- 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!
SKU: WAGR-600
Product Description
You can smell a good science project a block away…
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 now wonder this kit is hugely popular with science savvy parents everywhere!
The Bacteria Growing Kit 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. From there, everything you need 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’s Included?
- Bacteria Growing Kit
- 6 large, 10 cm (3.5″) diameter Petri dishes
- 6 cotton swabs
- 5 grams of Nutrient Agar
- 600 mL plastic beaker
- Activity guide
What Does It Teach?
We’ve designed a kit and guide to help young scientists develop an understanding of the scientific method while learning some awesome (and disgusting) science. The hands-on method, an great guide, and some gross science is all your child needs to get a kick out of science fair. Make sure you check out the “Science Fair Connection” tab below to make sure you and your scientist grow bacteria safely and get the most out of the project you can.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it dangerous?
You are growing bacteria and bacteria is not something that you really want around. Always keep your lids and safety seals on your petri dishes. You don’t want the spores to get everywhere and grow places where you don’t want them. Also, throw the safety sealed petri dishes away in a zipper-lock bag. You don’t want to keep it because you are creating an environment for bacteria to grow and you don’t want growth to get out of hand.
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.
Is there a test for the type of bacteria?
No. The lesson here is to not really be able to identify which type you are growing but instead to record the growth.
Is your agar made from seaweed?
Yes and no. By definition agar is a seaweed derivative. However, our nutrient agar also contains soy nutrients to help facilitate bacteria growth.
Science Fair Connections
Just growing bacteria in a Petri dish is not a science fair experiment. Yes, it is gross and cool and fascinating, but it doesn’t meet the requirements of a science fair project. If you want to do a science fair project about germs, you have to add a variable, or something that changes in the experiment.
With the Bacteria Growing Kit, adding an anti-bacterial hand sanitizer is a variable. Make one dish of germs and one dish of germs with a drop of the anti-bacterial sanitizer or, better yet, make three dishes–one as the control (just germs), one with an anti-bacterial sanitizer, and a third dish with another brand of anti-bacterial sanitizer. Then you can see which anti-bacterial sanitizer is more effective in killing germs. Just make sure that all three Petri dishes have germs from the same place in your home or classroom so that you know they are all exposed to the same bacteria. They 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.
Growing bacteria is such a popular activity that we’ve written it up as a sample science fair project (see the link below). The sample project describes the swabbing technique to collect the germs and gives you lots of helpful hints about growing bacteria. It makes suggestions about variables and gives you some ideas to make the project your own. What it doesn’t give you is the data. What fun would that be? Don’t you want to do the experiment for yourself and see what discoveries you make?
Other ways to make the Bacteria Growing Kit into a science fair project:
Examples of Independent Variables: (choose only ONE independent variable to test)
Door Knobs
Start up question – Which door knob has the most bacteria?
Variations to the independent variable: bathroom door knob, your bedroom door knob, your front door knob
Mouths
Start up question – Which mouth is the cleanest?
Variations to the independent variable: your mouth, your mom’s mouth, your teacher’s mouth, your dog’s mouth
Dental Care
Start up question – How clean does my mouth really get?
Variations to the independent variable: no brushing, brushing, brushing and mouth wash OR test different toothpastes – before brushing/after brushing with Colgate, before brushing/brushing with Crest, before brushing/brushing with Arm & Hammer, etc.
SICK Science® is a registered trademark of Steve Spangler, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Safety Information
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Call: 303-798-2778
Toll Free: 800-223-9080
Monday – Friday
8:30 am – 5:00 pm (MST)
Steve Spangler Science
4400 South Federal Blvd
Englewood, Colorado 80110
5 out of 5 Fun, but be careful!
Lisa –
I decided to swab my tongue. Interesting stuff grew! A few days later, found out I had walking pneumonia. We had to carefully dispose of that dish!
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5 out of 5 Swabbed everything..
Cj –
My son swabbed everything he could think of, classmates volunteered belly buttons,hands etc, kids with sore throats, etc.. then they went swabbed cell phones and keyboards all of these examples yielded the wildest results!! This made my children and even my sons class mates aware of how important good hygiene is! Plenty of agar for dishes, it doesn’t take much, to fill it to the half way point. Agar sets up fast! Directions are clear, and easy to follow. Thanks so much!
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Question
silence3 (verified owner) –
How far in advance can you prepare the agar solution in the petri dish before you add the bacteria source?
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lisabrooks –
We recommend using it right away, once the agar hardens, to avoid contamination.
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Question
silence3 (verified owner) –
Is the agar solution in the petri dish solid enough to transport sideways or tilted once it cools?
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lisabrooks –
If the agar gets too warm, it can become liquified again. Make sure it stays cold and it should be able to be on its side for a short period.
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Question
Reece Martis –
What is some harmless bacterial cultures I can buy (not swab) for a school lab on the effects of honey on bacteria (it has to be commercially abatable, cheap, and harmless).
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lisabrooks –
We do not sell any bacteria cultures and do not have a good recommendation for where you could get these. I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience.
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Question
JoAnn Ziyad (verified owner) –
I purchased A kit and some extra Petri dishes (20). Are the Petri dishes that are wrapped in plastic sterile? I hope so because, trying to sterilize the lose plastic Petri dishes is really difficult and I am not sure it will work.
My name is JoAnn Ziyad and I ordered the kit to help my Granddaughter with her Science project. Please check my order andrespond as soon as possible. We are running out of time.
Thank you,
JoAnn Ziyad
8109 Cedargate Pl
Glenn Dale, MD 20769
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lisabrooks –
The Petri dishes are not sterilized prior to shipping. You can easily sterilize them by placing them on the top rack of your dishwasher.
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Question
Alicia Newburn (verified owner) –
“Growing bacteria is such a popular activity that we’ve written it up as a sample science fair project (see the link below).” I don’t see a link below but I’d like to see the sample science fair project.
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lisabrooks –
Great catch! Here is the link: https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/growing-bacteria/.
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