Free science worksheets and social studies printables for kids
Children are natural scientists and explorers: they want to know why it rains, where the Moon goes and what is on the other side of the world. These science worksheets and social studies printables turn those questions into things to color, cut, label and quiz, from a butterfly’s life cycle and the eight planets to the seven continents and all 50 US states and capitals.
Nothing costs anything, pages are sized for Letter or A4, and each set is built in a maker, so you choose the topic, the level and how much to print. Quizzes, labeling pages and sorts include an answer key, which makes them easy to use at home, in homeschool units or as a quick classroom check.
Quick answer: science worksheets help children observe, sort and explain the natural world (living things, weather, space, matter), while social studies worksheets build map skills and knowledge of places and communities. Both work best alongside something real: a walk outside, a globe, a plant on the windowsill or a map of your own town. This page has free printable science worksheets and social studies printables: life cycles, weather, the solar system, the periodic table, maps, continents and the 50 states, with answer keys. Updated October 2026.
Science and social studies worksheets by topic
Nine topic areas, each with printables from simple coloring and cut and paste for younger children to quizzes and blank diagrams for older ones.
Life cycles
Butterfly, frog, plant and chicken life cycles to color, label, sequence and cut and paste.
Continents and oceans
Label and color the seven continents and five oceans, with a tap-the-map game.
States and capitals
All 50 US states or one region at a time, with quizzes, matching and flash cards.
Geography quizzes
Flags and capitals of every continent, US and Indian states, to play online or print.
Quick hands-on sorts: animal groups, solids, liquids and gases, living or nonliving and needs and wants.
Science worksheets by grade
Science in the early grades is about noticing, sorting and describing, and it builds towards explaining why things happen. The topics below follow the order many schools teach, in line with the Next Generation Science Standards used in many US states. Always check your own state or school curriculum.
| Grade | Typical science topics | Printables to try |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K and kindergarten | Living and nonliving things, what plants and animals need, daily weather | Living or nonliving sort, weather tracker |
| 1st grade | Animal parts and groups, sunlight and seasons, patterns in the sky | Animal groups, Sun and Moon pages |
| 2nd grade | Solids and liquids, plant growth, habitats | Matter sort, plant life cycle |
| 3rd grade | Life cycles, weather and climate, forces | Butterfly and frog life cycles, weather journal |
| 4th and 5th grade | Earth’s features, energy, the solar system and stars, matter | Planets in order, planet fact cards |
| 6th to 8th grade | Atoms and elements, chemical symbols, the structure of matter | Periodic table, element symbols quiz |
Social studies worksheets: maps, places and people
Social studies starts close to home and widens step by step. Young children learn about needs and wants and the people in their community, then how to read a simple map, and then where their town, state and country sit in the world. Our social studies worksheets follow that path.
- Needs and wants: a cut and paste sort that starts conversations about money and choices.
- Map skills: north, south, east and west, map keys and symbols, and grid references.
- Continents and oceans: the seven continents and the five oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic).
- US states and capitals: learn the 50 states by the four regions, Northeast, Midwest, South and West, before trying all of them at once.
- The wider world: flags, world capitals and Indian states and capitals quizzes.
Geography worksheets for kids who love maps
Geography sticks when children use it. Pin a world map near the table and add a sticker for every country in a book, film or news story. Before a trip, print a map skills page with your route. Our geography worksheets for kids pair well with the tap-the-continent game and the state capitals game: play for five minutes, then fill in a blank map from memory. Regions first, then the whole map, is the fastest way to learn the 50 states: the Northeast, Midwest, South and West each have their own set.
Hands-on science to go with the worksheets
- Track the weather. Look outside each morning for a month and fill in the weather tracker, then count the sunny days.
- Grow a bean. Plant one in a clear cup and draw it every few days next to the plant life cycle page.
- Sort the kitchen. Find solids, liquids and gases at home before doing the matter sort.
- Walk the planets. Pace out the planets in order in a park or hallway to feel how far apart they are.
- Quiz, then explain. After a quiz, ask your child to teach you one fact. Explaining it fixes it in memory.
Quizzes and games for science and geography
Practice on screen, then print: the solar system quiz, element symbols quiz, human body quiz, animal quiz, US state capitals quiz and weather bingo. Every quiz shows the right answer after each question, so children learn as they play.
