Every day is an experiment.
I want everyone—from kids to adults—to experience the joy of science through play and simple experiments! Here, I share fun projects you can easily try at home. I highly recommend giving them a go with your children; there is so much you can only truly understand by getting your hands dirty and seeing the results for yourself.
I also write science books for a general audience, such as High School Physics Review for Adults (Kodansha). My books dive deeper into these experiments and the principles behind them, so please check them out if you are curious to learn more!
Top Recommended Science Crafts & Experiments
- Build a Plastic Bottle Rocket!: Experience the shocking power of thrust as it soars high into the sky! This is the ultimate classic experiment for feeling Newton’s Third Law (action and reaction) in action.
- An Edo-Era Experiment: The Terrifying 100-Person Shock: A traditional “electric shock” experiment dating back centuries. When everyone holds hands and a spark zaps through the entire group instantly, the thrill and sense of unity are truly unique!
Doing the experiment with Matsuo-san from the comedy duo Chocolate Planet!
- Homemade Sparklers & Homemade Snake Fireworks: Get captivated by the beauty of chemical reactions. From delicate, crackling sparks to eerie, growing “snakes,” these DIY fireworks offer discoveries you won’t find in store-bought versions.
- The CMY Magic Water Cube: Experience the magic of light! Pour in water and watch as a new cube mysteriously appears inside—it feels like a real magic trick.
- Visualize Sound with an Oscilloscope App!: Turn invisible sounds and electricity into visible waves. Ever wondered what the “shape” of your own voice looks like? Let’s take a peek!
- A Shocking Taste! The Static Electricity Drink: Feel a literal jolt on your lips the moment you take a sip! Experience the “scariest” drink ever created by science—a beverage charged with static electricity.
- Hydrogen and Oxygen Explosion Experiment!: With a loud “BANG!”, water is created instantly. Feel the raw energy of hydrogen and oxygen bonding together in this high-impact experiment.
- Handle with Care: The Thermite Reaction: Watch as extreme heat—enough to melt iron—is generated in seconds. The intense reaction of the metals looks like a miniature volcanic eruption!
- Braking Without Touching! Eddy Current Series: Stop a moving object using only the power of magnets—no physical contact required! This is the same “physics magic” used in the brakes of Maglev trains and the Shinkansen.
Science Column: Serious Physics for Everyday Life
Demystifying daily “Whys?” with formulas and theory.
- The Physics of Soba Towers: What keeps a towering stack of soba bowls standing? It’s all about the perfect balance of friction and center of gravity. Let’s find the tipping point!
- How to Walk in the Rain Without Getting Wet: Should you run or walk? By calculating the geometry of rain falling from above versus rain hitting you from the front, we determine the best way to stay dry.
- The Physics Hidden in Splash Mountain: Beyond the water spray lies the Law of Conservation of Energy. That steep drop is actually a grand experiment in potential energy!
- The Physics of the Tablecloth Pull: The secret to success is Inertia. We explain the mechanical reasons why heavier dishes actually make this trick easier to pull off.
- The Physics of High-Flying Fried Rice: The secret to perfectly fluffy rice lies in mechanics. We seriously analyzed the parabolic curves drawn by rice grains in a frying pan.
Experiments to Make You Fall in Love with Physics
Mechanics
Even Dad’s beer can will stand up like this!
Thermodynamics
Waves
Wavelengths
- Create Waves with a Slinky!
- Visualizing Longitudinal Waves
- Two Types of Wave Reflection
- Let’s Create Standing Waves!
Sound
Light
Electromagnetism
- Addictive! 20 Static Electricity Experiments
- See Infrared Light with Your Smartphone!
- Charging and Discharging Capacitors
- Linear Motor Car? No, it’s a Linear Motor BAR
- The Clip Motor
Build your own motor!