Although children of all ages will find something compelling in most TryScience activities, the following list attempts to classify the experiments and field trips by age group. Teachers may elect to simplify or expand an activity to make it age-appropriate to a more specific audience. Curious? Polls and Science Center Webcams are suitable for all ages. 


Ages 5-9 Years 
Ages 10-14 Years
Ages 15-18 Years

**Asterisk indicates experiment has both an online and offline component.

Aluminum Boats (Experiment) How many coins can you float? Experiment with aluminum foil in a boat and a ball.

*Animal Attraction (Experiment) Do you have animal attraction? You can right in your own back yard with some craft supplies, your imagination and a little help from Mother Nature.

Be Sense-Sational @ Bristol (FieldTrip) From the imagery, sounds, live animals and plants in Wildwalk to the hands-on exhibits in Amazing Brain, Curiosity Zone, Get Connected and Move It in Explore, you'll immerse your senses at-Bristol. Find out how you respond to different challenges and get a sense for yourself!

Catch the Culprit at Technopolis! (FieldTrip) Experience a different side of science, from the high wire bike and pin wall to the House exhibit. Is a bed of nails more comfortable than a bed of billiard balls? Use your science detective skills to answer that question and more as you Catch the Culprit at Technopolis.

Exploring With Sound (Experiment) Create a maze inside a shoebox with blocks of wood. Have a friend figure out where the blocks are by listening as a marble rolls inside the box. Using energy waves like sound, to determine the position of an object is called sonar.

Get Blown Away at MOSI! (FieldTrip) Explore the Back Woods trails at MOSI before you head up to the wicked weather exhibits. Get blown away in Hurricane Alley, electrifiy your senses with the ZAP! lightning exhibits and discover what makes the weather in Florida so extreme.

Get Turned On at Techniquest (FieldTrip) You are the master of your quest - follow your curiosity through the exhibit floor or amaze your brain in the science theater.  While you're there, play the Musiquest Game Show then energize the Dinorwig Dynamo and tell us what turns you on at Techniquest!

Gravity In Action (Experiment) Make a parachute! Discover gravity in action with some plastic bags, string and small stones.

Hilarious Honker (Experiment) Make a hilarious honker! Fasten a piece of string through a hole in the end of a plastic cup and discover the hilarious sounds you can make. Find out how the length, tautness and wetness of the string affect sound vibrations.

How Do Probes Get To Space (Experiment) Build a rocket-a blown-up balloon taped to a drinking straw threaded through some string. The rocket follows Newton's Third Law of Motion: Every action produces an equal and opposite reaction.

Kool Colors (Experiment) Show your Kool Colors! Discover the chemistry of tie-dyeing with cotton fabric, Kool-Aid and vinegar.

Loopy Geometry (Experiment) Get loopy and amaze your friends! Morph circles into other shapes with the magic of geometry, paper loops, some tape and a scissors.

Musical Coat Hangers (Experiment) Can you hear better with your fingers in your ears? Find out with a coat hanger and some string!

Nosedive (Experiment) Will you take a nosedive? All you need to find out is a sheet of paper! Fold a Navy Jet and experiment with lift and drag to make it go left, right and loop de loop.

Oil Slick (Experiment) Create an oil slick with vegetable oil in a bowl of water. Oil and water make an immiscible solution-the elements never mix and will always method to clean up the oil.

*Save Your Skin (Experiment) Will it be fun or fry? Find out how important sunscreens are and save your skin.

Scream for Ice Cream Experiment Don't scream for ice cream -- make your own with milk, sugar, flavoring and some 'salt-water' ice.

Spaghetti Bridge (Experiment) Play with your food! How strong is your spaghetti structure? Find out with some marshmallows, raw spaghetti, raw linguine and some coins.

Stadium Seat Science (Experiment) Take the two-straw challenge as you wait for the game to start! Discover how pressure can quench your thirst with a drink and two straws.

Stick to It! (Experiment) What do you get when you mix milk curds and baking soda? Try this experiment and find out if you stick to it!

