Skip to content
Gold Eagle Services
Try It

Can you do real air science at your kitchen table?

Yes! With cups, ice, water and a grown-up helper, you can see the same science that keeps your house cool in summer and warm in winter.

Manny, your Wing Force guide
Manny says“Grab a cup and some ice. Real science starts at the table!”

Scientists ask a question, try something, and watch closely. You can do that too. Every lab on this page uses things from your kitchen. Pick one, find a grown-up, and start.

The lab rule

A grown-up is your lab partner and handles any warm water.

Pick a lab

Each card tells you about how long it takes, how messy it is, and what the grown-up helps with.

Cloud in a Glass

Why does a cold cup get wet on the outside? Your AC does the same trick.

⏱ 10-15 minutes. 💧 A little wet. Grown-up helps: getting ice.

Cool by Evaporation

A wet cloth and a breeze. Find out why drying water makes things cooler.

⏱ 15 minutes. 💧 A little wet. Grown-up helps: a room fan, if you use one.

Warm Goes Up

Watch warm water and cold water with food coloring. Which way does warm go?

⏱ 15 minutes. 💧 Can drip. Grown-up helps: warm tap water.

Static Balloon

Rub a balloon and make paper bits jump. It is the same pull that helps some filters grab dust.

⏱ 10 minutes. 💧 No mess. Grown-up helps: blowing up the balloon.

Dust Detective

Shine a flashlight in a dark room and see what floats in the air. Then build a tiny filter.

⏱ 15 minutes. 💧 A little wet. Grown-up helps: the dark room.

Keep It Cold Race

Wrap ice cubes in different coats. Which one melts last? Your attic has a coat too.

⏱ 30-60 minutes. 💧 Melty. Grown-up helps: timing.

Science Fair Ideas

Need a project for your school science fair? Here are home air questions you can test.

⏱ A few days. 💧 Depends. Grown-up helps: planning.

How to be a great scientist

  1. Guess first. Before you start, say what you think will happen. A guess like this is called a hypothesis (hi-POTH-uh-sis).
  2. Change one thing at a time. If you change two things, you will not know which one made the difference.
  3. Watch closely. Look, listen and feel. Write down or draw what you notice.
  4. Do it again. Real scientists try more than once to be sure.
  5. Surprises count. If something does not happen, that is a result too. Write it down.
  6. Share it. Tell someone what you found and what you think it means.

Fun fact: Your refrigerator and your air conditioner work in a very similar way. Both move heat from inside to outside. That is why the back or bottom of a fridge feels a little warm.

My lab notes


Two pages: your lab plan, then a page to write what you measured.


Two pages: your lab plan, then a page to write what you measured.

Want to learn more first?

These pages help explain what you see in the labs.