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1000 Science Fair Projects with Complete Instructions

69 Science Fair Projects for 5th Graders

69 Science Fair Projects for 5th Graders

Explore our specially selected science projects for fifth graders, with complete instructions and informative videos!

Aquarium Fish and Feeding Schedules
1. Aquarium Fish and Feeding Schedules
Feed your fish at the same time each day and watch whether it waits in the same spot before meals.
Easy
Magnetic Levitation Train
2. Magnetic Levitation Train
Float a foam-core platform above a magnetic track and watch it glide end to end with a gentle push.
Medium
Hidden Leaf Colors and Chromatography
3. Hidden Leaf Colors and Chromatography
Soak torn leaves in rubbing alcohol and use coffee filter strips to separate the hidden colors that chlorophyll covers up all summer.
Medium
Storage Conditions and Bread Mold Growth
4. Storage Conditions and Bread Mold Growth
Store bread slices in five different conditions and track which one grows mold first and which stays fresh the longest.
Easy
Wind and Plant Health
5. Wind and Plant Health
Aim a fan at one plant for three weeks while its twin gets no wind, then compare their height and health.
Easy
Movement and the Doppler Effect
6. Movement and the Doppler Effect
Play a song on your phone and walk quickly to hear how motion changes the pitch through the Doppler effect.
Easy
Beverage Stains on Tooth Enamel
7. Beverage Stains on Tooth Enamel
Soak five teeth in coffee, tea, grape juice, red wine, and cola to discover which beverage leaves the darkest stain.
Easy
Wall Color and Indoor Temperature
8. Wall Color and Indoor Temperature
Paint five boxes different colors, place them in sunlight, and discover which color traps the most heat inside.
Medium
Baking Soda, Vinegar, and Floating Spaghetti
9. Baking Soda, Vinegar, and Floating Spaghetti
Watch spaghetti rise and sink on its own as carbon dioxide from baking soda and vinegar lifts each piece.
Easy
Breakfast and Memory Recall
10. Breakfast and Memory Recall
Give breakfast-skippers three weeks of morning meals and watch their object recall jump in a simple before-and-after memory test.
Medium
Surface Tension and Water Strider Design
11. Surface Tension and Water Strider Design
Design a model insect from simple materials and see if you can make it stand on water using surface tension.
Medium
Parabolic Solar Cooker from Cardboard
12. Parabolic Solar Cooker from Cardboard
A foil-lined cardboard box can focus sunlight into a beam hot enough to cook a hot dog with no electricity.
Medium
Seashells and Vinegar
13. Seashells and Vinegar
Place one seashell in vinegar and another in water, then check back in a week to see which one dissolves.
Easy
Static Electricity and Jumping Cereal
14. Static Electricity and Jumping Cereal
Rub a plexiglass plate with wool and watch Rice Krispies leap off the table and stick to the charged surface.
Easy
Lemon-Powered LED Light
15. Lemon-Powered LED Light
Turn a lemon into a working battery and find out whether it can produce enough electricity to light an LED.
Easy
Dish Soap and Milk Color Bursts
16. Dish Soap and Milk Color Bursts
Touch a soap-dipped cotton swab to food coloring in milk and watch the colors burst apart into swirling patterns.
Easy
Play-Doh Solar System to Scale
17. Play-Doh Solar System to Scale
Shape Play-Doh into scale-sized planets and discover how tiny Earth looks next to Jupiter.
Easy
Earth and Sun Size Comparison Model
18. Earth and Sun Size Comparison Model
Build a scale model of the Sun and Earth and count how many Earths fit across its width.
Easy
Eggshell Staining and Drink Acidity
19. Eggshell Staining and Drink Acidity
Soak hard-boiled eggs in different drinks for two days and see which ones stain and soften the shells the most.
Easy
Egg Drop Survival Challenge
20. Egg Drop Survival Challenge
Design a protective case from household materials and find out whether your raw egg survives a high drop.
Medium
Static Charge from Different Fabrics
21. Static Charge from Different Fabrics
Rub a balloon on six different materials and count how many tiny paper pieces each one attracts to find the strongest static charge source.
Medium
Gauss Rifle: Magnetic Chain-Reaction Launcher
22. Gauss Rifle: Magnetic Chain-Reaction Launcher
