How to Set Up a Home Science Box: Cheap Starter Supplies and Safety Rules

A home science box is a single container that holds the basics for most simple experiments. Having it ready means you can say yes when a child asks, “Can we try something?” without a trip to the shops. Nothing in it needs to be special or expensive.

Pick the container

Choose something with a lid that an adult can lift and a child can open, such as a plastic storage box, a sturdy cardboard box or a toolbox. A box between the size of a shoebox and a small suitcase is plenty. Label the outside “Science box” and let the children decorate it if they like.

Cheap starter supplies

Collect these over a few weeks. Most are things you already have.

For measuring

A ruler or tape measure (centimetres, and inches if you can find both)
A measuring jug and spoons kept just for experiments
A kitchen timer or a clock with a second hand
A kitchen scale, if you have one to spare

For looking

A magnifying glass
A notebook, pencils and colored pencils
A torch (flashlight)

For holding and mixing

Clear plastic cups and a couple of jars
Spoons and a few plastic trays or old baking dishes
Zip-top bags
Paper plates and paper towels

For making

Tape and string
Child-safe scissors (adult scissors stay with adults)
Paper, cardboard and rubber bands
Straws and balloons
Paper clips

Everyday materials to add

Salt, sugar and cornflour (cornstarch)
Baking soda and vinegar
Food coloring
A bar magnet (keep away from very young children, who might swallow it)
A few small objects for sorting, such as coins, corks, stones and spoons

For comfort and safety

An old towel or a plastic tablecloth
A cloth or sponge
Safety glasses for any activity that might splash

Avoid buying more than you need. You can add things as activities call for them.

Where to keep it

At a height children can reach, if you’re comfortable with them opening it. Otherwise keep it on a high shelf and let them ask.
Away from heat and damp.
Not with the cleaning products. Keep experiment materials and cleaning chemicals in different places.
Close to a sink or a hard floor, so it’s easy to use and tidy.

House rules for safe science

Agree on a few rules and put them on the lid of the box. Our kitchen science safety rules are a good starting point. A short list might be:

An adult is always close by for the experiment. Young children need an adult beside them.
Nothing from an experiment goes in our mouths. No tasting, no close sniffing.
Only an adult heats anything, and young children stay back.
We never mix cleaning products or chemicals from under the sink. We only use ingredients from the box or ones an adult hands us.
We wear safety glasses when something might splash or fly.
Hair tied back and sleeves pushed up.
We clean up when we’re done and wash our hands.
If something spills or goes wrong, we say so and an adult helps.

Check for allergies in your household before using food ingredients, and keep small parts away from toddlers.

Make it a routine

After each use, check the box and replace what you’ve run out of.
Add a “shopping list” card inside the lid.
Rotate a few seasonal items, like a thermometer for cold weather or a small trowel for the garden.
Let a child be in charge of keeping the box tidy.

Start with one or two activities

A new box invites exploring, but a plan helps too. For a first session, sort items by sink and float, then try Is Oobleck a Solid or a Liquid? or What Makes a Paper Plane Fly Farthest?.

Gathering supplies from recycling

Many families pick up useful things from recycling: clean jars, cardboard tubes, egg cartons and bottle tops. Check each item is clean and has no sharp edges. See science experiments with pantry staples for what you can do with kitchen items.

Keep going

Pair the box with a regular time, such as a 20-minute weekly science routine for families, and visit our parents page to see how each lesson lists what you need.