Your browser is not supported

Sorry but it looks as if your browser is out of date. To get the best experience using our site we recommend that you upgrade or switch browsers.

Find a solution

This website uses cookies and similar technologies to deliver its services, to analyse and improve performance and to provide personalised content and advertising. Information about your use of this website will be shared with Google and other third parties. Read our privacy policy.

  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to navigation

chemistry experiments in school

  • Back to parent navigation item
  • Primary teacher
  • Secondary/FE teacher
  • Early career or student teacher
  • Higher education
  • Curriculum support
  • Literacy in science teaching
  • Periodic table
  • Interactive periodic table
  • Periodic table app
  • Climate change and sustainability
  • Resources shop
  • Collections
  • Post-lockdown teaching support
  • Remote teaching support
  • Starters for ten
  • Screen experiments
  • Assessment for learning
  • Microscale chemistry
  • Faces of chemistry

Classic chemistry experiments

A primary school child raises their hand in a classroom

Expertly communicate the excitement of chemistry with these time-tested classroom practicals.

These resources have been compiled from the book Classic chemistry experiments : a collection of 100 chemistry experiments developed with the support of teachers throughout the UK.

If you'd like to buy a copy of the book, visit our online bookshop . If you're a Royal Society of Chemistry member, don't forget to use your 35% discount.

Scuba diver

A Cartesian diver

An old favourite experiment, the Cartesian diver is easy for students to complete. Explore important ideas that build a foundation of knowledge. 

Sea salt crystals

Chemistry and electricity

Create coloured writing from acids, alkali, and salt solution, all activated through electrolysis.

Spilt ink

Disappearing ink

Explore the reaction between acids and bases as students create disappearing ink, in this favourite classroom practical.

Lightbulbs

Electricity from chemicals

Use various metals, in pairs, and n electrolyte to form a cell. Then observe the formation of ions around the reactive metal, and compare the speed with which they form around the less reactive metal. Includes kit list and safety instructions. 

Particle model image

Experiments with particles

Explore physical states, and how material interact with three practicals. Students use common classroom items to explore, and then note their findings. Includes kit list and safety instructions. 

Three small candles or tea lights burning against a black background

Identifying the products of combustion

In association with Nuffield Foundation

Illustrate the presence of water and carbon dioxide in the products of hydrocarbon combustion in this demonstration. Includes kit list and safety instructions.

Particles

Particles in motion?

Explore the movement of gas particles in this practical but reacting calcium carbonate with hydrochloric acid. Includes kit list and safety instructions. 

Foam

Producing a foam

Explore foams and their properties in this experiment, so students learn how foam is produced and produce their own. Includes kit list and safety instructions.

copper sulfate in beaker

Properties of the transition metals and their compounds

Student discover the diversity of transition metals in this practical that puts their knowledge of these common elements to the test. Includes kit list and safety instructions.

CCE13_Rubber band_image3

Rubber band experiment

A rubber band, a hairdryer, and a curious mind will see students discover the principles of heat based reactions. Includes kit list and safety instruction.

coloured test tubes

Testing salts for anions and cations

A full range of chemicals will guide students into discovering how to identify the composition of unknown substances. Includes kit list and safry instructions. 

Beaker image

The effect of concentration and temperature on reaction rate

Reaction rate can be altered by many things, in this practical students explore how temperature and concentration effect reaction in an closer look at kinetics. Includes kit list and safety instructions. 

Conical flask with orange liquid image

The effect of temperature on reaction rate

Discover more about collision theory in this practical, where a sodium thiosulfate and hydrochloric acid mixture produce an interesting reaction. Includes kit list and safety instructions. 

shutterstock_1721090158

The effect of temperature on solubility

Hot or cold, which water is better for soluble substances? Explore your finding from this practical into the effect of temperature on solubility. Includes kit list and safety instructions. 

Bubbles image

The electrolysis of solutions

Electricity is passed through various solutions and the products are identified. Includes kit list and safety instructions

heated test tube image

The preparation and properties of oxygen

Produce a potassium manganate(VII) reaction using a test tube, Bunsen burner, and scientific inquisition to detect the presence of oxygen. Includes kit list and safety instructions.

test tube rack image

The reactivity of the group 2 metals

Discover more about group 2 metals with this experiment, where students can take control of their own observations and come to their own conclusions. Includes kit list and safety instructions.

Hydrogen graphic

The volume of 1 mole of hydrogen gas

Understand the volume of one mole of hydrogen gas through a magnesium and acid reaction, taking note of the temperature and pressure. Includes kit list and safety instructions. 

Cooking oil image

Compare the viscosity of thick and thin liquids in this experiment, which gets young learners exploring how viscosity alters the speed of an air bubble through the substances. Includes kit list and safety instructions.

