdult nearby
You need
- Raw eggs
- Budget: 10 straws, 1 meter of tape, 2 sheets of paper, 4 rubber bands, 1 plastic bag
- A safe drop spot about 2 meters high (adult holds it)
Steps
- Sketch a design that will protect the egg.
- Build it using only your budget.
- An adult drops it from 2 meters onto a hard floor.
- Check the egg, improve your design, and test again.
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Pizza-box solar oven
Builders · Grades 5–6Physics90 minAdult nearby
You need
- A pizza box
- Aluminum foil
- Plastic wrap
- Black paper
- Tape
- A thermometer
- A s’more (cracker, chocolate, marshmallow)
Steps
- An adult cuts a flap in the lid, leaving one side attached.
- Cover the inside of the flap with foil and tape plastic wrap over the opening.
- Put black paper in the bottom and the s’more on top. Prop the flap to reflect sunlight in.
- Record the temperature inside every 10 minutes.
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Pendulum timer
Builders · Grades 5–6Physics30 minKids can do it
You need
- String
- Metal washers
- Tape
- A pencil taped to a table edge
- A stopwatch
Steps
- Tie 2 washers to a 40 cm string and hang it from the pencil.
- Pull it to the side a little and let go. Time 10 swings.
- Change the length to 20 cm and 80 cm and time 10 swings each.
- Now keep the length the same and use 4 washers.
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Yeast balloon race
Builders · Grades 5–6Life science45 minAdult nearby
You need
- 3 small bottles
- 3 balloons
- Dry yeast
- Sugar
- Warm (not hot) water and cold water
Steps
- Bottle 1: warm water, 1 packet of yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar.
- Bottle 2: warm water and yeast, no sugar.
- Bottle 3: cold water, yeast and sugar.
- Stretch a balloon over each opening. Measure the balloons every 10 minutes.
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Water filter challenge
Builders · Grades 5–6Earth & space45 minAdult step
You need
- A plastic bottle (adult cuts off the bottom)
- Gravel
- Sand
- Cotton balls
- Activated charcoal (from a pet store)
- Muddy water
- A clear cup
Steps
- Turn the bottle upside down over the cup.
- Layer cotton, charcoal, sand, then gravel inside.
- Pour in the muddy water slowly.
- Compare the clean-looking water with the muddy water. Do NOT drink it.
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Moon phases with a lamp
Builders · Grades 5–6Earth & space20 minAdult nearby
You need
- A lamp without a shade (adult sets it up)
- A foam or plastic ball on a pencil
- A dark room
Steps
- Stand facing the lamp and hold the ball at arm’s length, a little above your head.
- Turn slowly in a circle, keeping your eyes on the ball.
- Stop at 8 points around the circle and draw how much of the ball is lit.
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Reaction speed and temperature
Leaders 1.0 · Grades 7–8Chemistry40 minAdult nearby
You need
- Effervescent antacid tablets
- Cold, room-temperature and warm water (no hotter than a warm bath)
- A thermometer
- A stopwatch
- Clear cups
Steps
- Pour the same amount of water into three cups and record each temperature.
- Drop one tablet in each and time until it fully dissolves.
- Repeat each three times.
- Graph temperature on the x-axis and time on the y-axis.
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Build an electromagnet
Leaders 1.0 · Grades 7–8Physics40 minAdult nearby
You need
- A large iron nail
- 1 meter of insulated copper wire
- A D battery
- Tape
- Paper clips
Steps
- Leave 15 cm of wire free, then wrap 20 turns around the nail.
- Tape the wire ends to the battery and count how many paper clips the nail lifts.
- Disconnect the battery. The wire can get warm, so keep tests short.
- Repeat with 40 and 60 turns.
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Potato osmosis
Leaders 1.0 · Grades 7–8Life science20 + 24 hours minAdult step
You need
- A potato (adult cuts equal strips)
- Salt
- Water
- 2 cups
- A ruler (or a kitchen scale)
Steps
- Measure the length (or mass) of 4 potato strips.
- Put 2 strips in plain water and 2 in very salty water.
- Leave them for 24 hours.
- Measure again and feel how bendy each strip is.
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Catapult launch lab
Leaders 1.0 · Grades 7–8Engineering60 minKids can do it
You need
- 8 craft sticks
- Rubber bands
- A plastic spoon
- Pom-poms
- A tape measure
- A protractor
Steps
- Stack 6 sticks and band the ends. Band 2 sticks together at one end, wedge the stack between them, and attach the spoon.
- Launch a pom-pom 5 times and measure the distance.
- Move the stack to change the launch angle and test again.
- Record angle and distance in a table.
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Enzymes vs jelly
Leaders 1.0 · Grades 7–8Life science20 + 4 hours minAdult step
You need
- Gelatin mix
- Hot water (adult only)
- Fresh pineapple pieces
- Canned pineapple pieces
- 3 cups
Steps
- An adult makes the gelatin.
- Cup 1: gelatin only. Cup 2: gelatin with fresh pineapple. Cup 3: gelatin with canned pineapple.
- Put all three in the fridge for 4 hours.
- Check which cups set.
