Has your child always had a problem appreciating science and being intrigued by the several explanations it provides? If yes, then one of the best ways to get them more interested is by giving them practical things to do, and get them to take part in science fair projects. While a younger kid may need quite a bit of supervision, by the time he is in the fifth grade, he can easily design different science projects with minimal guidance. 5th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas Select a project depending on what your kid finds interesting, and what will sustain his attention till the very end of the project. You do not want him to give up midway because of laziness or lack of motivation.

• Test the olfactory senses of different people, and record the differences according to age, gender, item being smelt, etc.
• Measuring the acidity or pH level of different fruits by conducting tests on their juices.
• Measuring the acidity and alkalinity of vegetables by performing a litmus test.
• Tests on the production of electricity from different materials available at home.
• Test the effect of temperature on air volume.
• Does the type of wood being burned have an effect on the time taken to burn.
• Testing the principle of crystallization of Epsom salts.
• Studying how the Sun can be used as a device to tell time.

These are just some of the ideas that your kid can use. If he wants to do something more original, then give him all the information he needs, in terms of basics and foundational principles, and let him try out different experiments. There are many easy elementary science projects that can be conducted by kids to test several principles. In this article we give you the required instructions for some of the aforementioned projects. Frosting of Glass Testing the principle of crystallization of Epsom salts is one of the easiest ideas. All you need for this experiment is a cup of water, a heatproof container, detergent, paint brush, glass, and a cup of Epsom salt. Let us take a look at the instructions.

• Place the container on a low flame, and allow the water in it to boil.
• Add the Epsom salts and stir. Continue stirring till the salt settles at the bottom.
• Switch off the flame, and remove the container. Add the detergent, and stir.
• Once the mixture cools down, use a brush to apply the same to the glass. You will notice the formation of crystals which gives the glass a frosty appearance.

Sundial All you need to make this is a stick that measures approximately 2 feet, pebbles, and a watch.

• Find a spot that is not shaded, and gets a lot of sunlight.
• Take the stick and fix it in the soil.
• Record the position of its shadow every hour, and use the pebbles that you have to mark it. Continue this till the end of the day, and you have your sundial.

Capillary Action with Celery This is one of the elementary projects that also guarantee a lot of fun. The things you need for this experiment are a few celery stalks, food color, and a glass of water.

• Take the glass of water, and add the food color to it. Mix it so that the color settles properly.
• Place the celery stalks in the colored water.
• After a while, you will notice that the color is being absorbed by the celery stalks, and that it is slowly rising up. This is a result of capillary action, and is an example of osmosis.

These are just three of the science experiments for kids that serve as excellent science fair projects. There are many other such experiments, that your kid can opt for, in case you are trying to get him interested in science and its many wonders.