What Grabs You at Science North? (FieldTrip) Ask a Bluecoat about the geology of Science North on your way to the Northern Ecosystems exhibit. The animals here are native to Northern Ontario -- Science North give them a unique home where visitors can get up close and meet Ralf, Copper, Mira and company.

Wind Mapping with Bubbles (Experiment) Blow like the wind! Discover the wacky world of wind direction with some bubbles, a map and a keen eye.

**Asterisk indicates experiment has both an online and offline component.

**Asterisk indicates experiment has both an online and offline component.

Aluminum Boats (Experiment) How many coins can you float? Experiment with aluminum foil in a boat and a ball.

*A-Mazing Robots (Experiment) How A-Mazing are you? Program your robot to pick up and dispose of some toxic waste using as few simple commands as possible.

*Animal Attraction (Experiment) Do you have animal attraction? You can right in your own back yard with some craft supplies, your imagination and a little help from Mother Nature.

Be Sense-Sational @ Bristol (FieldTrip) From the imagery, sounds, live animals and plants in Wildwalk to the hands-on exhibits in Amazing Brain, Curiosity Zone, Get Connected and Move It in Explore, you'll immerse your senses at-Bristol. Find out how you respond to different challenges and get a sense for yourself!

Beat the Heat at Arizona Science Center (FieldTrip) How does science and technology thriving in Arizona affect your daily life? Find out with over 300 hands-on exhibits, demos and programs. Visit the planetarium to discover the reason for seasons. Better yet, try it online and Beat the Heat at Arizona Science Center!

Breathing Yeasties (Experiment) Does yeast breathe? Find out by watching plastic bags filled with yeast, warm water and different amounts of sugar.

*Build A Treetop Walkway (Experiment) Build and test a model of a rainforest canopy walkway. Rainforest researchers must consider materials, transportation, and cost so they don't damage the fragile canopy environment as they study it.

Build And Test A Paper Bridge (Experiment) Make a bridge out of a folded piece of paper and two blocks. Test your structure by stacking coins (and other things) on it. How much weight can your bridge support before it crashes?

Can you Dig It? (Experiment) From the life-sized dinosaurs to the butterfly garden to the giant water works, there are hundreds of exhibits at Pacific Science Center to explore. Don't forget to check out the live animals, especially the Naked Mole-rats and discover what it's like to dig into another world.

Catch the Culprit at Technopolis! (FieldTrip) Experience a different side of science, from the high wire bike and pin wall to the House exhibit. Is a bed of nails more comfortable than a bed of billiard balls? Use your science detective skills to answer that question and more as you Catch the Culprit at Technopolis.

Catch the Spirit of COSI! (FieldTrip) Immerse yourself and explore, inquire, tinker, play, discover, laugh - oh yeah - and learn at COSI Columbus. Science takes different shapes, from the two sides of Ocean's Poseidon to the secrets of Adventure. Check it out and catch the Spirit of COSI!

Comet Cratering (Experiment) Make impact craters with marbles (or rocks) in a container of flour. Find out what you can tell about your "comets" by the craters they make.

Eggs at Rest Stay at Rest (Experiment) Will you scramble eggs? Discover how an egg at rest stays at rest with an egg, a broom, an empty toilet paper roll, a pie pan and a glass of water.

Engineer it! At OMSI (FieldTrip) Climb aboard the USS Blueback at OMSI and experience life in a submarine before you explore in one of the labs. Then Engineer It! Blow your mind -- design and test a windmill; spread your wings -- build and fly paper airplanes; and unleash your problem-solving prowess as you discover the power of engineering.

Exploring With Sound (Experiment) Create a maze inside a shoebox with blocks of wood. Have a friend figure out where the blocks are by listening as a marble rolls inside the box. Using energy waves like sound, to determine the position of an object is called sonar.

Fork it Over (Experiment) Amaze your friends by balancing forks on a toothpick - and "fork it over" the center of gravity!