Site powered by Webvision Cloud

Ideas, Inspiration, and Giveaways for Teachers

We Are Teachers

55 Best Science Experiments for High School Labs and Science Fairs

Fire up the Bunsen burners!

WeAreTeachers Staff

The cool thing about high school science experiments and projects is that kids are old enough to tackle some pretty amazing concepts. Some science experiments for high school are just advanced versions of simpler projects they did when they were younger, with detailed calculations or fewer instructions. Other projects involve fire, chemicals, or other materials they couldn’t use before.

Many of these science experiments for high school are intended for classroom labs, but most can be adapted to become science fair projects too. Just consider variables that you can change up, like materials or other parameters. That changes a classroom lab into a true scientific method experiment!

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

Biology Experiments for High School

When it comes to biology, science experiments for high school students usually bring dissection to mind. But there are plenty of other useful labs and hands-on projects for teens to try. Here are some of our favorites.

1. Mash potatoes to learn about catalase

Three test tubes in a red holder, filled with a white substance

Catalase is found in nearly all living cells, protecting them from oxidative damage. Try this lab to isolate catalase from potatoes using hydrogen peroxide.

Learn more: Potato Catalase/Practical Biology

2. Extract DNA from a strawberry

Collage of steps to extract DNA from a strawberry (Science Experiments for High School)

You don’t need a lot of supplies to perform this experiment, but it’s impressive nonetheless. Turn this into a science fair project by trying it with other fruits and vegetables too.

Learn more: Strawberry DNA/Numbers to Neurons

3. Re-create Mendel’s pea plant experiment

Pea plants growing in white square containers on a lab table

Gregor Mendel’s pea plant experiments were some of the first to explore inherited traits and genetics. Re-create his cross-pollination experiments with a variety of pea plants you’ve grown yourself.

Learn more: Mendel’s Pea Plants/Love to Know

4. Make plants move with light

Diagram of plant seedlings moving toward light affected by different variables (Science Experiments for High School)

By high school age, kids know that many plants move toward sunlight, a process known as phototropism. So science experiments for high school students on this topic need to introduce variables into the process, like covering seedling parts with different materials to see the effects.

Learn more: Phototropism/Science Buddies

5. Test the five-second rule

We’d all like to know the answer to this one: Is it really safe to eat food you’ve dropped on the floor? Design and conduct an experiment to find out (although we think we might already know the answer).

6. Taste foods to find your threshold for sour, sweet, and bitter

Human tongue with an arrow pointing to the papillae

The sense of taste is fascinating—what some people think is delicious, others just can’t stand. Try this experiment to test subjects’ taste perceptions and thresholds using a series of diluted solutions.

Learn more: Taste Threshold/Science Buddies

7. Complete a field survey

Students examining the water in a ditch in a green field (Science Experiments for High School)

Teaching students to conduct field surveys opens up the possibility of lots of different science experiments for high school. Show them how to observe an area over time, record their findings, and analyze the results.

Learn more: Field Survey/Love to Know

8. See the effects of antibiotics on bacteria

Test tubes containing various bacteria

Bacteria can be divided into two groups: gram-positive and gram-negative. In this experiment, students first determine the two groups, then try the effects of various antibiotics on them. You can get a gram stain kit , bacillus cereus and rodospirillum rubrum cultures, and antibiotic discs from Home Science Tools.

Learn more: Antibiotics Project/Home Science Tools

9. Witness the carbon cycle in action

Test tubes filled with plants and green and blue liquid

We know that plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, right? Well, this experiment helps you prove that and see the effect light has on the process.

Learn more: Carbon Cycle/Science Lessons That Rock

10. Look for cell mitosis in an onion

Cell mitosis (division) is actually easy to see in action when you look at onion root tips under a microscope. Students will be amazed to see science theory become science reality right before their eyes.

11. Test the effects of disinfectants

Petri dish divided in half with bacteria and paper disks on the surface

Grow bacteria in a petri dish along with paper disks soaked in various antiseptics and disinfectants. You’ll be able to see which ones effectively inhibit bacteria growth.

Learn more: Antiseptics and Disinfectants/Amy Brown Science

12. Investigate the efficacy of types of fertilizer

How to choose the fertilizer that will make plants grow the fastest.

Let’s spice things up in the botanical kitchen! Mix up some “recipes” for your students’ plants by experimenting with different types of fertilizer and see which one they devour the most.

Learn more: Best Fertilizer/Education.com

13. Explore the impact of genetic modification on seeds

Competition between crops and weeds and introduction of genetically modified seeds

Let’s go green and see what happens when we pit our crops against some weeds! Will genetically modified plants come out on top or will the weeds reign supreme? Let’s find out in this exciting biotech and plant challenge!

