When you study electricity, give your students a size D battery in a holder, 4 E10 lamp bases with bulbs, insulated wire, bare copper wire, a small screw driver to match the terminal screws on the lamp bases and a knife blade switch. Instead of having them read about circuits, or listen to a lecture about circuits, let them make their own circuits. Begin with a simple closed circuit, add the switch to open and close the circuit and move on to parallel and series circuits. Experiment with using a solar panel, more batteries, a buzzer or power a small motor or fan.
Help your students explore buoyancy by making Cartesian divers. Each student needs an empty 2-liter clear soft drink bottle with a cap, five unopened soy sauce or ketchup packets and a bowl of water. Tell them to test the packets one at a time to find one that floats just above the water line in the bowl, fold the packet to fit into the bottle, fill it with water and tighten the cap. Students should squeeze the sides of the bottle. The packet will sink because they have increased the pressure in the bottle and compressed the air bubble in the packet.
As you teach states of matter, let each student make "quicksand" with a box of cornstarch, two cups of water and a large mixing bowl. Tell the students to put 1/4 box of cornstarch and 1/2 cup water in the bowl. Mix it by hand. Continue adding cornstarch and water until the cornstarch is gone, and the consistency is like honey. Students should move their hands fast, then slowly through the mixture. Tell them to put their entire hand into the mixture and try to pull it out. Like real quicksand, this mixture is both liquid and solid.
Take your students outside for a physical science experiment about water and air pressure. Give each student a milk jug of water with food coloring, a clear glass and a postcard. Tell the students to fill their glasses with colored water and place the postcard over the rim of the glass. They should hold the postcard tightly against the glass, and quickly turn the glass upside down. When they remove their hand from the card, the air pressure from below the postcard will hold it in place.