Hands-On Heating and Cooling of Matter Activities for Kids

June 3, 2026

Many hands-on activities related to heating and cooling of matter are very exciting. But it’s easy for the science to get lost in the fun. But with a little planning it is possible to have fun and learn the science too. In this post, I’ll show you a three hands-on activities that have students learning how substances change when heated or cooled.



Adult supervision is recommended for all activities. Parents and teachers should evaluate each activity for the age, ability, and needs of their children. By participating, you assume responsibility for any risks associated with the activity

Melting Crayons

Time: 15 minutes


Materials:

  • Crayons
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Hair Dryer


Steps:

  1. Create a bowl using aluminum foil.
  2. Remove paper off crayons.
  3. Break apart crayons into small pieces.
  4. Place crayon pieces in the aluminum foil container.
  5. Hold a hair dryer (on low) over the crayons until they melt.
  6. After the crayons have melted leave the melted crayons to solidify again.


Concepts

  • Adding heat causes crayons to melt and turn into a liquid.
  • When cooled the crayons solidify and turn back into a solid.


What students Observe

  • After several minutes the crayons will melt.
  • After several hours of cooling the crayons will solidify again.


Concepts

  • Heating causes the crayons to melt and turn into a liquid.
  • Cooling cause the crayons to solidify and turn back into a solid.


Keeping the science in the forefront:

  • As students are completing this activity ask them:
  • What is happening to the crayons?
  • What is causing that to happen?
  • What would happen if we took the hair dryer away?

Hot Butter

Time: 15 minutes


Materials:

Coffee mug

Butter

Metal Spoon 

Hot Water


Steps:

  1. Place a small amount of butter on a metal spoon.
  2. Place the spoon upside down in the coffee mug with the butter out of the water.
  3. An adult should put hot water in the cup.
  4. Observe the changes for several minutes. 


What students observe:

  • The butter will start to melt and eventually slide down the spoon.
Coffee mug with a metal spoon and butter on it.

Concepts

  • The hot water heated the spoon which heated the butter.
  • The butter is starting to change from a solid to a liquid.

Keeping the science in the forefront:

Ask students after the butter melts.

  1. What happened to the butter?
  2. What caused that to happen?
  3. What would happen if we continued to heat the butter?
  4. What do you think would happen if we cooled the butter? 

Racing Ice Cubes

Time: 10 minutes


Materials:

  • Ice cubes
  • Cardboard
  • Something to put under the cardboard to make a slight incline.
  • Stopwatch or timer


Steps:

  1. Build a ramp using the cardboard. (We used sticky notes to make a slight incline).
  2. Place the ice cube on the ramp.
  3. Time how long it takes for the ice cube to slide down or off the ramp.
  4. Place an ice cube on your arm.
  5. Time how long it takes for the ice cube to slide down or off your arm.
Cardboard ramp with an ice cube on it.

What students Observe

The ice cube slides off the arm much faster than the cardboard.


Concepts

  • Warmer temperatures (your arm) cause the ice to melt faster than something that is cooler (the cardboard).
  • Melting causes the ice to melt into a liquid.

Keeping the science in the forefront:

During the investigation ask students:

  • Why did it melt faster on that item? 
  • What is another surface that would cause the ice to melt even faster?

FAQ

How long does it take for the melted crayons to harden again?

It can take several hours. I recommend you let them sit out overnight and the next day they should be solid again. And since they are still crayons you can give them to students to use!


What can I use if I don't have enough metal spoons for the class?

Definitely ask your students families or coworkers if they will let you borrow some. You can also check the cafeteria. Even if they serve plastic spoons to the students they may still have some metal spoons laying around.


What if some students ice melts faster than others?

That’s okay! Sometimes people can be doing the same investigation and get slightly different results. You can use this as a great discussion with students.

3rd Grade Matter & Energy Lesson Plan Cover for NC Teachers

Looking for ready-to-use lessons on this topic?

These activities are part of our 3rd Grade Matter Lesson Plans, which include detailed lesson plans, investigations, projects, and many other activities to help students understand matter and energy.
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