Learn more: Genetically Modified Seeds/Science Buddies

Chemistry Experiments for High School

Perhaps no class is better suited to science experiments for high school kids than chemistry. Bunsen burners, beakers and test tubes, and the possibility of (controlled) explosions? Students will love it!

14. Watch a beating heart made of gallium

Blob of gallium with the image of a beating heart and the periodic table symbol for gallium

This is one of those science demos that’s so cool to see in action. An electrochemical reaction causes a blob of liquid metal to oscillate like a beating heart!

Learn more: Gallium Demo/Science Notes

15. Break apart covalent bonds

Tub of water with battery leads in it

Break the covalent bond of H 2 O into H and O with this simple experiment. You only need simple supplies for this one.

Learn more: Covalent Bonds/Teaching Without Chairs

16. Measure the calories in various foods

Collage of steps for measuring calories with a homemade calorimeter (Science Experiments for High School)

How do scientists determine the number of calories in your favorite foods? Build your own calorimeter and find out! This kit from Home Science Tools has all the supplies you’ll need.

Learn more: DIY Calorimeter/Science Buddies

17. Detect latent fingerprints

Fingerprint divided into two, one half yellow and one half black

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!

Learn more: Fingerprints/HubPages

18. Use Alka-Seltzer to explore reaction rate

Collage of reaction rate experiment steps (Science Experiments for High School)

Tweak this basic concept to create a variety of science experiments for high school students. Change the temperature, surface area, pressure, and more to see how reaction rates change.

Learn more: Reaction Rate/Numbers to Neurons

19. Determine whether sports drinks provide more electrolytes than OJ

Open circuit equipment for testing for electrolytes (Science Experiments for High School)

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 .

Learn more: Electrolytes Experiment/Science Buddies

20. Extract bismuth from Pepto-Bismol

Piece of bismuth extracted from Pepto Bismol

Bismuth is a really cool metal with a rainbow sheen. It’s also an ingredient in Pepto-Bismol, and by carefully following the procedures at the link, you can isolate a chunk of this amazing heavy metal.

Learn more: Extracting Bismuth/Popular Science

21. Turn flames into a rainbow

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! (Click through to the YouTube link for an explanation of how this one works.)

22. Test and sort elements

Students using electrical circuits to test items in a petri dish (Science Experiments for High School)

Elements in the periodic table are grouped by metals, nonmetals, and metalloids. But how do chemists determine where each element belongs? This ready-to-go science kit contains the materials you need to experiment and find out.

Learn more: Metals, Nonmetals, and Metalloids/Ward’s Science

23. Discover the size of a mole

Supplies needed for mole experiment, included scale, salt, and chalk

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.

Learn more: How Big Is a Mole?/Amy Brown Science

24. Cook up candy to learn mole and molecule calculations

Aluminum foil bowl filled with bubbling liquid over a bunsen burner

This edible experiment lets students make their own peppermint hard candy while they calculate mass, moles, molecules, and formula weights. Sweet!

Learn more: Candy Chemistry/Dunigan Science TpT

25. Make soap to understand saponification

Colorful soaps from saponification science experiments for high school

Take a closer look at an everyday item: soap! Students use oils and other ingredients to make their own soap, learning about esters and saponification.

Learn more: Saponification/Chemistry Solutions TpT

26. Uncover the secrets of evaporation

This systematic and classic example of changing one variable at a time by creating several mini-projects will have your high schoolers engaged in a high-level review of the classic scientific method.

Learn more: Evaporation/Science Projects

27. Investigate the principles of pyrotechnics

Explore how fireworks work - a high school chemistry experiment.

Let’s dive into the explosive world of fireworks and discover the colorful secrets behind these dazzling pyrotechnic displays! Your students will be ecstatic to use party poppers (and sparklers, if you’re feeling really daring) to explore the science behind fireworks.

Learn more: How Fireworks Work/Royal Society of Chemistry

Physics Experiments for High School

When you think of physics science experiments for high school, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the classic build-a-bridge. But there are plenty of other ways for teens to get hands-on with physics concepts. Here are some to try.

28. Remove the air in a DIY vacuum chamber

DIY vacuum chamber made from a jar and large hypodermic needle

You can use a vacuum chamber to do lots of cool experiments, but a ready-made one can be expensive. Try this project to make your own with basic supplies.

Learn more: Vacuum Chamber/Instructables

29. Put together a mini Tesla coil

Looking for a simple but showy high school science fair project? Build your own mini Tesla coil and wow the crowd!

30. Boil water in a paper cup

Logic tells us we shouldn’t set a paper cup over a heat source, right? Yet it’s actually possible to boil water in a paper cup without burning the cup up! Learn about heat transfer and thermal conductivity with this experiment. Go deeper by trying other liquids like honey to see what happens.

