Free Experiments

Ice Cream In A Bag

Make delicious ice cream in a zip lock bag using just a few simple ingredients.

Suitable for kids aged 6+

You Need:

• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• cup of milk
• teaspoon of vanilla essence
• 6 tablespoons of rock salt (or use regular table salt as a substitute)
• 2 cups of ice
• 4 litre zip lock bag (approx. size)
• litre zip lock bag (approx. size)

What to do:

1. Half fill the 4 litre zip lock bag with ice (about 2 cups).
2. Add the salt and seal the bag.
3. Pour the sugar, milk and vanilla essence into the litre zip lock bag and seal securely.
4. Open the large zip lock bag and place the smaller bag inside. Seal the large bag.
5. Shake and rock the large bag for 10 to 15 minutes. It may help to wear gloves or wrap a tea towel around the bag to protect your hands from the cold.

What You Need:

• A Balloon
• A Hex Nut or a 50 Cent Piece 

What to do:

• Place the hexanut (or 50 cent piece) inside the balloon, inflate it and tie it off.
• Hold the balloon as shown and move it around in a circular motion by rotating your wrist. The hexanut should spin around the inside of the balloon and create a strange buzzing sound. 

Why is it so?

As the hexanut moves around and rubs against the sides of the balloon, it causes the balloon to vibrate, which in turn causes the air both inside and outside the balloon to vibrate. The balloon acts as a ‘resonator’, or natural amplifier, of the sound.

Soak a raw- egg in vinegar and highlighter ink to transform it into a fluoro bouncy ball!

Suitable for kids aged 4+ with parental supervision

You Need:

• Raw egg
• Glass or jar, big enough to hold the egg
• Vinegar
• Highlighter ink for highlighter pen (this may require some pliers)
• Ultra violet torch (otherwise known as a black light)

April Fool’s is coming up! Try this science prank on your family and friends.

What you need:

• Plastic bottle with lid
• Water
• Permanent marker 
• Pin or thumbtack

What to do:

1. Fill a water bottle with water to the top and screw the lid on.
2. With a permanent marker write 'DO NOT USE'.

Fizzy, refreshing lemonade that is full of science discovery! 

What you need:

• 2 lemons
• Sugar or any sweetner
• Baking soda
• Water

What to do:

1. Juice 2 lemons.
2. Add an equal amount of cold water.
3. Add one teaspoon of sugar or any sweetener

Can you pop a balloon without touching it?

Yes you can! All you need to know is the balloon’s secret nemesis- the humble orange (or lemon)! That’s
right— latex balloons have a major citrus allergy.

What you need:
● Balloon
● Citrus fruit

What to do:

1. Blow up a latex balloon.

2. Take a peel from a citrus fruit (orange or lemon will work) and squeeze it hard enough to spray the oil
from the peel at the balloon.

OR scratch the zest off or a lemon, making sure you get plenty of zesty oil on your finger (invisible to the
naked eye) and pop your balloon in front of your friends with a single, light touch- your friends will be
lost for words!

3. You’ll see that exposure to the citrus oil immediately pops your latex balloon.

Why is it so?

Well, there is a chemical in citrus fruits called limonene, which is a hydrocarbon that is actually used in

Can you pick up a bottle of rice without touching the bottle?

Grow an amazing sugar monster from common kitchen ingredients! 

Grow your own pretty crystal ornaments to hang with a solution of Borax.

2019 is The International Year of the Periodic Table, and to celebrate we are holding an Explosive Chemistry Competition!

How To Enter

Send us a photo or a video of a chemical reaction taking place somewhere in or around your house. It could be something cooking, something burning or even an actual experiment - any process where a new substance is formed. Along with your image(s), send us a short explanation of what is happening in the photo/video. 

Send us your entry by email or snail mail. 

Email entries to:

[email protected]

Prizes

Our Dino prize pack includes everything in the phot