12 Science Art Projects: Explore and Create

Thaumatrope

Thaumatropes work because of a phenomena known as "persistence of vision." When our eyes see two images in repetition faster than our brain can process them, the images blend together. Learn how to make this old-fashioned science toy, or watch our video below:

Spin Art

Harness the power of centrifugal force to create unique art with a common kitchen tool: a salad spinner! Drop washable paint (for easy clean-up) onto plain paper and place in the bottom of the spinner. The rotation makes the paint fly in a circular motion, creating interesting designs. Get the details for how to make spinner art at home here. Afterward, use the paper for cards, bunting, and wrapping paper.

Shaken Painting

This art project explores randomness, motion, force, action and color mixing! It also gives kids a ways to test predictions. Young artists and scientists place paper, paint and small objects in a container with a lid and shake it to their hearts' content.

Teachers can use this science art project to develop a lesson on the scientific method by asking kids to predict the artistic results of using different colors, sizes and weights of objects, and shaking force. Get the details of how to create shaken container painting here or watch our video, below:

MORE: Motion Science Projects for Active Kids

Prism Mobile

Learn about light refraction and how rainbows are made by building and designing a prism mobile. In addition, kids will explore balance and gravity while designing their mobile as they ensure their mobile hangs correctly.

Milk Carton Candle Craft

Milk carton candles are a retro craft kids love! Making candles requires learning about temperatures and melting points. Dive into history to learn about different materials used to create candles, and why some substances are better than others. After the candles are cooled, kids learn about the science behind combustion and how a candle emits light.

Salt Painting

Combining salt and watercolor painting is not just a fun art project, it's a way for kids to learn about the properties of one of the most important minerals on earth! They can study absorption and distribution while watching how salt reacts with liquid. We used salt and watercolor painting to make gorgeous abstract prints, too!

Coffee Filter Painting

Just like salt and watercolor painting, coffee filter art teaches kids about absorption, as well as diffusion and color mixing. For extra fun, use giant "Texas Snowflakes" for a large science art project canvas. Use a dropper to experiment with liquid properties like surface tension and kinetic energy.

Magnet Art

Use magnetic force to create abstract paintings. First, cover a tray in paper. Manipulate paint covered metal objects by moving a strong magnet wand underneath the tray.