Get Blown Away at MOSI! (FieldTrip) Explore the Back Woods trails at MOSI before you head up to the wicked weather exhibits. Get blown away in Hurricane Alley, electrifiy your senses with the ZAP! lightning exhibits and discover what makes the weather in Florida so extreme.

*Got Gas? (Experiment) You can get it with a glass of water, some wire, conductors and a battery!

*Hit The Spot! (Experiment) How's your aim? Find out how physics can make or break your game with a tennis racket, ball and paper targets and see if you can hit the spot!

How Do Probes Get To Space (Experiment) Build a rocket-a blown-up balloon taped to a drinking straw threaded through some string. The rocket follows Newton's Third Law of Motion: Every action produces an equal and opposite reaction.

Let It Roll (Experiment) How easy is it to let it roll? Find out with two jar lids, some marbles, and a straw handle!

Lung Capacity (Experiment) Find out how much hot air you have! Measure your lung capacity-how much air your lungs can hold-by making a spirometer out of a plastic bottle, a pan of water, and some flexible tubing.

Mummy Magic (Experiment) Make your own mummy! Use a combination of salts to transform an apple into a mummy.

Musical Coat Hangers (Experiment) Can you hear better with your fingers in your ears? Find out with a coat hanger and some string!

Mysterious Melodies (FieldTrip) What happens when you fool your brain? Try it online - listen to some scrambled songs and find out how your brain interprets what you hear. Or Try it at home - fool your brain with some optical illusions.

Nosedive (Experiment) Will you take a nosedive? All you need to find out is a sheet of paper! Fold a Navy Jet and experiment with lift and drag to make it go left, right and loop de loop.

Oil Slick (Experiment) Create an oil slick with vegetable oil in a bowl of water. Oil and water make an immiscible solution-the elements never mix and will always method to clean up the oil.

Pepper Scatter (Experiment) Break the tension! Use water, pepper and some soap to discover the wonders of surface tension.

Salt, Soil and Seeds (Experiment) What seed is worth its salt? Discover how the salt in soil affects plant growth with a few seeds, some cotton and salt.

*Save Your Skin (Experiment) Will it be fun or fry? Find out how important sunscreens are and save your skin.

Say Cheese! (Experiment) What makes cheese so cheesy? Find out with some milk,vinegar and a coffee filter!

Say What? At Heureka (FieldTrip) What's it like at Heureka, the Finnish Science Center? Get a taste of Finland - and what it's like to live and speak in other countries when you Say What? At Heureka!

*Seafood Surgery (Experiment) Do you have guts? Dissect a perch and a crayfish and find out how much guts they have too!

Shark Sense of Smell (Experiment) Do you smell like a shark? Find out what your nose knows by diluting something smelly in different concentrations using six jars, some food coloring and perfume.

*Speed, Eggs and Slam! (Experiment) Save the egg! Protect your 'passenger' from Newton's First Law with an egg, a toy truck, a brick, cotton balls, rubber bands and a Styrofoam cup.

Stick to It! (Experiment) What do you get when you mix milk curds and baking soda? Try this experiment and find out if you stick to it!

TryScience Extreme Challenge (Adventure) Do you have what it takes to win the Ultimate Race? Find out with the Tryscience Extreme Challenge! Compete on seven courses in four sports - mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing and snowboarding. You must train and apply the science behind the sport to beat the challenge time and earn each course medal.

Turbidity (Experiment) Investigate turbidity in a jar-measure the light intensity of a jar of water using a flashlight and some black construction paper. As the turbidity increases, the murkier the water becomes and less light is able to shine through.

Up And Over (Experiment) Create a water whirler from a piece of cardboard and some string. Place a cup of water on the cardboard platform and whirl it in circles. When whirled fast enough, the centripetal force acting on the cup and water keeps it from falling off the cardboard.

Wave Machine (Experiment) Catch the wave! And learn about interference, reflection and velocity with some tape, pencils and two tables or chairs.

What Grabs You at Science North? (FieldTrip) Ask a Bluecoat about the geology of Science North on your way to the Northern Ecosystems exhibit. The animals here are native to Northern Ontario -- Science North give them a unique home where visitors can get up close and meet Ralf, Copper, Mira and company.

