Science Week Ideas for Primary Schools: 20 Easy Activities
- May 3
- 3 min read
Simple Science Week ideas for primary schools that are practical, exciting and easy for busy teachers to organise.
Science Week is a brilliant chance to make science feel exciting across the whole school.
It does not need to involve complicated planning, expensive equipment or a packed timetable. Some of the best Science Week ideas are simple activities that help children ask questions, test ideas, build, explore and talk about what they notice.
Here are 20 easy Science Week ideas for primary schools.
1. Start With a Science Assembly
Launch the week with a short whole-school assembly. Share exciting science facts, introduce the theme and set pupils a challenge to complete during the week.
2. Run a Balloon Rocket Challenge
Children can attach balloons to straws and send them along string tracks. This is a simple way to explore forces, movement and air pressure.
3. Hold an Egg Drop Challenge
Pupils design a protective container for an egg, then test it by dropping it from a height. It is exciting, memorable and great for teamwork.
4. Create a Science Question Wall
Set up a display where pupils can add questions such as “Why is the sky blue?” or “How do magnets work?” This encourages curiosity across the school.
5. Make Mini Volcanoes
Using baking soda and vinegar, pupils can create fizzing volcanoes and observe a simple chemical reaction.
6. Invite Pupils to Design Posters
Ask children to create posters about science, scientists, inventions or the importance of asking questions.
7. Try a Paper Aeroplane Investigation
Pupils can test different paper aeroplane designs to see which flies the furthest or lands most accurately.
8. Run a Science Gadget Shop
A Science Gadget Shop can give pupils a fun, practical science-themed event while also helping the school raise funds.
9. Create a Scientist of the Day Display
Feature a different scientist each day. Include people from a range of backgrounds and fields, such as space, nature, medicine, engineering and computing.
10. Build Spaghetti Towers
Give pupils spaghetti and marshmallows, then challenge them to build the tallest free-standing tower.
11. Explore Magnets
Children can test classroom objects to find out which are magnetic, then sort and record their results.
12. Grow Seeds
Plant seeds and observe them over the week. Pupils can record changes through drawings, measurements or photographs.
13. Hold a Science Quiz
Run a class, house or whole-school science quiz. Include questions about animals, plants, space, materials, forces and famous scientists.
14. Make a Class Science Book
Each pupil contributes one page about an experiment, science fact, invention or scientist. Put the pages together as a class book.
15. Create a STEM Challenge Day
Each class completes a practical challenge, such as building bridges, designing parachutes or creating boats that float.
16. Set Up a Science Reading Corner
Display science books linked to space, animals, nature, inventions and the human body. Encourage pupils to read like scientists.
17. Investigate Shadows
Pupils can observe how shadows change during the day and record what they notice.
18. Make Science Vocabulary Displays
Create a display of key science words, definitions and pictures. This is useful for supporting pupils during the week and beyond.
19. Involve Parents
Send home a simple science challenge that families can try together, such as finding examples of materials, forces or living things at home.
20. Celebrate the Week
Finish with a celebration. Share photos, pupil work, investigation results, posters, models or certificates.
Keep Science Week Simple
Science Week does not have to be huge to be successful.
A few well-chosen activities can create a real buzz across the school. The most important thing is that pupils get the chance to be curious, practical and involved.
Free Science Week Resources
If you are planning Science Week, you can access free resources inside our Member’s Hub.
At Inspire Science Education, we provide free Science Week resources for primary schools, including activity ideas, posters, investigations, pupil tasks and support materials for busy teachers and Science Leads.
You can access the free Science Week resources here:
Final Thoughts
The best Science Week ideas are often the simplest ones.
Whether pupils are launching balloon rockets, building towers, testing magnets or running a Science Gadget Shop, the aim is to make science feel exciting, practical and memorable.