31. Blast music using magnets

A paper speaker built from magnets, cardboard, and a paper plate

We spend a lot of time telling teens to turn down their music, so they’ll appreciate the chance to turn it up for once! Using strong magnets and an amplifier (both available on Amazon), plus a few other supplies, they’ll build a speaker and measure how the magnets affect the volume.

Learn more: Paper Speaker/Science Buddies

32. Construct a light bulb

Emulate Edison and build your own simple light bulb! You can turn this into a science fair project by experimenting with different types of materials for filaments.

33. Measure the speed of light—with your microwave

Student measuring the distance between holes in cooked egg whites (High School Science Experiments)

Grab an egg and head to your microwave for this surprisingly simple experiment! By measuring the distance between cooked portions of egg whites, you’ll be able to calculate the wavelength of the microwaves in your oven, and in turn, the speed of light.

Learn more: Microwave Speed of Light/Science Buddies

34. Generate a Lichtenberg figure

Lichtenberg figure generated on a sheet of Plexiglassd in

See electricity in action when you generate and capture a Lichtenberg figure with polyethylene sheets, wood, or even acrylic and toner. Change the electrical intensity and materials to see what types of patterns you can create.

Learn more: Lichtenberg Figure/Science Notes

35. Build your own Newton’s Cradle

Student swinging the right ball on a DIY Newton's Cradle made of popsicle sticks and marbles

Newton’s Cradle demonstrates the concept of momentum—and it’s really fun to play with! Challenge students to design and build their own, experimenting with different materials or changing up the number of balls to see how it affects momentum.

Learn more: How To Make a Simple Newton’s Cradle/Babble Dabble Do

36. Explore the power of friction with sticky note pads

A wood platform holding a weight suspended by chains from two sticky note pads interleaved together (Science Experiments for High School)

Ever try to pull a piece of paper out of the middle of a big stack? It’s harder than you think it would be! That’s due to the power of friction. In this experiment, students interleave the sheets of two sticky note pads, then measure how much weight it takes to pull them apart. The results are astonishing!

Learn more: Sticky Notes Friction/Science Buddies

37. Bounce balls to explore stored energy and energy transfer

Colorful rubber balls bouncing against a white background

Learn about potential and kinetic energy by bouncing balls and measuring their heights on each rebound. This is one of those classic physics science experiments for high school that students are sure to enjoy!

Learn more: Rebound Experiment/Science Buddies

38. Build a cloud chamber to prove background radiation

A cloud chamber constructed of a plastic container, cookie sheet, and dry ice, and

Ready to dip your toe into particle physics? Learn about background radiation and build a cloud chamber to prove the existence of muons.

Learn more: Background Radiation/Science Buddies

39. Slide into kinetic friction

Measure the effect of friction on different surfaces.

Students will investigate kinetic friction and its effects on the speed of a rolling object by giving the objects a little push and watching them fly, on surfaces both smooth and rough. Stay tuned to see which texture wins the race!

Learn more: Effect of Friction on Objects in Motion/Science Buddies

40. Harness the power of air drag

Design and test parachutes to study air drag.

Who can make the slowest descent? Students will use the power of drag to create a design that takes its sweet time falling to the ground. They’ll be encouraged to tinker and tweak until they have the ultimate sky-sailing machine.

Learn more: Science World and Scientific American

41. Magnetize a motor

5 high school physics science projects with magnets.

Magnets lend themselves as a helpful material in many a science experiment. Your students will explore the properties of magnetism with any one of these five experiments using magnets. They’ll even learn the basics of Fleming’s left-hand rule.

Learn more: Simple Electric Motor/School Science Experiments

42. Explore interference and diffraction

Explore interference and diffraction using CDs.

Investigate the physics of light and optics using CDs and DVDs. Though both of these optical objects might be quickly becoming a thing of the past, your students can utilize their diffraction patterns to explore the science behind optics.

Learn more: Science Buddies

Engineering Experiments for High School

Engineering involves the hands-on application of multiple types of science. Teens with an interest in designing and building will especially enjoy these STEM challenge science experiments for high school. They’re all terrific for science fairs too.

43. Re-create Da Vinci’s flying machine

Da Vinci flying machine built from a paper cup and other basic supplies

Da Vinci sketched several models of “flying machines” and hoped to soar through the sky. Do some research into his models and try to reconstruct one of your own.

Learn more: Da Vinci Flying Machine/Student Savvy

44. Peer into an infinity mirror

Rectangular and circular mirrors with lights reflecting into the distance (Science Experiments for High School)

Optical illusions are mesmerizing, but they also help teach kids about a variety of science concepts. Design and build a mirror that seems to reflect lights on and on forever. The supplies are basic, but the impact is major!