Roll one steel ball toward a row of magnets and watch the last ball shoot off at high speed.
Medium
White Daisies and Food Coloring
23. White Daisies and Food Coloring
Place white daisies in colored water and watch the petals change to blue or red within a single day.
Easy
Your Eye's Blind Spot
24. Your Eye's Blind Spot
Draw a dot and a cross on a card, then slowly move it toward your face to find the exact distance where the dot vanishes.
Medium
Steam-Powered Balsa Wood Boat
25. Steam-Powered Balsa Wood Boat
Build a balsa wood boat with a heated tube and cork. Watch steam push it across a bathtub on its own.
Medium
Hamster Alertness and Time of Day
26. Hamster Alertness and Time of Day
Build a maze for a hamster and time its runs at four hours of the day to discover peak alertness.
Medium
Suspension vs. Cable-Stayed Bridge Strength
27. Suspension vs. Cable-Stayed Bridge Strength
Build two bridge models from balsa wood and load them with weights to find which design is stronger.
Medium
Moon Phases and Rise-Set Times
28. Moon Phases and Rise-Set Times
Track the Moon each night for a full cycle and match each phase to the time it rises and sets.
Easy
Micrometeorites from Everyday Dust
29. Micrometeorites from Everyday Dust
Spread a white sheet outside, sweep up the dust with a magnet, and find tiny space rocks under a microscope.
Easy
Eggshell Arches and Load-Bearing Strength
30. Eggshell Arches and Load-Bearing Strength
Cut four eggs into domes and stack books on top to see how much weight the arches can hold.
Easy
Soda Acidity and Tooth Enamel Loss
31. Soda Acidity and Tooth Enamel Loss
Soak limestone in different sodas for a day and weigh what is left to find out which one dissolves the most.
Medium
Microwave Popcorn Brand Comparison
32. Microwave Popcorn Brand Comparison
Pop three brands of microwave popcorn for the same time and count which one leaves the fewest unpopped kernels.
Easy
Singing Glass and Water Pitch
33. Singing Glass and Water Pitch
Rub a wet finger along the rim of a stemware glass and discover how the water level changes the pitch.
Easy
Plaster of Paris Fossils
34. Plaster of Paris Fossils
Press a leaf into wet plaster of Paris and let it harden. Peel it away to reveal a fossil imprint you made yourself.
Easy
Rock Porosity and Water Storage
35. Rock Porosity and Water Storage
Soak different rocks in water and discover which ones hold the most liquid like underground sponges.
Medium
Vinegar Fizz Test for Calcite in Rocks
36. Vinegar Fizz Test for Calcite in Rocks
Drop vinegar on a rock and watch for fizzing bubbles that reveal hidden calcite inside.
Easy
Water Displacement and Rock Density
37. Water Displacement and Rock Density
Drop rocks into water to find their volume, then calculate which rock types pack in the most matter.
Medium
Water Temperature and Convection
38. Water Temperature and Convection
Drop food coloring into three jars of different temperature water and watch the color spread at wildly different speeds.
Medium
Recycling, Pollution, and Reusable Materials
39. Recycling, Pollution, and Reusable Materials
Compare everyday items for environmental impact, then watch food coloring spread through water to see why pollution never truly disappears.
Easy
Elephant Toothpaste Foam Reaction
40. Elephant Toothpaste Foam Reaction
Pour a yeast mixture into a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and watch a giant column of warm foam erupt.
Easy
Moon Phases with Cookie Models
41. Moon Phases with Cookie Models
Scrape the filling from sandwich cookies to model all eight Moon phases and see how the sunlit portion changes.
Easy
Borax Geode Crystals
42. Borax Geode Crystals
Turn a hollow eggshell into a miniature geode by growing Borax crystals inside it overnight.
Medium
Vinegar and the Rubbery Egg
43. Vinegar and the Rubbery Egg
Drop a raw egg into vinegar for a few days and discover that the acid dissolves the hard shell, leaving behind a soft, rubbery egg.
Easy
Chocolate and the Rock Cycle
44. Chocolate and the Rock Cycle
Use chocolate shavings and heat to build three types of model rock that match real geology.
Medium
Sugar Crystallization and Rock Candy
45. Sugar Crystallization and Rock Candy
Grow giant sugar crystals on a string and watch a supersaturated solution turn back into solid rock candy.
Medium
Fruit-Sized Planets and Solar System Scale
46. Fruit-Sized Planets and Solar System Scale
