What are some cool science projects for an 8 year old?

Question

My daughter is in a science fair in a couple of weeks.

Answer 1

The classic is the vinegar and baking soda volcano. Add some food coloring for a little extra pizzaz.

You can make a basic catapult from dowels, rubber bands, and a plastic spoon.

If you have a small pet, like a hamster, and the rules don't bar live animals, she could do a display on the life cycle of hamsters.

A display of the water cycle should be doable - rain falls, it runs off into lakes and rivers, it goes into the ocean, it evaporates and falls as rain. Added points for putting in water tables and aquifers, pollution, wells, etc.

Of course, making the display is only half the fun. She'd need some sort of report to go with it to really make it work well.

Answer 2

for the vinegar + baking soda volcano one add some washing up sods - it adds to the effect.

she could show movement of water in plants - get some white flowers and put them in little jars of food clouring - -the result is the flowers can change colours. very pretty

if you want to copper plate a nail - get some copper coins - the more the better - and soak them in vinegar for an hour
. cover them in salt then while still in the vinegar. after a few more hours remove the coins and add a nail to the solution. it takes overnight but it should become coated in copper. this works quite well