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I’ve got some awesome, easy and affordable science party ideas for you today for the nerdy kid in your life! Just kidding, the really cool thing is I’m pretty sure all kids would LOVE a party like this! And I’m here to make it super simple for you. I think I’ve got everything you need in fact. Right here, in this very post. No need to go clicking all over the place. You’re welcome, friend!
Science Party Invitation
I was a bit giddy with how these invitations turned out when I finished designing them. Because the name is personalized with periodic table elements I can’t really provide a free template, but I am happy to make one for you ($10 payable via paypal or venmo). Just email the details to partylikeacherry@gmail.com and you will receive a digital JPG file you can have printed wherever you print your photos.
I usually just print them at Walmart (budget option) or Basic Invite (high quality option) as 5X7 cards. The Basic Invite cards are really beautiful and you can use code partylikeacherry for a discount!
DIY Science Party Decorations
Wall Sized Periodic Table
My first idea for decorating for the science party was a ginormous wall sized periodic table. I did a lot of brainstorming because, as usual, I was trying to do this all as cheaply as possible. We could print out posters for each element but that would have been very pricy.
I ended up just printing 8X8 elements (so I could use my home computer) and mounting them on 10X10 squares of black construction paper (which I cut from some 12X18 sheets I had).
In the middle of the Periodic Table I put the birthday boys name written with elements (like on the invitation). I did those in a different color and font than the rest of the elements so it would pop more. I used sticky tack to hang them each up on the wall. I ended up doing 5 rows, and then the Hydrogen and Helium in the top corners with the balloon garland in the middle.
I made a smaller version of this that says “happy birthday” that is available in my Science Party Bundle.
DIY Beakers
The beakers were so much fun to make! I cut them free hand out of some black craft paper. Then I just used regular elmers glue to glue on some green scrunched up tissue paper. Finally I added the clear balloons to make it look like it was bubbling over.
If you’ve never done a balloon garland, the key is to use garland tape. Then you just stick your balloons in and they stay together in a nice shape. I used 3M hooks and U Glue dashes to hang it on the wall and have it keep its shape.
Science Party Tablescape
Tablescapes are so fun for me! Dreaming up the place settings and centerpieces is the stuff that occupies my mind in school pick up lines and grocery store check outs. I have never bought a party pack before but actually bought a science party pack from Oriental Trading because it had a lot of elements that I was looking at individually. That is where the tablecloth, plates, napkins and favor boxes came from.
I was able to borrow the beakers and test tubes from a local science teacher and the blue liquid is sugar free powerade (I thought it had a better color to it than the regular powerade).
(just wash them really well first!)
Each place setting also had a petri dish (that I ordered from amazon) with Jell-O and gummy worms inside. I learned it works better if you put the two gummy worms in first, than slowly pour the jello into each dish. The kids devoured them!
I used the favor boxes at each place setting as a way to indicate who was sitting where. I didn’t get a photo of the contents! But inside I had: silicon periodic table bracelets, candies, a calculator (cheap $1.50 ones from walmart), sticky note pads, a dropper (they came with the petri dishes and I didn’t need them so I threw them in), and a balloon with the helium periodic table element on it (I had left over colors I didn’t want to use in my garland so I put them in the favor boxes).
Attached to each favor box was their personalized security clearance ID badge. I can personalize these for your party: Digital file is $10 (up to 20 names) or you can purchase the generic version in my science party bundle.
I punched holes in the top and used these retractable ID badge holders to clip them onto their lab coats. The kids thought the retractable badge holders were pretty nifty.
Speaking of the lab coats, I got mens white button down short sleeved shirts from the thrift store and used my cricut to add the Jackson Labs logo. You can order lab coats like these from amazon, but I was trying to find a cheaper route. I got lucky and found 4 identical mens dickies work shirts at our thrift store. I can design a logo with your child’s name and send you precut heat transfer vinyl that you just iron on. If interested send me an email partylikeacherry@gmail.com. I hung their lab coats and safety goggles on the back of their chairs.
The centerpieces were my pride and joy. Birthday boy requested cake pops. So I made it my mission to make the cake pops into something science related. In the end we got these, which I think look a bit like molecules, what do you think?