Wingin' It (Experiment) How high can you fly? Build and test an airplane wing with some paper, cardboard, skewers, and a fan.

**Asterisk indicates experiment has both an online and offline component.

**Asterisk indicates experiment has both an online and offline component.

Beat the Heat at Arizona Science Center (FieldTrip) How does science and technology thriving in Arizona affect your daily life? Find out with over 300 hands-on exhibits, demos and programs. Visit the planetarium to discover the reason for seasons. Better yet, try it online and Beat the Heat at Arizona Science Center!

*Build A Treetop Walkway (Experiment) Build and test a model of a rainforest canopy walkway. Rainforest researchers must consider materials, transportation, and cost so they don't damage the fragile canopy environment as they study it.

Build And Test A Paper Bridge (Experiment) Make a bridge out of a folded piece of paper and two blocks. Test your structure by stacking coins (and other things) on it. How much weight can your bridge support before it crashes?

Can you Dig It? (FieldTrip) From the life-sized dinosaurs to the butterfly garden to the giant water works, there are hundreds of exhibits at Pacific Science Center to explore. Don't forget to check out the live animals, especially the Naked Mole-rats and discover what it's like to dig into another world.

Catch the Spirit of COSI! (FieldTrip) Immerse yourself and explore, inquire, tinker, play, discover, laugh - oh yeah - and learn at COSI Columbus. Science takes different shapes, from the two sides of Ocean's Poseidon to the secrets of Adventure. Check it out and catch the Spirit of COSI!

*Catch the Wave! (Experiment) Did you know you can use sound waves to see things? Submarines use sonar to 'see' where they're going in dark waters by interpreting the reflection of sound waves off things in the ocean. Ultrasound is another technology that uses reflected sound waves to 'see' inside your body. Find your way through the maze and learn how you can Catch the Wave!

*DNA Detective (Experiment) Can you solve the crime? Find out how DNA profiling can make sense of a crime scene and help I.D. a culprit from a list of suspects. Learn the DNA Basics, investigate the Crime Scene and experiment in the Lab and become a DNA Detective!

Engineer it! At OMSI (FieldTrip) Climb aboard the USS Blueback at OMSI and experience life in a submarine before you explore in one of the labs. Then Engineer It! Blow your mind -- design and test a windmill; spread your wings -- build and fly paper airplanes; and unleash your problem-solving prowess as you discover the power of engineering.

*Got Gas? (Experiment) You can get it with a glass of water, some wire, conductors and a battery!

*Hit The Spot! (Experiment) How's your aim? Find out how physics can make or break your game with a tennis racket, ball and paper targets and see if you can hit the spot!

Mysterious Melodies (not live yet) (FieldTrip) What happens when you fool your brain? Try it online - listen to some scrambled songs and find out how your brain interprets what you hear. Or Try it at home - fool your brain with some optical illusions.

Penny for your Thoughts (Experiment) Think a penny can't do much anymore? Think again - and experiment with pennies, vinegar and a metal object.

Say What? At Heureka (FieldTrip) What's it like at Heureka, the Finnish Science Center? Get a taste of Finland - and what it's like to live and speak in other countries when you Say What? At Heureka!

*Seafood Surgery (Experiment) Do you have guts? Dissect a perch and a crayfish and find out how much guts they have too!

TryScience Extreme Challenge (Adventure) Do you have what it takes to win the Ultimate Race? Find out with the Tryscience Extreme Challenge! Compete on seven courses in four sports - mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing and snowboarding. You must train and apply the science behind the sport to beat the challenge time and earn each course medal.

Turbidity (Experiment) Investigate turbidity in a jar-measure the light intensity of a jar of water using a flashlight and some black construction paper. As the turbidity increases, the murkier the water becomes and less light is able to shine through.

Wingin' It (Experiment) How high can you fly? Build and test an airplane wing with some paper, cardboard, skewers, and a fan.

**Asterisk indicates experiment has both an online and offline component.