Free Experiments
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Posted: July 26, 2017Categories: Chemistry
Read more »Chocolate leaves
Make some stunning chocolate leaves as a novel and delicious way to learn about the changing states of matter.
Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervisionCAUTIONThis science activity involves the use of boiling water. Hot water must only be handled by an adult.You Need:- Metal or heat resistant bowl
- Saucepan
- Wooden spoon or similar
- Chocolate
- Large non-poisonous leaves (rose, ivy, mample or lemon leaves work well)
- Boiling water
- Clean paintbrush
What to do:- Wash the leaves and dry them gently, careful not to damage
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Posted: July 26, 2017Categories: Chemistry
Read more »Make A Gelatin Disc
Best known for making jelly, gelatin is a fascinating substance that is used as a gelling agent not just in food, but in many other things. Heres how to make your very own gelatin product that can be used in further experiments or in some very cool artwork.
Suitable for kids aged 5 +CAUTION This experiment requires the use of a small amount of hot water. This should be handled with care under the supervision of an adult.You Need:- Small round mould (the underside of a jar lid works well)
- 3 x teaspoons of gelatin
- Cup or glass
- Spoon or icy pole stick
- Food dye
- 40mls of hot water
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Posted: July 26, 2017Categories: Chemistry
Read more »Gas Flame Detection
Detect Carbon Dioxide gas with a candle flame. Will the flame get smaller, bigger, snuff out, change colour? How the flame behaves tells you the type of invisible gas present.
Suitable for kids aged 10+ with parental supervisionCAUTIONThis experiment requires use of an open candle flame. Please exercise caution, and only perform under adult supervision. It also requires the use of a knife to cut a candle. This task should only be undertaken by an adult.You Need:- 2-3cm candle piece with wick (have an adult cut the piece using a knife from an ordinary household candle)
- Aluminium foil patty pan
- Piece of wire about 40cm in length
- Chop Stick or
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Posted: July 26, 2017Categories: Chemistry
Read more »Ink Chromatography Is black really black?
Separate out all the colours that make up a black felt pen using a special technique called chromatography.
Suitable for kids aged 7+You Need:- Filter or blotting paper (a coffee filter works well) cut into strips (approx. 1.5cm wide and just short of the length of the cup)
- Transparent glass or plastic cup
- Icy pole stick
- 2 x black felt pens
- Water
What to do:- Take a pen and draw a horizontal line near the bottom of two strips of filter paper. Use a different pen for each strip. You can test more than two pens on other strips if you
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Read more »Make your own hypnotic lava lamp with oil and water and a secret ingredient that makes it fizz and bubble.
Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision. CAUTION
Remember Alka-Seltzer tablets are a medicine, do not ingest. Read the packet instructions for more information.You Need:- An empty soft drink bottle with cap, or clear jar/container with a lid
- Vegetable oil
- Alka-Seltzer tablets (from the supermarket)
- Food colouring
- Water
What to do:- Fill the bottle (or container) about full with vegetable oil.
- Carefully fill the rest of the bottle/container with water (nearly to
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Posted: July 26, 2017Categories: Chemistry
Read more »Disappearing Ghost Crystals
Watch these hard crystals swell and grow into jelly-like pieces with water. Then amaze your friends when they disappear in water, or add some food colouring for cool effects. Welcome to the amazing world of superabsorbent polyemers!
Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision. CAUTION
Ghost crystals are generally considered non-toxic and are safe for use around young children unless ingested. If ghost crystals are swallowed do not give liquids. Seek medical advice.You Need:- Water absorbing crystals (available from your local nursery or garden supply centre)
- Transparent cup, beaker or glass
- Water
- Food colouring
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Posted: July 26, 2017Categories: Chemistry
Read more »Cool Coloured Milk
Create an explosion of colour in a dish of milk!
Suitable for kids aged 3+ with parental supervisionYou Need:- Milk
- Dinner plate
- Red, yellow, green and blue food colouring
- Dishwashing liquid
- Cotton swab
What to do:- Pour enough milk onto a plate to cover the bottom. Allow the milk to settle.
- Squeeze one large drop of each food colour into the milk. Keep the drops close together, but not touching and mixing.
- Place a drop of dishwashing liquid on one end of a cotton swab.
- Touch the coated swab to the milk in the center of the plate. Be patient,
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Posted: July 26, 2017Categories: Chemistry
Read more »Invisible Ink
No Secret Agent can go without invisible ink. This is a simple invisible ink recipe using lemons.
Suitable for kids aged 5+ (with adult supervision)You Need:- Lemon Juice
- Heat Source: direct sunlight or a light globe. Use an iron, candle or oven as a last resort under strict adult supervision.
- Paper
- Cotton swab, fine paintbrush or matchstick
What to do:- Lemon juice is the invisible ink (freshly squeezed
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Posted: July 26, 2017Categories: Chemistry
Read more »Make a fizzy sherbet treat. So delicious, so easy!
Suitable for kids aged 4+You Need:- 1 teasppon of citric acid
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 3 tablespoons of icing sugar
- 3 tablespoons of jelly crystals
What to do:- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and stir. Too easy.
- Taste and adjust as needed. Too sour? Add a little more baking soda. Too bitter? Add more icing sugar. Not enough fizz? Add a little more citric acid and/or baking soda. But always in small amounts then re-taste.
- Best stored in a zip-lock bag or plastic container, away from moisture. Enjoy by dipping a lollipop
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Posted: July 26, 2017Categories: Chemistry
Read more »Make fizz and foam using a chemical reaction
Compare two baking soda and vinegar chemical reactions (one with detergent, one without), and watch for salt crystal formation.
Suitable for kids aged 4+NOTE- These reactions can overflow to make a little bit of a wet mess! But that's part of the fun!
You Need:- Vinegar
- Baking Soda
- Detergent
- Plastic cup x 2
- Measuring cup
- Teaspoon
What to do:- Put 20 ml of vinegar in each plastic cup. Measure the vinegar using the measuring cup provided.
- Put 3 drops of detergent in only ONE of the plastic
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Energy Stick
Completely safe to touch and handle, simply complete the circuit by touching both electrodes at the end of the stick simultaneously.