To assemble them I used floral foam as a base, wrapped it in orange tissue paper, then stuck the cake pops in (alternating 4inch lollipop sticks and 6 inch lollipop sticks). Last, I connected each cake pop with a toothpick to make it look like a molecule. I used Sally’s Baking Addiction cake pop recipe. They were sure delicious!
I learned (after the fact) that you can thin the candy melts with coconut oil. The green chocolate was really thick which made dipping the cake pops difficult. I guess I know for next time! Also I had extra beakers, and looking back I wish I had filled those beaker with mike & ikes (like I did with a test tube on the dessert table) and put one between each block of cake pops. Ah well! There’s always something I wish I had done differently.
Science Party Dessert Table
The dessert table featured a microscope with a jello petri dish under it, beakers full of jello, a gian test tube full of mike & ikes (I was able to borrow the beakers and test tubes from a local science teacher), and periodic table cupcakes!
The fun cupcake stand is actually meant to hold little cones full of treats, but I just stuck the cupcakes on top of those holes. And I’ve made the cupcake toppers available as a free printable! If you’d also like your child’s name personalized as a cupcake topper, just email me at partylikeacherry@gmail.com ($7 digital file).
We had a microscope, and actually one of the activities was to look at some neat things under it, but we didn’t get to it! I think they would have gotten a kick out of the rocks and organisms we had to inspect. But at least it made for good decoration ;).
The tablecloth is an emergency blanket I reused from our space party.
I used the left over jello from the petri dishes to pour into these science measuring glasses, and then stuck a stirring stick in.
Fun Science Party Activities
I had a few activities and experiments planned for our little scienctists:
Make Your Own Fluffy Slime
This was recommended to me by the science teacher as one of the kids “all time favorites.” To do this activity you need:
- 2/3 cup white glue (I just had each kid dump a whole bottle in)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup water
- 2-3 cups shaving cream (just the cheap stuff)
- Food coloring
Mix these ingredients together in a bowl. Add 1-2 tablespoons of contact solution and mix with a spoon vigorously until thickens. Once it gets really thick and you can pick it up, work it with your hands for another 5-10 minutes. Store in a Ziploc bag.
I didn’t try this experiment ahead of time and when we first started mixing the ingredients and nothing was really happening I got worried! But stir it long enough and it indeed turns into something quite fun to play with! The kids loved it.
I definitely recommend doing it outside, I also got big aluminum tins for them to each do their experiment in to reduce mess. And stir, stir, stir! Vigorously!
Learn about Matter!
You guys, I had to watch a lot of crappy videos before I found this one that I thought would hold the kids interest and did a really good job explaining the fundamentals of atoms, matter and elements. After watching the video and talking about it a bit we did our own demonstration of how elements can react to each other with the Tie Dye milk experiment. This is a quick one, has a big wow factor, and uses materials you probably already have on hand so its a good one!
We also tried the cereal and iron experiment from the video, but that did not work out too well. Maybe we didn’t have a strong enough magnet?
Watch Flubber
Finally, we watched the Movie Flubber. We were going to make ball and stick molecule models out of grapes and toothpicks, like this and also look at things under the microscope. But they got busy playing so we just left it at that. Hopefully that gives you some good ideas to get started planning your activities!
Science Party Shopping List- Awesome Finds!
- Black construction paper
- Sticky tack
- Science party tablecover
- Dinner plates (oriental trading may have a better price for these paper products)
- Dessert plates
- Periodic Table bracelets
- Helium element balloons
- Favor Boxes
- Badge holders
- Petri Dishes
- Lab coats & safety goggles/glasses
- Treat stand (check oriental trading for pricing as well)
- Experiment supplies
Free Printables
I’ve got a few free printables for you below, but if you’d like to purchase the entire bundle you can add to cart with the button below. Thanks so much for your support!
Click on the images to download these cupcake toppers. I mounted them on black cardstock and a toothpick.
Make sure you’re following along on Instagram to see all my party prep in real time! And feel free to send me a DM!
So much fun! My son who is 8 would love this party!
Thanks Heena! Yes that is the perfect age!
Alia Cherry recently posted…Army Camo Party Ideas
Beautiful! This looks like a really fun party! Thanks for all of the helpful ideas and tips. I am planning to order some products from you for my daughter’s 8th birthday party!
Thanks so much Jenn! Look forward to your order.