Third Grade Outer Space Experiments

• Experiments teach kids about the sun, moon and other stars in the universe. Tim Robberts/Photodisc/Getty Images

  Outer space experiments help teach young kids the fundamentals of space, time and the various theories of life. Space is studied throughout all grades in school, yet when a child reaches a certain age, experimenting with hands-on projects nurtures a deeper understanding than simply reading from a text book.

Measure the Sun

• Finding out just how large the sun is educational. sun image by Bube from Fotolia.com

  Students will need to cut a square out of a piece of cardboard. Cover the square space with foil. With a thumb tack, poke a tiny hole in the center. Hold the board straight up so sunlight shines through the hole and onto a piece of paper. Students can then measure the space between the foil hole and paper, and the diameter of the light on the paper. Divide the diameter by the distance of hole to paper, then multiply that result by the distance the Earth is to the sun The end result will be the diameter of the sun. This can also be used for any other light-emitting source.

Creating Craters

• Moon craters are studied by dropping objects into flour. moon image by Augenblicke from Fotolia.com

  In a large tub, students can place an even layer of white flour, about 2 to 3 inches thick. Place a layer of cocoa powder at a depth of no more than a half inch over the smoothed flour surface. The contrast in color will make it easier to see crater formations. Stand on a chair and drop an object like a golf ball directly over the tub. By using objects of different sizes, students will begin to see the relationship of how large a crater is in comparison to an object's speed and mass. Objects can also be of abnormal shape to simulate the realistic properties of meteors.

Blue Sky

• Blue light has the shortest frequency so it scatters the most upon the sun's rays. Blue Sky image by Mistymorning from Fotolia.com

  Fill a small, clear tub with water--any size will do, but a longer tub will have the best results. Turn on a flashlight at one end of the tub. As light passes through the water, it breaks and is not seen at the other end very well. Dissolve powdered milk in the water. The amount of milk needed is based on the amount of water. The water should appear cloudy, but more importantly, the light should be visible at the end of the tub. Students will notice how the light changes color from beginning to end by looking down into the water. This illustrates how light particles are based on frequencies, and some light like blue, will have shorter frequencies. The shorter frequency is scattered the most by incoming light, thus making the sky blue.