Learn more: Infinity Mirror/Science Buddies

45. Design a heart-rate monitor

DIY heart rate monitor made from blue fabric and a red heart

Smartwatches are ubiquitous these days, so pretty much anyone can wear a heart-rate monitor on their wrist. But can you build your own? It takes some specialized supplies, but they’re not hard to track down. You can buy items like an Arduino LilyPad Board on Amazon.

Learn more: Heart Rate Monitor/Science Buddies

46. Race 3D printed cars

Simple 3-D printed race cars with vegetables strapped to them (Science Experiments for High School)

3D printers are a marvel of the modern era, and budding engineers should definitely learn to use them. Use Tinkercad or a similar program to design and print race cars that can support a defined weight, then see which can roll the fastest! (No 3D printer in your STEM lab? Check the local library: Many of them have 3D printers available for patrons to use.)

Learn more: 3D Printed Cars/Instructables

47. Launch a model rocket

Model rockets built from water bottles and other supplies

Bottle rockets are another one of those classic science experiments for high school classes, and for good reason! The engineering involved in designing and launching a rocket capable of carrying a specified payload involves the practical application of all sorts of concepts. Plus, it’s fun!

Learn more: Bottle Rockets/Science Buddies

48. Grow veggies in a hydroponic garden

Vertical hydroponic garden made from PVC pipes and aluminum downspouts

Hydroponics is the gardening wave of the future, making it easy to grow plants anywhere with minimal soil required. For a science fair engineering challenge, design and construct your own hydroponic garden capable of growing vegetables to feed a family. This model is just one possible option.

Learn more: Hydroponics/Instructables

49. Grab items with a mechanical claw

KiwiCo hydraulic claw kit (Science Experiments for High School)

Delve into robotics with this engineering project! This kit includes all the materials you need, with complete video instructions.

Learn more: Hydraulic Claw/KiwiCo

50. Play volleyball with machines

Challenge your students to design and build machines that will volley a Ping-Pong ball back and forth, using only basic materials. They can even compare their results to those from students around the world!

Learn more: Volleyball Challenge/Science Buddies

51. Construct a crystal radio

Homemade crystal radio set (Science Experiments for High School)

Return to the good old days and build a radio from scratch! This makes a cool science fair project if you experiment with different types of materials for the antenna. It takes some specialized equipment, but fortunately, Home Science Tools has an all-in-one kit for this project.

Learn more: Crystal Radio/SciToys

52. Build a burglar alarm

Simple electronic burglar alarm with a cell phone

The challenge? Set up a system to alert you when someone has broken into your house or classroom. This can take any form students can dream up, and you can customize this STEM high school science experiment for multiple skill levels. Keep it simple with an alarm that makes a sound that can be heard from a specified distance. Or kick it up a notch and require the alarm system to send a notification to a cell phone, like the project at the link.

Learn more: Intruder Alarm/Instructables

53. Walk across a plastic bottle bridge

Students sitting on a large bridge made of plastic bottles

Balsa wood bridges are OK, but this plastic bottle bridge is really impressive! In fact, students can build all sorts of structures using the concept detailed at the link. It’s the ultimate upcycled STEM challenge!

Learn more: TrussFab Structures/Instructables

54. Unleash the power of geothermal energy

How to use heat as a source of renewable energy.

This experiment is all about tapping into the fiery fury deep underground within the Earth and harnessing it for clean, renewable power. It will definitely spark your students’ interest and exploration of geothermal energy.

Learn more: Geothermal Energy/Science Buddies

55. Construct a Rube Goldberg machine

In this activity, students will unleash their creativity as they design and build their very own contraptions that perform a simple task in the most complicated way possible. Your students will be using the engineering design process, problem-solving skills, and teamwork to create truly unique machines.

Learn more: Design and Build a Rube Goldberg/Teach Engineering

Looking for more science content? Check out the Best Science Websites for Middle and High School .

Plus, get all the latest teaching tips and tricks when you sign up for our newsletters .

Whether you're a student looking for a science fair idea or a teacher seeking new science experiments for high school labs, find them here!

You must be logged in to post a comment.

chemistry experiments in school

thmlogo

110 Awesome Chemistry Experiments For All Ages

Chemistry experiments are a great way to get kids excited about studying chemistry even at a young age. I mean, what child doesn’t think about creating bubbling potions or sending secret messages?

The study of chemistry has a scary connotation for many people. Chemistry has this stigma of being only for really, really smart students who want a career in the sciences. The truth is that, like all science, chemistry is everywhere.

In fact, chemistry experiments for kids can be bubbly and full of fungi! Check out the video below of our Making Peeps Blow Up a Balloon chemistry activity.

