Bunsen burners, colorful chemicals, and the possibility of a (controlled) explosion or two? Everybody loves chemistry experiments! We’ve rounded up the best activities, demos, and chemistry science fair projects for kids and teens. Try them in the classroom or at home.
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Easy Chemistry Experiments and Activities for All Ages
These chemistry experiments and activities are all easy to do using simple supplies you probably already have. Families can try them at home, or teachers and students can do them together in the classroom.
Mix up some magic milk
Kids love this colorful experiment, which explores the concept of surface tension. This is one of our favorite chemistry experiments to try at home, since the supplies are so basic and the results are so cool!
Toucan Box
Taste the Rainbow
Teach your students about diffusion while creating a beautiful and tasty rainbow. You’ll definitely want to have extra Skittles on hand so your class can enjoy a few as well!
This fun project uses yeast and a hydrogen peroxide solution to create overflowing “elephant toothpaste.” You can also add an extra fun layer by having kids create toothpaste wrappers for their plastic bottles.
Scholastic
Blow the biggest bubbles you can
Add a few simple ingredients to dish soap solution to create the largest bubbles you’ve ever seen! Kids learn about surface tension as they engineer these bubble-blowing wands.
So simple and so amazing! All you need is a zip-top plastic bag, sharp pencils, and some water to blow your kids’ minds. Once they’re suitably impressed, teach them how the “trick” works by explaining the chemistry of polymers.
Have students make predictions about what will happen to apple slices when immersed in different liquids, then put those predictions to the test! Finally, have them record their observations.
Their eyes will pop out of their heads when you “levitate” a stick figure right off the table. This experiment works due to the insolubility of dry-erase marker ink in water, combined with the lighter density of the ink.
There are a lot of easy science experiments you can do with density. This one is extremely simple, involving only hot and cold water and food coloring, but the visuals make it appealing and fun.
This density demo is a little more complicated, but the effects are spectacular. Slowly layer liquids like honey, dish soap, water, and rubbing alcohol in a glass. Kids will be amazed when the liquids float one on top of the other like magic (except it is really science).
Easy science experiments can still have impressive results. This eye-popping chemical reaction demonstration only requires simple supplies like sugar, baking soda, and sand.
These homemade bouncy balls are easy to make since all you need is glue, food coloring, borax powder, cornstarch, and warm water. You’ll want to store them inside a container like a plastic egg because they will flatten out over time.
Eggshells contain calcium, the same material that makes chalk. Grind them up and mix them with flour, water, and food coloring to make your very own sidewalk chalk.
This sounds a lot more complicated than it is, but don’t be afraid to give it a try. Use simple kitchen supplies to create plastic polymers from plain old milk. Sculpt them into cool shapes when you’re done.
Education Possible
Test pH using cabbage
Teach kids about acids and bases without needing pH test strips. Simply boil some red cabbage and use the resulting water to test various substances—acids turn red and bases turn green.
Use common household items to make old oxidized coins clean and shiny again in this simple chemistry experiment. Ask kids to predict (hypothesize) which will work best, then expand the learning by doing some research to explain the results.
Chances are good you probably did easy science experiments like this when you were in school yourself. This well-known activity demonstrates the reactions between acids and bases. Fill a bottle with vinegar and a balloon with baking soda. Fit the balloon over the top, shake the baking soda down into the vinegar, and watch the balloon inflate.
Assemble a DIY lava lamp
This 1970s trend is back—as an easy science experiment! This activity combines acid/base reactions with density for a totally groovy result.
Feels Like Home
Explore how sugary drinks affect teeth
The calcium content of eggshells makes them a great stand-in for teeth. Use eggs to explore how soda and juice can stain teeth and wear down the enamel. Expand your learning by trying different toothpaste and toothbrush combinations to see how effective they are.
If your kids are fascinated by the Egyptians, they’ll love learning to mummify a hot dog. No need for canopic jars; just grab some baking soda and get started.
Extinguish flames with carbon dioxide
This is a fiery twist on acid-base experiments. Light a candle and talk about what fire needs in order to survive. Then, create an acid-base reaction and “pour” the carbon dioxide to extinguish the flame. The CO2 gas acts like a liquid, suffocating the fire.
KiwiCo
Send secret messages with invisible ink
Turn your kids into secret agents! Write messages with a paintbrush dipped in lemon juice, then hold the paper over a heat source and watch the invisible become visible as oxidation goes to work.
This is a fun version of the classic baking soda and vinegar experiment, perfect for the younger crowd. The bubbly mixture causes popcorn to dance around in the water.
Scholastic
Shoot a soda geyser sky-high
You’ve always wondered if this really works, so it’s time to find out for yourself! Kids will marvel at the chemical reaction that sends diet soda shooting high in the air when Mentos are added.
All of these chemistry experiments are perfect for using the scientific method. Form a hypothesis, alter the variables, and then observe the results! You can simplify these projects for younger kids, or add more complexity for older students.
Teaching Without Chairs
Break apart covalent bonds
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Break the covalent bond of H2O into H and O with this simple experiment. You only need simple supplies for this one. Turn it into a science fair project by changing up the variables—does the temperature of the water matter? What happens if you try this with other liquids?
Are the calorie counts on your favorite snacks accurate? Build your own calorimeter and find out! This kit from Home Science Tools has all the supplies you’ll need.
Hub Pages
Detect latent fingerprints
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
Forensic science is engrossing and can lead to important career opportunities too. Explore the chemistry needed to detect latent (invisible) fingerprints, just like they do for crime scenes!
Tweak this basic concept to create a variety of high school chemistry science fair projects. Change the temperature, surface area, pressure, and more to see how reaction rates change.
Determine whether sports drinks really have more electrolytes than other beverages
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Advanced
Are those pricey sports drinks really worth it? Try this experiment to find out. You’ll need some special equipment for this one; buy a complete kit at Home Science Tools.
Turn flames into a rainbow
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Advanced
You’ll need to get your hands on a few different chemicals for this experiment, but the wow factor will make it worth the effort. Make it a science project by seeing if different materials, air temperature, or other factors change the results.
Amy Brown Science
Discover the size of a mole
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
The mole is a key concept in chemistry, so it’s important to ensure students really understand it. This experiment uses simple materials like salt and chalk to make an abstract concept more concrete. Make it a project by applying the same procedure to a variety of substances, or determining whether outside variables have an effect on the results.
Cook up candy to learn mole and molecule calculations
Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium
This edible experiment lets students make their own peppermint hard candy while they calculate mass, moles, molecules, and formula weights. Tweak the formulas to create different types of candy and make this into a sweet science fair project!
Take a closer look at an everyday item: soap! Use oils and other ingredients to make your own soap, learning about esters and saponification. Tinker with the formula to find one that fits a particular set of parameters.
