Recently, children’s science parties have become very popular. Kids simply adore these magical, interesting, and fun experiments! But don’t fear, setting up these experiments isn’t challenging at all. You probably already have all the things you need at home to make your child fall in love with these activities.
SmallJoys collected the eight best experiments that don’t require any special skills or extra money. We’re going to try out number five right now!
Tea Bag Rocket
You will need:
- A tea bag
- A lighter or some matches
- A fire-resistant tray
- A garbage bag for the burnt tea bags
The experiment: Carefully cut the tea bag on one side and pour out the tea. Shape the bag into a cylinder, and then place it on the tray. Our rocket is ready! Light the top of the tea bag and watch it take off!
The explanation: Because of the small mass of the tea bag, the flow of warm air makes it fly.
Frozen Soap Bubbles
You will need:
- Some liquid soap
- Frosty weather
The experiment: When the temperature drops below freezing, take a jar of liquid soap, call your kids, step outside, and start blowing bubbles. You will see how small crystals appear in different places on the bubble’s surface. Then they will grow rapidly and merge with each other. If it’s not that cold, and the bubbles don’t freeze, use a snowflake to save the day. Blow a bubble, and then throw a snowflake on it. The snowflake will immediately slide into the bubble, which will help it to freeze.
The explanation: When it’s really cold outside, or when a snowflake touches the bubble, the crystallization process starts immediately. That’s why the bubble freezes.
Ice Fishing
You will need:
- A bowl of water
- Some ice cubes
- Some salt
- Some thread
The experiment: Put an ice cube in the bowl of water. Place the thread halfway in the water so that one end lies on an ice cube and the other end hangs outside the bowl. Pour a little salt on the cube ice and wait 5-10 minutes. Then take the other end of the thread and pull the ice cube out.
The explanation: When salt touches the ice cube, it heats a little part of it. Within 5-10 minutes, salt dissolves in the water, fusing the ice and thread.
Home Volcano
You will need:
- Some baking soda
- Some red paint
- Water
- Dish soap
- Vinegar
- Cardboard
- Modeling clay
The experiment: Make a cone from cardboard and cut an opening in its top. Then place an empty container inside the cone, and apply modeling clay all around the cone to make it look like a real mountain. Place it on a plate or a tray to avoid making an absolute mess when it overflows.
In the container, pour baking soda, red paint (don’t be stingy now!), and water. Then add a drop of dish soap. Stir it well, and tell your kid to add a little bit of vinegar to the mixture… Now, enjoy the show!
The explanation: When baking soda and vinegar come into contact, a violent reaction occurs that produces water, salt, and carbon dioxide. The gas bubbles push the mixture out creating the “volcanic eruption.”
Paper Cover
You will need:
- 1 glass
- Water
- Paper
The experiment: Take a square piece of paper, put it on the brim of a glass of water and gently move it across. You will see that the sheet has become stuck to the glass due to magnetization. Talk about making your kids lose their minds!
The explanation: When we cover a glass of water with a piece of paper and turn it over, water starts pushing the paper from one side, and air pushes it from another side (from the bottom). The air pressure is higher than the water pressure in the glass; therefore, the paper doesn’t fall.
Self-Inflating Balloons
You will need:
- Some air balloons
- 33.8 to 50,7 oz (1 to 1,5 l) empty bottle
- A teaspoon
- A funnel
- Some vinegar
- Baking soda
The experiment: Fill one-third of a bottle with vinegar. Pour 2-3 teaspoons of baking soda in the balloon through a funnel. Put the balloon on the neck of the bottle, and it will start inflating. Filled with carbon dioxide, the balloon won’t be able to fly up. To assist the balloon reaching the ceiling, rub it with any synthetic material to produce a static charge. Then place it near the ceiling.
The explanation: The interaction of soda and vinegar produces carbon dioxide which fills the balloon. And due to the static electricity, the balloon can float on the ceiling for up to 5 hours.
Soft Naked Egg
You will need:
- 2 eggs
- 2 glass jars/cups
- Some water
- Vinegar
The experiment: Put one raw egg in a jar of plain water, and place the second egg in a glass of vinegar. The eggs look exactly the same, right? Put them aside for a few hours. You will see the first results of the experiment in 5-6 hours. In 7-10 days, the second egg will become completely soft, and its shell will disappear. Your kids will be totally amazed!
The explanation: The egg in the vinegar has undergone a chemical change. The eggshell consists of calcium carbonate, and the vinegar, because it’s an acid, will fully dissolve it. This chemical process between the egg and vinegar is called decalcification. It takes place in two stages: first, the eggshell becomes soft, and then it disappears.
Three Layers of Liquid
You will need:
- Some juice
- Vegetable oil
- Alcohol
- A transparent container
The experiment: Pour the juice into the container, and then gently add the vegetable oil along the walls. Color the alcohol if it’s white with red paint, and gently pour it on the oil. The liquids will separate over each other into three layers.
The explanation: These substances have different densities: the less dense substance rises over the denser one. To make the experiment brighter, you can color the liquids.