One easy, fun science project for second graders tests the cleaning power of different dishwashing detergents. The child should purchase a small container of three to five brands of dishwashing soap. Each night, the child should wash dishes with a different soap. The child should note which bubbles cleaned best, which produced the most bubbles, which had the longest-lasting bubbles and which left the dishes streak-free after washing. Use this data to find the best soap for hand-washing dishes.
This project investigates which packaging material will keep a raw egg the safest. The child should secure eggs in a variety of packaging material of her choice. Allow her to choose anything, from gelatin to traditional packaging materials. The child should drop the containers from the same height and record the condition of the egg after the drop. How many drops does it take to break the eggs in each packaging material? Which is the best overall packaging material?
This science project allows a second grader to find out the age of a tree without cutting it down to count the rings. The child should measure the tree's shadow to find its height. The child will then use the research about how fast a tree grows to determine the age of the tree. For best results, the child should try to guess the age of a tree that has a known age, such as a tree at a local arboretum. The child should specify in his project whether determining the age of a tree through the height measuring method is accurate enough to be used in the real world.
The child should record the weather every day for a month. Use simple weather terms, such as sunny, cloudy, rainy, partly cloudy or snowy. After one month, the child should study the average weather temperatures and forecasts for the upcoming month. From this data and the data the child collected himself, he should make a weather prediction for the following month. At the end of the second month, the child should make a report specifying whether or not his research was enough to accurately predict the weather for a month.