It is in the way water freezes into ice . It is in the way apples turn brown when you leave their flesh exposed to the air. Chemistry is in the way sugar dissolves in water .

How does chemistry apply to our bodies? Check out our version of the egg with vinegar experiment . We added a little twist that makes an excellent connection between chemistry and our dental health. We have a 25+ page printable pack to go with it for just $2.95 .

Showing how chemistry is involved in everyday life can take that scary factor out of studying chemistry for students. When it comes time to study chemistry, they will be more excited about jumping in.

Chemistry experiments for children in K-12. 100 different chemistry experiments divided into 3 age/grade ranges. Many are ideal when teaching multiple grades at one time in your homeschool, classroom, or co-op.

Chemistry Experiments For All Ages

I wanted to create a resource for you to be able to find the perfect chemistry experiments for your students no matter their age or interests. This post contains 100 chemistry experiments for students from preschool age through high school. I have divided them into 3 age ranges.

Here are a few disclaimers to my divisions of the experiments.

I realize that all students are different and are ready for different levels of experiments. For instance, some students in the elementary age group might be ready for more advanced experiments found in the Middle and High School section, while others need something more basic like those experiments found in the Preschool and Primary section.

Some may question why I put certain experiments in certain sections. First, I looked at the level of maturity I felt needed to conduct the experiment and if parental help was necessary. Next, I looked at the level of understanding the child would need to learn from the experiment.

Some experiments could teach something at different levels or could be done with parental help or independently and still be successful. When this was the case, I put the experiment in the lowest recommended age level.

With all that being said, these are just guidelines. Feel free to try experiments in sections that differ from your students’ age range if you think they would work.

For chemistry experiments, lesson ideas, and resources, check out my Homeschool Chemistry Pinterest board.

First, download the STEM Resource Guide

STEM Guide 1 1080sq

Preschool Science Experiments

Puffy Paint turned Slime activity (This is also good for older students who are studying polymers.)

Dissolving candy

pumpkin candy experiment

Making A Pe eps Candy Blow Up a Balloon – lesson with printables

Peep Experiment 400

Diet Coke and Mentos Explosion

Dripping Slime Experiment

Lava Lamp Experiment

Color Changing Flowers

Rainbow Walking Water

Ice Cream in a Bag

Baking Soda Fizz Experiment

Primary Science Experiments

Make a “Stained Glass” window

Dissolving candy experiment with printables

A fun TWIST on the egg with vinegar experiment. This activity helps children see the chemical reactions that go on in our mouth! Free printable.

Have you ever fermented a Peeps candy and made it blow up a balloon? Peeps science experiment for kids that teaches biology and chemistry.Those cute marshmallowy, sugary candies are the star of this Peeps science experiment.

Making A Peeps Candy Blow Up a Balloon – lesson with printables

Add the dental health printable pack we have to go with the egg in vinegar chemistry activity

Do Some Soil Testing – This is important life skills information too!

Make Your Own Snowflakes

Polishing Pennies Experiment

apple science experiment

Vitamin C And Apple Experiment

Homemade Butter Experiment

Secret Messages Science Experiment 

120 Kitchen Chemistry & Culinary Science Resources – This is a very comprehensive list. If you want to also get some ideas for teaching your children about chemistry while cooking, this is a good place to look too!

Make Plastic From Milk

Fun Bubbles Experiment

Solubility Experiment

Bending Candy Canes

Experimenting With Viscosity And Sensory Bottles

sudsy bubble experiment

Sudsy Bubble Experiment

Taffy Slime Chemistry

Dissolving Egg Shell Experiment

Make Ice Grow

Skittles Rainbow Science Experiment

Chromatography Butterflies

Erupting Lemon Volcano Chemistry

Make A Lava Lamp

Rock Candy Experiment

Make Heat Changing Color Sensitive Slime

Chemistry experiments are also included on our free science activity calendar

Elementary School Science Experiments

Testing for Vitamin C with Iodine (We used a pumpkin, cranberries, oj, lemons, and more! It’s a lot of fun!)

