Steve Spangler Science® Growing Bacteria Kit

• Our most popular kit for Science Fair
• Includes easy-to-make nutrient agar
• Step-by-step scientific method guide
• Learn about germs and where they can be found!

You Can Smell a Good Science Fair Project a Block Away…

Learn about germs and where they can be found!

Creating an all-inclusive science fair kit can be difficult. The project has to be simple enough for young scientists to grasp, but the experiment also needs the ability to be taken further. That’s what we’ve accomplished with the Bacteria Growing Kit. It’s no wonder this kit is hugely popular with science savvy parents everywhere!

It begins with the easy-to-make nutrient agar

This is the same nutrient agar used by microbiologists to grow really funky stuff in the lab. Everything you need to prepare and store the bacteria is right in the kit: cotton swabs, petri dishes, and a microwave-safe plastic beaker. All that’s left to do is design your experiment. Don’t worry, we’ll help you out there, too.

What Does It Teach?

This kit allows young students to observe bacteria growing in a petri dish and offers ways for older students to explore bacteria growth further. It helps young scientists develop an understanding of the scientific method while learning some awesome (and disgusting) science. The hands-on method, activity guide, and some gross science is all your child needs to get a kick out of the science fair.

Make a Science Fair Connection

If you want to do a science fair project about germs, you have to add a variable, or something that changes in the experiment. In the Growing Bacteria activity, adding a hand sanitizer is a variable. Make one dish of germs (as the control), one dish of germs with a drop of hand sanitizer, and a third dish with another brand of hand sanitizer. See which hand sanitizer is more effective in the fight against germs. Make sure all three Petri dishes have germs collected from the same place at the same time. The dishes also need to be grown in the same warm, dark place for the same amount of time so that the conditions are standardized as much as possible.

Other Ways to Make the Bacteria Growing Kit into a Science Fair Project:

Here are some examples of independent variables. Choose only ONE independent variable to test:
Door Knobs – Which door knob has the most bacteria?
Mouths – Which mouth is the cleanest?
Dental Care – How clean does my mouth really get?

How Long Does it Take to Grow?

Our little scientists were seeing results in about 24 hours with great growth after a week. Your results will be dependent on the environment. Your students may have heard that bacteria can make them sick. Now they can see bacteria for themselves!

What’s Included?

Bacteria Growing Kit
6 large, 10 cm (3.5?) diameter Petri Dishes
6 cotton swabs
5 g (0.17 oz) of Nutrient Agar
600 mL Plastic Beaker
Activity Guide