Chemistry resources for home learning

Whether you're a parent, carer or home school educator, explore a variety of activities and challenges that can be used to support children’s chemistry education from home.

More resources coming soon.

• Activities for 11-14 year-olds

• Activities for 14-16 year-olds

• Activities for 16-19 year-olds

Resources for 11-14 year-olds

• PURE WATER

  How do hot countries or areas cope with the demand for water? This video helps explain more.

  

• DESIGNING AND TESTING A BRIDGE

  How do structural engineers design and test bridges? Find out with the video and then have a go at the activities that help you understand the science behind it!

  

• plastics challenge

  After a number of mini activities such as sorting plastics, a degradable timeline and making bioplastics, the main challenge is to produce a new product by reusing or recycling plastics.

  

• ditch the dirt

  Find out why access to clean water isn't something everyone in the world can take for granted, then design and make a water filter.
   

  

• beat the flood

  After testing different materials for absorbency and strength, design and build a model of a flood-proof house suitable for families in Bangladesh.
   

  

• Milking it

  Many of the products we buy today are made from or contain plastic. This activity explores how to make plastic using just milk and vinegar with different ideas for applications.

  

• pop rockets

  This pop rocket challenge will show how a chemical reaction occurs when you mix things together to make cool things happen.

  

• chemical eruption

  Complete this challenge to recreate the reaction of a volcano using baking soda and vinegar.  

  

• Make your own indicator

  You can use these instructions to make your own indicator and test substances you have at home. What is the pH of shampoo vs conditioner?
   

  

• The secrets of spider silk

  This film looks at the properties of spider silk, helping students learn about how we use natural materials as inspiration for research. Perhaps make a note of new words used to look up later?
   

  

• My favourite element

  Watch these videos where celebrities say what their favourite element is and then make a poster, video or find more about one of the elements.

  

• Garbage Guru

  Activities to help young people understand the role of micro-organisms in recycling.
   

  

• Oxford Sparks for KS3

  This is a complete series of plans and activities for key stage 3 chemistry.
   

  

• Interactive periodic table

  Explore trends in the properties and behaviour of different elements, and develop your understanding of the patterns of the Periodic Table.

  

• What happens to your drinks can?

  This paper-based activity lets you have a look at data around recycling. What do the numbers say? How do we go about recycling metals or plastics, perhaps find out after this!

  

• The chemistry of cosmetics

  A great website that could be used for project work, can you find out about the chemicals you have in everyday products?
   

  

• Reactants products and leftovers

  Work out what is going on in chemical equations using this animation and why the mass stays the same in a reaction.

  

• Molecules of Life

  A collection of games that looks at the molecules needed for life to exist. Perhaps you can play these in your family and learn something together?

  

• Balancing chemical equations

  Explore the conservation of mass and balance chemical equations.
   

  

• Futurecade games

  Can we actually combat climate change? Use this game to explore this idea and find out more. Find ‘Cloud control’ under the Futurecade games sections and then look at the science behind it in ‘Geoengineering’.

  

Resources for 14-16 year-olds

• Climate change

  This video gives you an introduction to the science behind climate change. What are the main issues, why is it so controversial? Perhaps start researching some of the ideas that are brought up here.
  
  

• compound chemistry infographics

  Some fabulous infographics that give facts and figures behind loads of topics! Find out more about the newest periodic table elements, nuclear power use or even how hand sanitiser works. 
  
  

• plastics challenge

  After a number of mini activities such as sorting plastics, a degradable timeline and making bioplastics, the main challenge is to produce a new product by reusing or recycling plastics.

  

• beat the flood

  After testing different materials for absorbency and strength, design and build a model of a flood-proof house suitable for families in Bangladesh.
   

  

• Ionic bonding: check your understanding

  This activity consists of a series of questions which you can ask students to check their understanding of common problems with ionic bonding. Don't worry, the answers are in there too!

  

• The secrets of spider silk

  This film looks at the properties of spider silk, helping students learn about how we use natural materials as inspiration for research. Perhaps make a note of new words used to look up later?

  

• Balancing chemical equations

  Use this interactive simulation to practice the skill of balancing chemical equations. With a variety of games and skill levels, there is something for everyone.

  

• Interactive build an atom simulation

  Explore the structure of an atom, the element symbols from the periodic table and play a game to cement the learning.

  

• Gridlocks

  A set of puzzles about the ionic formulae and atomic structure.

  

• Atom detectives

  The different models of atom through history, with answer sheets.

  

• Mathematical skills in triple science

  This set of activities allows you to work through at your own pace to develop your maths skills.
   

  

• Acid rain

  This activity lets you have a look in more depth about acid rain in Europe. If you would like a challenge, compare the English one to a language you are studying in school!

  

• Organic reaction maps

  Asks students to put together information on organic reactions (with answer slides).
   

  

• Evidence for particles

  What happens in dissolving and diffusion? This resource takes you through this crucial underpinning concept with animations and examples.

  

• Reactants products and leftovers

  Work out what is going on in chemical equations using this animation and why the mass stays the same in a reaction.

  

• Molecules of Life

  A collection of games that looks at the molecules needed for life to exist. Perhaps you can play these in your family and learn something together?

  

• SSERC chemistry experiments

  Missing doing practical work? These videos are of some common school chemistry experiments you can use to make sense of your home learning.

  

• Periodic videos

  A great collection of videos based on periodic table elements. Some experiments, history and uses of elements and the chemistry behind them is explained.

  

• Balancing chemical equations

  Explore the conservation of mass and balance chemical equations.
   

  

• Process Chemistry

  How do chemists usually work on developing new drugs? This article explains with links to find out more about the careers you could follow.

  

• Futurecade games

  Can we actually combat climate change? Use this game to explore this idea and find out more. Find ‘Cloud control’ under the Futurecade games sections and then look at the science behind it in ‘Geoengineering’.

  

Resources for 16-19 year-olds

• Starters for ten

  Printable questions on a range of topics.

  

• Independent learning projects

  Independent learning for post-16 chemistry.

  

• compound chemistry infographics

  Some fabulous infographics that give facts and figures behind loads of topics! Find out more about the newest periodic table elements, nuclear power use or even how hand sanitiser works. ​
  
  

• reaction mechanisms

  Order these reaction mechanism steps and then check off your answers.​
  
  
  
  

• Organic pathways

  Apply your knowledge of organic synthesis to the manufacture of an unfamiliar molecule.

  

• Ionisation energy

  A set of questions and answers to look at misconceptions regarding ionisation energy.

  

• The essential chemical industry

  An excellent online book that can be used to look at how the Chemistry at A level is used in real life.

  

• Chemistry captured videos

  A collection of 43 video clips on chemical reactions.
   

  

• SSERC chemistry experiments

  Missing doing practical work? These videos are of some common school chemistry experiments you can use to make sense of your home learning.

  

• Periodic videos

  A great collection of videos based on periodic table elements. Some experiments, history and uses of elements and the chemistry behind them is explained.

  

• Thermodynamics questions

  A set of questions and their answers to practise calorimetry, Hess’s law and using bond enthalpies.

  

• Combinatorial Chemistry

  Find out how new drugs are developed in the context of polypeptides. There is background information, questions and the answers to help.

  

Page last updated: 6 July 2020