3 Awesome Chemical Reactions for Kids

1. Empty a box of baking soda into a pan or bin. Spread it out evenly.
2. Drip different food colouring combinations throughout the baking soda.
3. Fill a plastic cup with vinegar.
4. Using pipettes or medicine droppers, have the kids drip or squirt the vinegar on to the baking soda.
5. Once they have seen the fizzy chemical reaction happen again and again, they can press card stock on top of the baking soda and vinegar to make a coloured impression!

Diet Coke and Mentos Explosions:

I highly recommend doing this outside so you wash away the sticky results with a hose. A kiddie pool or large basin is handy if you want to contain the results.

To understand why the mentor and Diet Coke react together the way they do, and to see the experiment in action, check out the awesome Steve Spangler video below:

Supplies:

• Bottle of Diet Coke – other soda will work too – just not as well
• Original Mentos – the flavoured variety has a candy coating
• kiddie pool or large basin (optional)

How-to:

1. Take your kids outside.
2. Using a large container or an empty driveway, open the bottle of Diet Coke and have your children drop the Mentos into the bottle.
3. Then back up fast!

Dripping Slime Experiment:

The first time we did this activity, my kids were under the age of three. Years later, this is still one of their favourite activities of all time. They are now old enough to execute the entire chemical reaction on their own.

This chemical reaction works because the borax forms borate ions that bind to the liquid-like polymers in the glue. This makes the glue flow less easily becoming more of a solid.

Note: if using Borax, this activity should not be done with children who might taste the slime. For a non-borax slime, see this recipe.

Supplies:

• 1 cup hot tap water
• 1 tsp Borax
• 1 bottle White school glue (120 ml)
• 1/4 cup tap water (temperature doesn’t matter)
• food colouring (optional)
• Colander or cooling/baking rack
• String
• Scissors (optional)

Instructions:

1. Measure one cup of hot water and mix in Borax until fully dissolved.
2. In a separate container, combine glue, 1/4 cup of water and food colouring.
3. Mix well, and then mix in the water-Borax mixture. There will be excess water left over in the bowl. That’s okay.
4. Then, hang a cooling rack or colander. We’ve used cupboard handles or balanced a cooling rack across two chairs. Make sure the floor below isn’t carpet.
5. Place the slime on the cooling rack. Wait. It can take a while. Slowly, you’ll see the slime drip down.

Optional: Encourage kids to grab scissors and cut the drips.

So, you see? Explaining chemical reactions to preschoolers really isn’t hard at all with easy science experiments like this! Now that you’ve seen how fun and easy it can be, I hope you’ll try them with your kids.

Be sure to check out this collection of 20 easy science activities for toddlers and preschoolers.

for FREE crafts, 

activities & recipes!

 

Your kids will never be bored again!