Cut a tall, empty potato chip can 2 inches from the bottom to divide it into two pieces. Using a thumbtack, make a hole in the metal end of the shorter piece. Place the can's plastic lid onto the shorter piece of tube and put the longer piece on top of that. Tape the pieces together. Wrap aluminum foil around the entire tube to block light. Go outside and hold the open end of the tube to one eye. Upside down color pictures will appear on the "screen" (lid) of the camera. Other light experiments include making a sun clock and bending light with a magnifying glass.
Hang a piece of thread to the edge of a table with tape. Tie a piece of cereal to the other end of the thread. Rub the comb through your hair several times. Bring the comb near the cereal. It will swing back and forth due to static electricity. Bend water with the same technique replacing the hanging cereal with running water from a faucet. To roll a can without touching it, rub a blown-up balloon quickly through your hair. Place an empty soda can on the table or floor and hold the charged balloon close to the can. The can will magically roll toward the balloon.
Place a ketchup packet into a 1-liter bottle filled with water. Screw the cap onto the bottle and squeeze the sides. The packet should sink when the bottle is squeezed and float when released due to buoyancy and density. Pour 3/4 cup of water into an empty 1-liter soda bottle. Add vegetable oil until full. Next add a few drops of food coloring and half of a seltzer tablet. Watch the oil bubbles make a lava lamp effect. See the effects of surface tension by making a paper clip float after adding a small piece of tissue to a bowl of water.
Create the classic volcano experiment by molding clay around a small glass or jar in a volcano shape. Add two spoonfuls of baking soda and a spoonful of dish soap to the glass. To cause an eruption, pour an ounce of vinegar into the mouth of the volcano. Explode a lunch bag by placing baking soda, vinegar and water into a zip top bag. Place the bag on the ground outside. The carbon dioxide that is formed will expand and explode. Clean dirty pennies by adding them to a bowl of vinegar and salt. The copper oxide will react with the acid to shine the pennies.