Oxidation And Reduction Experiment

Make a “Stained Glass” window – a lesson about states of matter and crystallization

Making Peeps Candies Blow Up A Balloon – lesson with printable sheets

Add the dental health printable pack we have to go with the egg in vinegar chemistry activity for $2.95

Why and How Do Leaves Change Colors

Make A Polymer Ball

Enzyme Experiment

Red Cabbage Litmus Experiment

Harry Potter Potions Experiment

Peeps Science Experiment

Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda Experiment

Can Charcoal Take Molecules Out Of Water? --TheHomeschoolScientist.com

Charcoal Water Purifying Experiment

Kitchen Chemistry: Cake Experiment

Polymer Science: Homemade Fruit Gummies

Food Chemistry: Turn Juice Into A Solid

Exothermic And Endothermic Reactions

Egg Float Science Experiment

Eggshell Geodes Science Experiment

Density Experiment

Forensic Chemistry Experiment

Kitchen Chemistry Experiments

Mentos and Soda Eruption

Make Invisible Ink

Glow Stick Reactions

Using Lemons To Make Batteries

Make A Potato Battery

Diaper Chemistry

Candle Chemical Reaction

Melting Ice With Salt

Viscosity Experiment

Melting Ice Experiment

Salt And Ice Experiments

ice science experiments

Ice Experiments

Chemiluminesence 

Non-Newtonian Fluids

Explore An Unknown Material

How Temperature Affects Molecular Movement

Make An Edible Polymer

The Science Of Jello

Kitchen Chemistry – 2 projects

Make Curds And Whey

Making Hot Ice

The Science Behind Edible Glass

Grow A Crystal Garden

Sugary Drinks And Teeth

Big Hero 6 Chemistry Concoctions 

Compare The Electrolytes In Sports Drinks

Measure Glucose In Your Food

charged atoms experiment 2 e1541380611728

Charged Atoms Experiment

Gummy Bears Osmosis Experiment

Milk Polarity Experiment 

Simple Digestion Experiment

Disappearing Color Experiment

Middle and High School Science Experiments

Parents of middle and high school students .

Check out ChemistryTalk.org. This is a charity non-profit (all of their content is free) whose mission is to make chemistry fun and easy. They have tutorials, experiments, videos, a podcast, and many resources to help your teen understand and enjoy chemistry.

chemistrytalk.org has chemistry resources to make chemistry understandable and fun.

Endothermic Chemical Reaction using Epsom salt

Peeps Science: Change In Mass Experiment 

Peeps Science Experiment: Blowing Up a Balloon with Peeps

Chemical Reaction Experiment

oxygen and fire

Oxygen And Fire Experiment

Make Poinsettia pH Paper

Make Elephant Toothpaste

Make A Rainbow Of Colored Flames

Make Green Fire Pinecones

Copper Plating Ornaments

Make Colored Fire

Electrolysis Of Water

Make A Silver Egg

Make A Black Fire Snake

Three Station Gas Lab

Solubility Of Gases In Water

Salt Formation From Chemical Reactions

Check out ChemistryTalk.org. This is a charity non-profit (all of their content is free) whose mission is to make chemistry fun and easy. They have tutorials, experiments, videos, a podcast, and many resources to help your teen understand and enjoy chemistry

Water Content Lab

water quality experiment

Water Quality Experiment

Make A Balloon Egg

Separating Sand And Salt

Rate Of Evaporation

Electricity From Chemicals

Create A Compound Of Two Elements

Melting And Freezing Experiment

Soft Water Experiment

Make Homemade Root Beer

How To Separate Water Into Hydrogen And Oxygen Using Electrolysis

Desalinization Experiment

Need 120 MORE Kitchen Chemistry Experiments and Culinary Science Ideas?

kitchen science1

Similar Posts

The Joy Of Field Guides

The Joy Of Field Guides

Dollar Bin Science Find – Brain Puzzle

Dollar Bin Science Find – Brain Puzzle

Red Cabbage Litmus Experiment

Invertebrate Study Links And A Jellyfish Craft

Let’s Make A Mold Terrarium!

Let’s Make A Mold Terrarium!

Tips for Great Outdoor Learning Adventures

Tips for Great Outdoor Learning Adventures

STAO

THIS DAY IN SCIENCE: The Rotoblator was announced in 1991

12 Captivating Chemistry Experiments (performed by Senior Highschool Students)

Categories: Gr 9-10 Science , Gr. 11-12 Chemistry

1. 00:01 Hot Ice Experiment 2. 00:58 Explosive Soap Foam 3. 01:51 Traffic Lights 4. 03:07 Shape Memory Metal Alloys 5. 04:01 Red cabbage pH Indicator 6. 05:19 Lycopodium Fireballs 7. 05:56 Acetone and Styrofoam 8. 06:56 The Black Snake 9. 08:20 Silver Mirror 10. 09:31 Very Cool Experiment 11. 10:22 Double Elephant Toothpaste 12. 11:24

The Hidden -starchy- Message Demonstration of Chemistry experiments on the last day of lessons (2016-17) at N. Alikarnassos Highschool, Greece. Eight trained students (grades 10-11) conducted the sheer joy of Chemistry to their peers! I am grateful to my students for their enthusiasm and commitment!

envelope with at sign

Never miss a resource

The Science Teachers Association of Ontario adds new resources, blog posts, videos and more on a regular basis. 