Pick a fruit to match each planet's size and line them up to see how the solar system is spaced out.
Easy
Oobleck and Non-Newtonian Fluids
47. Oobleck and Non-Newtonian Fluids
Squeeze a simple mix of cornstarch and water into a solid ball, then open your hand and watch it flow back into a liquid.
Easy
Rainbow Borax Crystals
48. Rainbow Borax Crystals
Grow sparkling rainbow crystals overnight on pipe cleaners and watch solid crystal structures form as the Borax water cools.
Medium
Baking Soda Invisible Ink and Grape Juice
49. Baking Soda Invisible Ink and Grape Juice
Write a secret message with baking soda water and reveal it by painting grape juice over the paper.
Easy
Household Solar System Model
50. Household Solar System Model
Turn a balloon into the Sun and shape play dough planets to build a tabletop solar system model.
Easy
Lemon Juice Invisible Ink and Heat
51. Lemon Juice Invisible Ink and Heat
Write an invisible message with lemon juice and watch your hidden words appear in brown when you add heat.
Medium
Planet Layers in a Bottle
52. Planet Layers in a Bottle
Shake a bottle of mixed materials and watch layers form the same way a rocky planet builds its inner structure.
Medium
Pocket Solar System to Scale
53. Pocket Solar System to Scale
Fold a strip of paper into a pocket-sized model that shows the real distances between the Sun and each planet.
Medium
Ice Wedging and Rock Breakdown
54. Ice Wedging and Rock Breakdown
Freeze water inside plaster of Paris and watch ice wedging crack it apart, just like real rocks in winter.
Medium
Cornstarch Oobleck and Shear Thickening
55. Cornstarch Oobleck and Shear Thickening
Punch a bowl of cornstarch and water and discover a liquid that turns solid under force, then flows the moment you stop.
Easy
Pet Rock and the Rock Cycle
56. Pet Rock and the Rock Cycle
Identify your pet rock's type and trace its journey through the rock cycle to see how it could transform.
Medium
Scratch Testing and Rock Hardness
57. Scratch Testing and Rock Hardness
Scratch rocks with everyday objects like coins and nails to rank their hardness on the Mohs scale.
Medium
Starburst Candy and the Rock Cycle
58. Starburst Candy and the Rock Cycle
Reshape Starburst candies with heat and pressure to model how the Earth forms three types of rock.
Medium
Crayons and the Rock Cycle
59. Crayons and the Rock Cycle
Transform crayons into three types of model rocks and see how the real rock cycle works.
Medium
Sidewalk-Scale Solar System
60. Sidewalk-Scale Solar System
Shrink the solar system to sidewalk size and discover how surprisingly far apart the planets really are.
Medium
Pre-Soaked Spaghetti and Cooking Time
61. Pre-Soaked Spaghetti and Cooking Time
Soak spaghetti in water for a few hours, then boil it for just one minute to test whether pre-soaking cuts cooking time.
Medium
Red Cabbage pH Lava Lamp
62. Red Cabbage pH Lava Lamp
Add Alka-Seltzer to a red cabbage lava lamp and watch the blobs shift color as you change the pH.
Medium
Glow-in-the-Dark Lava Lamp
63. Glow-in-the-Dark Lava Lamp
Charge glow-in-the-dark paint and drop a fizzy tablet into oil to create a lava lamp that glows without a black light.
Easy
Density-Driven Alka-Seltzer Lava Lamp
64. Density-Driven Alka-Seltzer Lava Lamp
Drop an Alka-Seltzer tablet into oil and colored water and watch gas bubbles carry blobs up and down like a lava lamp.
Easy
Glitter Lava Lamp with Antacid Tablets
65. Glitter Lava Lamp with Antacid Tablets
Drop an antacid tablet into a bottle of oil, water, and glitter to create a sparkling lava lamp that keeps cycling.
Easy
Paper Airplane Folds and Flight Distance
66. Paper Airplane Folds and Flight Distance
Fold paper airplanes with different designs and launch them to discover which shape flies the farthest.
Medium
Baking Soda and Vinegar Lava Lamp
67. Baking Soda and Vinegar Lava Lamp
Drop baking soda and vinegar into a bottle of oil and water and watch colored blobs rise and sink like a real lava lamp.
Easy
Seed Sprouting on a Paper Towel
68. Seed Sprouting on a Paper Towel
Place kitchen seeds on a damp paper towel and watch roots and shoots appear within days as germination unfolds.
Easy
Cookie Mining and Environmental Cost
69. Cookie Mining and Environmental Cost
Mine chocolate chips from two cookies with a paper clip and see whether careful or careless digging earns more.
Easy