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Wind turbine blade design
Leaders 1.0 · Grades 7–8Engineering60 minAdult nearby
You need
- A small DC motor
- A multimeter (or a small LED)
- A cork as a hub
- Cardboard or foam blades
- Skewers
- A fan
Steps
- Push the cork onto the motor shaft and insert skewers for blades.
- Attach 3 cardboard blades and place the turbine 1 meter from the fan.
- Measure the voltage.
- Test 2, 3 and 4 blades, then different blade angles.
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Microbe swab garden
Leaders 1.0 · Grades 7–8Life science20 + 5 days minAdult step
You need
- Agar Petri dishes (from a science kit)
- Cotton swabs
- Tape
- A marker
Steps
- Label each dish: phone, doorknob, unwashed hand, washed hand.
- Swab each surface and gently zigzag the swab on its dish.
- Tape the lids shut and keep the dishes at room temperature.
- Observe for 5 days, but never open them. An adult disposes of them safely.
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Speed of sound with echoes
Leaders 1.0 · Grades 7–8Physics30 minKids can do it
You need
- A large flat wall with open space in front (like a school building)
- A tape measure or a map app
- A stopwatch
- A partner
Steps
- Stand at least 50 meters from the wall and measure the distance.
- Clap, listen for the echo, and clap again exactly when you hear it, to keep a rhythm.
- Your partner times 20 claps.
- Speed of sound = 2 × distance × 20 ÷ time.
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Measure gravity with a pendulum
Leaders 2.0 · Grades 9–12Physics45 minKids can do it
You need
- 1 meter of string
- A heavy bolt or washer
- A stopwatch (a phone slow-motion video helps)
- A meter stick
Steps
- Measure the length from the pivot to the center of the bolt.
- Pull back less than 15° and time 20 full swings.
- Repeat 5 times and average. Find the period T for one swing.
- Calculate g = 4π²L ÷ T² and compare with 9.81 m/s².
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Springs and Hooke’s law
Leaders 2.0 · Grades 9–12Physics40 minKids can do it
You need
- A spring (or a rubber band)
- Masses (coins in a bag work)
- A ruler
- A hook or stand
Steps
- Hang the spring and measure its length.
- Add masses one at a time and measure the stretch each time.
- Plot force (mass × 9.8) against stretch.
- Find the slope: that is the spring constant k.
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Kitchen titration
Leaders 2.0 · Grades 9–12Chemistry60 minAdult nearby
You need
- Two brands of vinegar
- Baking soda
- Red cabbage indicator (from the Builders experiment)
- An oral syringe or measuring spoons
- Clear cups
Steps
- Dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 100 mL of water.
- Put 10 mL of vinegar and a few drops of cabbage indicator in a cup.
- Add the soda solution 1 mL at a time, swirling, until the color turns from pink to blue-purple.
- Record the volume used. Repeat 3 times, then test the other vinegar.
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Photosynthesis leaf disks
Leaders 2.0 · Grades 9–12Life science60 minKids can do it
You need
- Fresh spinach leaves
- Baking soda
- Water
- A 10 mL syringe without a needle
- A hole punch or straw
- Clear cups
- A lamp
Steps
- Mix ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda in 300 mL of water with a drop of soap.
- Punch 10 leaf disks and put them in the syringe with the solution.
- Cover the tip and pull the plunger to remove air until the disks sink.
- Put the disks in a cup under the lamp and count floating disks every minute.
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Reaction time and data science
Leaders 2.0 · Grades 9–12Life science40 minKids can do it
You need
- A 30 cm ruler
- A partner
- A spreadsheet
Steps
- Your partner holds the ruler at 0 above your open fingers and drops it without warning.
- Catch it and record the centimeters.
- Do 20 trials with each hand.
- Convert each distance to time: t = √(2d ÷ 9.8) with d in meters. Find the mean and standard deviation.
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Build a spectroscope
Leaders 2.0 · Grades 9–12Earth & space45 minAdult nearby
You need
- An old CD or a diffraction grating
- A cardboard tube or small box
- Aluminum foil
- Tape
- Scissors
Steps
- Cover one end of the tube with foil that has a thin slit.
- Fix the CD piece or grating at the other end at an angle.
- Look at an LED bulb, an old incandescent bulb and a fluorescent light.
- Draw the bands of color you see. Never look at the Sun.
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Sensor data logger
Leaders 2.0 · Grades 9–12Engineering90 minKids can do it
You need
- A microcontroller board (Arduino or micro:bit)
- A temperature or light sensor
- A USB cable
- Free coding software
Steps
- Connect the sensor using the board maker’s guide.
- Write a program that reads the sensor once a minute and saves or prints the value.
- Log data for 24 hours near a window.
- Graph it and explain the pattern.
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Make a bioplastic
Leaders 2.0 · Grades 9–12Chemistry40 + 2 days minAdult step
You need
- Cornstarch
- Water
- Glycerin
- Vinegar
- A small pan and stove (adult only)
- Foil
- Food coloring (optional)
Steps
- Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 4 tablespoons of water, 1 teaspoon of glycerin and 1 teaspoon of vinegar in the pan.
- An adult heats it on low, stirring, until it turns clear and thick.
- Spread it thinly on foil and let it dry for 2 days.
- Make a second batch with double the glycerin and compare.
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