For teachers: units, centers and quick checks
Teachers use these science and social studies worksheets to open a unit, fill a science center or check understanding at the end of a week. The makers let you print several versions of a quiz, choose which states or elements to include and add an answer key, and the printable license explains classroom use. Free science worksheets are also a simple sub-plan: a labeling page and a quiz on the current topic keep a class on track.
Science experiment worksheet: a simple template
A science experiment worksheet, science investigation worksheet, science experiment sheet or science project worksheet follows the same five steps. Copy this table onto paper to make your own, with an example for each step:
| Part of the investigation | Question to answer | Example (does a plant need light?) |
|---|---|---|
| Question | What do you want to find out? | Does a bean plant need light to grow? |
| Prediction | What do you think will happen? | The plant in the dark will not grow as well |
| Method | What will you do, step by step? | Put two plants in the same soil, one in light and one in a closed box; water both |
| Results | What did you see or measure? | Measure the height each day for ten days |
| Conclusion | Was your prediction right? Why? | Compare the two heights and explain |
Science worksheets, science sheets and science activity sheets
This page is also searched as science sheets, science activity sheets, science worksheets for kids, fun science worksheets, fun science activity worksheets, printable science worksheets, free science worksheets, science worksheets free, free science printable worksheets, science worksheets pdf, easy science worksheets, elementary science worksheets, science work sheets and worksheets science. All of them are the free PDFs on the topic pages above, with answer keys. A science packet can be made by printing several topic pages for the same unit, such as the life cycle sheets plus a weather chart.
Science and social studies facts at a glance
Here are some facts that come up again and again in elementary science and social studies. They are useful for quizzes, bell ringers and a quick check of what a child already knows:
| Topic | Fact | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Planets | Terrestrial (rocky): Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars | 4 |
| Planets | Gas giants: Jupiter and Saturn | 2 |
| Planets | Ice giants: Uranus and Neptune | 2 |
| Elements | Elements in the periodic table | 118 |
| Geography | Continents | 7 |
| Geography | Oceans | 5 |
| US states | States in the Northeast region (US Census Bureau) | 9 |
| US states | States in the Midwest region (US Census Bureau) | 12 |
| US states | States in the South region (US Census Bureau) | 16 |
| US states | States in the West region (US Census Bureau) | 13 |
The four census regions add up to all 50 states, 9 + 12 + 16 + 13. Pair this table with the states and capitals page, which has maps and capitals for every state, and the solar system worksheets for the solar system. A science packet for a unit can be as simple as the table above plus two worksheets from the topic pages.
Frequently asked questions
9 quick answers
Are these science worksheets free?
Yes. Our free science worksheets and social studies printables are open to everyone with no login, for home learning, homeschool and the classroom.
Do the quizzes have answer keys?
Yes. The states and capitals quizzes, the element symbols quiz, the fill-in periodic table and the labeling pages all print an answer key page.
What science topics are taught in kindergarten?
Kindergarten science usually covers living and nonliving things, what plants and animals need to survive, daily weather and simple pushes and pulls. Sorting, observing and drawing matter more than facts at this age.
How many continents and oceans are there?
Most schools teach seven continents (Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America) and five oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic). The continents and oceans worksheets use this model.
What is the best way to learn the 50 states and capitals?
Learn one region at a time, a few states a day, with flash cards and a short quiz. Once a region is secure, add the next, then practice all 50 together with the matching and write-the-capital sheets.
Can I print the periodic table on one page?
Yes. The periodic table prints on one landscape Letter or A4 page, in color or black and white, with all 118 elements.
At what age do children start social studies?
Social studies begins in preschool and kindergarten with family, community and needs and wants. Map skills usually start around grades 1 and 2, and states, countries and capitals from grade 3 onwards.
Do these worksheets match school standards?
They are grouped by the topics and grade ranges most schools teach, and the science topics follow the order of the Next Generation Science Standards. Standards differ between states and countries, so compare with your own curriculum.
Where can I download free science worksheets?
Open any topic page, choose a worksheet, choose US Letter or A4, then print or save the PDF. They are free, with answer keys.