5th Grade Science Fair Project FAQ

What are some easy 5th grade science fair projects?

Any one of these easy 5th grade science fair projects will teach you important scientific concepts and help you have fun while learning. An easy science fair project is a great way to introduce the wonders of science to 5th graders!

  • Storing Bread Safely

  • Windy Wonders: Plant Growth

  • Dancing Spaghetti

  • Colorful Temperature

  • Collecting Micrometeorites

  • Can Fish Tell Time?

  • Levitating Train

  • The Painted Lady Butterfly

  • Staining Teeth with Beverages

  • Breakfast and School Performance

Science fair project details right above the FAQ!

What is the best 5th grade science project ever?

We absolutely love the Uncovering Fall Colors science fair project for 5th graders. This project uses chromatography to separate the colors in leaves and helps students discover the hidden colors inside them. It's a great way to learn how to use a common experiment used in chemistry to separate substances. If it's not fall or you can't find different colored leaves, you can always use flower petals of different colors instead.

If you're looking for more 5th grade science projects, check out the 5th grade science fair projects at the top of this page! 

Check out more Best Science Fair Projects →

What are some cool 5th grade science fair projects?

Get ready to be amazed by these super cool 5th grade science projects for 5th graders! With just a few simple things, introduce students to the wonders of science and have tons of fun!

  • Growing Mold

  • Is Yeast Alive?

  • Can You Taste With a Plugged Nose?

  • Storing Bread Safely

  • Dancing Spaghetti

  • Electrifying Lemon Battery

  • Making Oobleck: Liquid or Solid?

  • Egg Drop Project

  • Colors of Skittles Experiment

  • Cloud in a Bottle

Science fair project details right above the FAQ!

What are 5 testable questions for 5th grade?

A testable question is a question that we can answer through a science experiment. To do this, we do a control science experiment, then we change one thing in the experiment to see how it affects what happens. This is how we can discover the answer to our question!

  • What makes a cloud form?

  • Can drink and food taste different just by changing its color?

  • Does the color of light affect photosynthesis?

  • Does temperature affect seed sprouting?

  • What makes popcorn pop?

Here are more testable questions along with their science projects →

What are the top 10 science projects for 5th grade?

These are our top 10 5th grade science projects, with projects from Biology, Chemistry and Physics. These projects can be used as science fair project ideas or as a fun experiment to explore different areas of science!

  • Can Fish Tell Time?

  • Levitating Train

  • Uncovering Fall Colors

  • Storing Bread Safely

  • How Temperature Affects Taste

  • Windy Wonders: Plant Growth

  • The Doppler Effect

  • The Painted Lady Butterfly

  • Staining Teeth with Beverages

  • Colorful Temperature

Science project details right above the FAQ!

Can I do a 5th grade science fair project in a day?

Yes! Quick experiments can be a great option for a science fair project! If you want to explore quick reactions, we have science project ideas on various topics to get you started.

  • Acid-base reactions: Mixing acids with bases quickly makes carbon dioxide gas!

Make a rocket fly sky high with just baking soda and vinegar! Rocket Film Canisters

Learn how to make your own acid/base indicator using red cabbage and use it to test different fluids! Make Your Own PH Indicator

  • Chromatography reactions: Separate out colors!

Did you know that some Skittles have a secret rainbow hiding inside them? Colors of Skittles Experiment

Have you ever wondered why leaves change color in the fall? Let's find out by using chromatography to separate the colors of a green leaf! Uncovering Fall Colors

  • Heat reactions: Heat speeds things up!

Do you want to find out which color candle burns the fastest? Which Candle Burns the Fastest?

Ever wondered if a balloon filled with water can withstand fire? Fire-Resistant Balloons

What are some hands-on ways to find inspiration for my science fair project?

Science museums are great places to explore if you're looking for inspiration for your next science fair project or just want to learn more about science. Science museums, natural history museums, space museums, and discovery museums are all great places to do that! You can discover all sorts of interesting things about science and find cool project ideas for science fairs.

There may be free admission days or free passes to a science museum near you! Check your local library for free museum passes, nearby science museums for free entrance days and your credit card for offers.

Find a science museum near you and prepare to be awed by all that you can learn there! I always learn something new and am inspired whenever I go to a science museum!

How do I start a science fair project?

Science fair projects are a fun and unique way to discover science by asking a question and doing a science project. We'll help you find a science fair project idea and guide you through the process of doing and presenting your science fair project with Science Fair Coach's Science Fair Project Guide.

What should I do after I have a science fair project idea?

If you have a science fair project idea, Science Fair Coach can help you turn it into a full science fair project! Starting at Introduction to Science Fairs, we'll guide you through how to do a science fair project, from designing and conducting your experiment to collecting and analyzing your findings. Then, we'll help you showcase your results on a science fair board with our Guide to Science Fair Posters.

How do I make a science fair board?

Your science fair board is where you show off your science fair project for everyone to see and learn from. With our Guide to Science Fair Posters, you can make sure your science fair board stands out and impresses at the science fair!

What is the scientific method?

The 7 steps of the scientific method helps us understand how nature works. Learn how the scientific method is used in a science fair project example, and how it's evolved through history as scientists used different ways to learn about nature with our Guide to the Scientific Method!

What is the engineering design process?

The 6 steps of the engineering design process helps us design an effective solution to a problem. Learn how to use the engineering design process with the example of the egg drop challenge in our Guide to the Engineering Design Process!

Where can I find a science fair competition?

Science fair competitions are an excellent opportunity to explore science. One of the of the premier science advocacy organizations, the Society for Science, is associated with more than 400 science fair competitions in almost every US state, as well as over 70 other countries, regions, and territories. You can find out if there's a Society of Science affiliated science fair near you!

The www Virtual Library: Science Fairs website also has a collection of science fairs from all over the world, as well as national, state, regional, local, and virtual competitions!

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