Magic Toothpick Star Experiment

Young Learners Science Club

This Magic Toothpick Star Experiment is such a fun experiment for the kids. It’s a super simple way to have the kids create magic on their very own.

You’ll love the other fun STEM activities for kids for more science fun.

We’re all about trying out fun new activities. And when you can do one as simple as this, it makes it that much more fun. We’ve probably done this a zillion times, and I don’t see us stopping anytime soon.

This fun activity tickles the kids, and I love to see them laugh. They’ve never gotten tired of showing me this experiment over and over again, and I’ll never get tired of seeing it.

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Magic Toothpick Star Experiment

The best part about this experiment is that it’s easy to do. The kids can help gather up all the supplies and take over from there. As long as you’re there for parental guidance, you can have fun, too.

Sitting back and watching your kid’s mind explore how magic and science work together is fun. Seeing their eyes light up while they’re doing this trick is perfection as well.

This is a great activity to combine during the summer months. Have the kids make their own stars and then go outside and stare up at the stars as well.

Supplies Needed To Make This Magic Toothpick Star Experiment

Gather the supplies below to get started. You probably already have everything you need at home.

Start by having the kids take five toothpicks and bend them so that they break in half but are still attached. (You might need to help with this part)

You can then take the toothpicks and arrange them in the pattern below. The star is the main one that we did, but this would be a great way to challenge the kids to think outside the box and see what else they could do.

Put some water into the medicine dropper and then have the kids start to add the droplets of water in the middle of the star.

The water will start to expand and push out the broken toothpicks to form the star.

You can easily repeat this activity and see if the kids can make it work with different shapes, too.

The benefit of this Magic Toothpick Star Experiment

The great part about this simple toothpick experiment is that it’s easy to do. The kids will be able to start and finish an experiment, all on their very own.

This means that they’ll learn confidence and love the independence of setting up their own experiments.

Fun Ways to use this Magic Toothpick Star Experiment

Even though this makes for a super fun experiment for kids, there are many other things that they can use it for.

This can be a fun idea at a party, so your child can show off their magic skills! They’ll love showing the other kids and families that they have a magical ability to create stars.

You can also use this as a fun activity for the kids at a birthday party or playdate. Kids love anything related to magic, so this could work perfectly.

How to extend this science activity

If you want to make this more learning for the kids, there are things that you can do. Have them start by counting out the supplies and the materials needed.

They can then use that to work on their numbers and stay focused.

Once they are done with that, have them count out loud how many drops of water it takes to spread out the star. It’s fun to have them estimate the number of drops before they actually do it as well, and then compare to see how close they were.

After they do that, you can talk about the star’s shape and have them count the tips and points of the star. Another fun idea is to grab a piece of paper and have them draw a star as well while they’re looking at the star that they just created.

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Looking for the perfect STEM Book that will help you teach your child about important STEM concepts?

Grab one of these books and have fun trying awesome activities with your child!

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Fun way to learn about stars

One of the other fun learning aspects that you can do with this experiment is to get the kids outside. They can look up at the stars, count the stars, and just talk about what they say when they’re gazing up at the sky. This is a great way to get them out the door and out into nature.

It’s also a super fun way to have them explore their thoughts about stars and planets. If you have a telescope, grab it and get outside to see what you can see.

The more you can add space and the stars, the more the kids will be interested in staying on top of the learning lesson and learning more about it.

Don’t forget to add some really great books as well. These can give them plenty of fun information while helping them learn at the same time. Books about stars or planets are always a good idea, and they can really help the kids focus and want to learn more about a specific topic.

Magic Toothpick Star Experiment

Prep Time10 minutes
Active Time5 minutes

Equipment

  • Small plate
  • Small bowl of water

Materials

  • 5 Toothpicks
  • Medicine dropper

Instructions

  • Take the 5 toothpicks and bend them until they bend in half but becareful not to let them break fully apart.
  • Arrange the toothpicks so they create the pattern as seen in the pictures.
  • Fill up the medicine dropper with water.
  • Slowly add the water to the center of the toothpicks and watch the stargrow!

Video

This star experiment is one that they’ll love and want to do over and over again! Just make certain that you have all the supplies handy, and let the kids get started with all the fun!

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2 Comments

  1. Cheryl Luckett says:

    I think the Pre-K to 1st graders will like this. My theme in the library this coming school year is going to be camping. This will be a great experiment to do with them.
    Thank you!

    1. Wonderful! I’m so glad you’ll be trying this science experiment.

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