It's Friday night, and you've been putting it off for a month. But on Monday, your child's science project is due. And you haven't even started. You need an easy science project that can be done quickly, but it has to be good...

It's not an easy thing to find! Science projects that are easy often don't meet the requirements of the teacher or the science fair. And projects that are fast often aren't enough to teach your child anything. We know. With four boys, our family has waited until the last minute to do a science project more than once. But the good news is that there really are good science experiments that can be done quickly and easily.

1. Find out exactly what type of project your child needs. Some teachers want a demonstration science project that the child can present to the class. Some teachers want a science report. Occasionally, scientific models or nature collections will be allowed. Most teachers, however, want an experiment based science project that follows the scientific method.
2. Ask your child for several ideas. He or she will be the scientist, after all!
3. Do an internet or library search for "science projects on..." You may find exactly what you need this way. Make a list of possible projects. Go ahead and discard projects that are on advanced chemistry.
4. Take a look at the ingredients and equipment. If there are items not readily available or are wickedly expensive, you'll know that project isn't for you. There are plenty of experiments that can be done with things in the home, or at the supermarket.
5. Find out how long the project takes. If it takes more than two or three days, you probably want to reconsider. The ideal easy science project will not take more than a few hours, in case something goes wrong and you have to repeat. And unfortunately, this does happen.

Although an easy science project isn't always easy to find, you and your child can work together to find a project that is easy to do, but also educational and fun!