5 favourite Montessori science activities
Mar 11, 2025 - Montessori 3 to 6 - By Carine Robin
Looking for a hands-on way to ignite your child's curiosity and love for learning? These 5 Montessori science experiments are the perfect way to introduce young minds to the wonders of science through play and discovery. I’ve done these experiments over and over again—both in the classroom and at home with my own children—and they never fail to spark excitement! From exploring the magic of magnets to creating colorful chemical reactions, each activity encourages hands-on exploration while building critical thinking and problem-solving skills. With the Montessori approach, children don’t just learn science—they experience it. So grab some simple materials, roll up your sleeves, and get ready for some fascinating discoveries together!
Set up each experiment with all the necessary materials on a tray. Demonstrate the activity to your child and encourage them to make predictions about what will happen. If your child particularly enjoys one of the experiments, leave the tray on their shelf so they can repeat it as often as they like. They may need to ask you for water or other consumable materials, which will also let you know when they are practicing the activity, allowing you to supervise as needed. Always keep safety in mind when introducing these activities.
The following five experiments are commonly found in Montessori classrooms for children aged 3 to 6 years.
Sink and float
This is a very easy first experiment to set up.
Have some water in a shallow dish, a laminated sheet with a sink, and a float category. Go around the house to find small objects to test. Make predictions about what will float or sink and test!
You can use a small sieve to fish the floating objects.
Magnetic and non magnetic
Another super easy activity to set up!
Have a magnet and a sheet with two categories: what is magnetic, what is non-magnetic. Go around the house and gather objects to test. Later on, you can go around the house and test various furniture, radiators, nuts, and bolts...
A big horseshoe magnet is safer for little hands.
Oil and water experiment
You will need a cup of water, some droppers, food colouring and vegetable oil.
You can also add a jug and let your child pour the water in the cup.
Let your child drop some food colouring in the water and mix it well. Then let them use the dropper to add some vegetable oil! They should notice that water and oil don't mix! Depending on your child's age, you can explain that they don't have the same density so despite being both liquids, they cannot mix!
Volcano eruption
We did this activity on repeat for three years—it was a huge favorite in our house! Once, we even made our own volcano by shaping clay around a small glass jar. Later, I bought a plastic volcano, and they loved it even more!
Provide your child with a volcano model or make one out of clay. Add some bicarbonate of soda to the center, then give them a jug of vinegar and watch as they marvel at the big eruption!
This is a fantastic hands-on activity to introduce the origins of the Earth or as part of a dinosaur-themed lesson, extending their learning with the volcano theory.
Colourful skittles
We don't eat Skittles but we always keep the ones my children receive at Halloween for this experiment. For this one, you display the Skittles around the plate. You add a bit of room temperatures water and you observe how long it takes for the colours to melt an join in the middle.
So there you have it—five super fun Montessori science experiments that aren’t just exciting but also help build critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills. Whether it’s watching things sink and float or creating a colorful Skittles rainbow, these simple activities bring a little magic into everyday learning.
As the saying goes, science isn’t about making predictions or resolutions—it’s about making discoveries and asking questions. So why not keep that curiosity alive by trying these experiments at home? Who knows, you might just spark a lifelong love for science in your little one (and have a blast yourself!).
Go ahead, grab some baking soda, vinegar, and a few kitchen staples, and let the experiments begin! And as Albert Einstein put it, “Play is the highest form of research.”
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About the Author: Carine Robin is a qualified and experienced Montessori teacher and founder of The Montessori Family. With over 15 years of experience, Carine offers a blend of professional insight and personal understanding as a mother of two and qualified child psychologist. Inspired by the success of her Montessori subscription box, she created The Montessori Family to provide a comprehensive resource for parents and teachers globally. This platform aims to support child growth and well-being through curated educational activities. Additionally, Carine maintains the UK's most popular Montessori blog and administers the largest Montessori UK Facebook group, making her a central figure in the Montessori community.
