Jam jar crafts and science experiments
A clean jar lets you watch what is happening inside, so it is the first thing to reach for in kitchen science. These projects use empty jam jars and other glass or plastic jars for growing, mixing, layering and making things glow, shake and fizz.
7 projects to try
Glowing Jack-o'-Lantern Jar
Turns an empty jam jar into a pumpkin lantern and shows the difference between translucent materials, which let light glow through, and opaque ones, which block it and make the face shapes.
Star Projector Jar
A small light inside a pricked foil jar throws tiny beams onto the walls, showing how light travels in straight lines and turning your room into a peaceful planetarium.
Bean in a Jar
Seeds sprout roots and shoots — you can watch a plant begin, up close.
🔒 PremiumWormery in a Jar
Worms mix and tunnel through soil — you can watch them build layers and help the garden.
🔒 PremiumNaked (Rubber) Egg
Vinegar (an acid) dissolves the hard shell, leaving the bendy membrane - and the egg swells as water moves in (osmosis).
🔒 PremiumWater Filter from a Bottle
Filtering removes bits from dirty water; layers trap different sizes of dirt (but don't make it safe to drink).
🔒 PremiumSalt or Sugar Crystal Garden
Dissolving, saturation and evaporation - crystals form as water leaves behind the salt or sugar.