My five year old has decided that he really wants a Mythbusters-themed birthday this year. Yay for science! I want to do some age-appropriate experiments to entertain him and his friends. We’re thinking about the Mentos in a diet soda bottle as well as poprocks and soda in your mouth. I turn to the Dope for more ideas. What can we do that doesn’t involve cars, blackpowder, C4, and airplanes on treadmills?
I assume you’re looking more for “experiments” then mythbusting, right? My suggestion would be to head over to youtube and check out some of the old episodes of Mr Wizard and Beakman’s World (and maybe Newton’s Apple).
Ohh, I got one. Take two light birthday candles. Blow one out and immediately hold the wick about an inch over the still lit one…slowly bring it down closer. When it’s about a half inch away from the flame, the flame will jump up and relight it.
Wintogreen life-savers and tribo-luminescence. Two ways to do it; both involve a dark room* (bathroom with no window). Kids sit in a circle and crunch them between their teeth with their mouths open or Mom or Dad crunches them with a hammer. The life-savers emit photons on shearing.
*I did it once with kids in a cave.
Oooh another one. Get a florescent tube. Rub it with a silk cloth, it will light up. Why?
If you’re looking for experiments, mad science parties are pretty popular. You can buy all sorts of trinkets at science surplus places (various online). Try serving the drinks in plastic erlinmyer flasks or beakers. There are also several kits ( I got some at Fry’s electronics). There are the classic science fair experiments: baking soda volcanos, for example. My daughter’s class mixed red jello with the baking soda for maximum oooooooooh from the kids.
This said, you specifically said mythbusters, not science lab. Try all sorts of things:
- Step on a crack. Is his mom’s back broken? No!
- Do girls really have cooties? No!
- Does peanutbutter topped bread always fall face down? Yes!
There are quite a few books similar to the straight dope but for kids.
The key, knowing your demographic: mess!!!
Let me know if you need more ideas. I love mess!
Oh, two more ideas if wanting sciencey things:
electric pickles!
Also, I haven’t googled, but I saw a trick once where you dye hardboiled eggs and then stick in the microwave. Some of them will literally glow after you take them out.
:eek: Farm-Fresh Eggs - Now with Radiation!
If you can set up a few pulleys, that can be pretty impressive for a kid.
I remember being absolutely gobsmacked as a kid when I could “lift” 500 lbs of weight using a few pulleys and rope.
Damn, I’m strong.
/not really.
Question: Can you really jump off the roof holding a bedsheet as a parachute, and land perfectly safely?
Answer: Um, no.
And remember, it’s not a real Mythbusters themed party unless something gets exploded.
I have it on VERY good authority* that you are incorrect on this one.
*my 6 YO nephew
5 is a bit young, but I’d still suggest keeping your ear open for any real world questions he asks and then, if it seems feasible for his age, to have him figure out how to answer that question scientifically.
Here’s some to try:
http://www.need.org/needpdf/PriColorsandLight.pdf
http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/2004/Projects/J1529.pdf
http://www.need.org/needpdf/PriSunorShade.pdf
http://www.need.org/needpdf/IntCoolingFan.pdf
http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/2005/Projects/J0122.pdf
I’d suggest trying this one with a Hot Wheels car or something in a track with a balloon motor.
Sorry, I don’t have any specific experiments to suggest, but you might find some great ideas in the Edmund Scientific catalog, especially their Gift Ideas section.
When I was a kid, I used to fall asleep looking through the dead tree version of this.
Vinegar and baking soda. That’s pretty cool to begin with, but add some red food coloring and make a volcano. The kids will eat that up.
No ideas: but I just wanted to tell you that you have a really cool 5 year old on your hands. 
These are mostly demonstrations and not really myth busting. I’ll suggest
Liars: Are their pants really on fire?
Remember to use Buster for that one.
Another “not a myth, but a fun science project for five year olds” -
When my kids were that age we had our groceries delivered. They were delivered with dry ice. Dry ice, water and food coloring is wonderful fun.
Maybe the myth to test is “if I add all the primary colors, does it make black?”
another hypothesis to test is to put the dry ice in clear water - the fog is grey. If you add food color to the water, does the fog change color? To “mythbuster” in and get the fog to change color, use colored lights through the fog.
Another one is cornstarch as a “solid liquid” (non-newtonian liquid I guess - not enough of a science geek)
They did a show on duct tape last week. If you have a place where the kid could build a duct tape bridge a couple of feet off the ground, you can hand them a few rolls and let them start building.