' src=

Milan Sanader

Related blogs:, images from a cell phone camera - submitted by dave gervais.

Categories: Gr 1-3 Science & Tech , Gr 4-6 Science & Tech , Gr 7-8 Science & Tech , Gr 9-10 Science

This is an image of an insect taken from a Huawei p 30 pro cell phone camera. When I compare that to images that I took in 1978 using a really good dissecting microscope with an optical camera,... read more

Teacher Demonstration: Carbon Use by an Aquatic Plant

Categories: Gr 9-10 Science

This activity demonstrates the use of carbon by an aquatic plant. The process of photosynthesis can be represented by the reaction: CO2 + H20 + light → C6H12O6 + O2.  There are two distinct... read more

How UV Causes Cancer and Aging

Categories: Gr 7-8 Science & Tech , Gr 9-10 Science , Gr. 11-12 Biology , Gr. 11-12 Chemistry

https://youtu.be/Cf7Ar3nEUmw UV at ground level is non-ionizing but it damages DNA and causes photoaging - how? Also, it turns out glass doesn't block all UV (specifically UVA passes through). This... read more

Session expired

Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.

Science Experiments for Kids

Home » Science Experiments for Kids » Easy Chemistry Experiments for Kids

Easy Chemistry Experiments for Kids

October 19, 2021 By Emma Vanstone 1 Comment

When I think back to my own childhood and school days, I don’t remember any chemistry experiments until secondary school, which is a shame because there are so many wonderfully visual easy chemistry experiments for kids that can be done at home or in school with young children.

I’ve put together a collection of my favourite examples, do let us know if you try any.

  Please remember young children should be supervised at all times.

Chemistry Experiments for Kids in the Kitchen

Exploding sandwich bags .

I did struggle a little when we tried this as the reaction happens so fast, but  Steve Spangler has a nifty method where he traps the vinegar in a second smaller bag, which you then have to burst to get the reaction started.

Exploding sandwich bags. Two sealable packs with food colouring, baking soda and vinegar inside for a chemistry experiment.

Inspiration laboratories add a twist by adding some colour and making  firework pictures at the same time.

Blow Up a Balloon

This is a super simple demonstration or experiment that has never failed me, and all you need is a container with a small neck, a balloon and either an alka seltzer or effervescent vitamin tablet. The alka seltzer or vitamin tablet react with water to release bubbles of carbon dioxide filling the jar and then blowing up the balloon.

Blow up a balloon with alka seltzer

blow up a balloon with alka seltzer science activity. Image shows a red balloon on top of a small jar containing water and alka seltzer

Find out how to blow up a balloon with lemon juice and baking soda.

Colourful Milk

Make a lovely, colourful display using milk, food colouring and vinegar.

Oil, Food Colouring and Water Exploration Table

This oil, water and food colouring exploration table is brilliant for even very young children. For older children try a more structured approach, they could measure the amount of vinegar and baking soda needed to make the reaction spill over the top of the beaker, or try dropping tiny amounts of coloured water into the oil.

Density Rainbow Jar

Learn about the tricky concept of density and make a beautiful demonstration density jar .

Image of a density column made with honey, golden syrup, washing up liquid, coloured water and oil

Simple Density Jar

If you don’t want to make as many layers as we have, why not try this smaller version and try to find an object to float on each layer.

Density jar made with oil and water. a coin sits on the bottom, a lego brick between the oil and water and a plastic spider on the top

Lemon Volcanoes

This lemon volcano from Babble Dabble Do is a great alternative to the traditional volcano and handy as the lemon already contains the acid.

lemon volcano made with baking soda and vinegar

Clean coins

Did you know you can clean coins with vinegar ?

coins, some cleaned with vinegar and some dirty

Colourful Chemistry Experiments

Make your own ph indicator.

Test ph of vinegar and baking soda with a red cabbage indicator . What do you think might happen if you blow into the indicator?

Image of red cabbage indicator being used in a chemistry experiment

Dissolving Skittles

Watching the colour dissolve from skittles or M & Ms dissolve into water is a lovely, quick, visual activity.

Chemistry Experiments for Kids Outside

Giant bubbles.

Who doesn’t love a giant bubble ? Red Ted Art makes bubble making look easy in this great video. Remember the mixture gets better the longer you leave it, so allow plenty of time.

Make a Square Bubble

All you need to make a square bubble is a square frame.

Square bubble made in a frame

Coke and Mento Reaction

The infamous coke and mento reaction is super easy and very impressive to watch. Try comparing the size of the geyser using diet and full sugar cola, or using different types of fizzy drinks.

Can you design something which allows the mentos to drop in as soon as you remove the lid?

Coke and Mento reaction. Image shows coke flying into the air!

Elephants Toothpaste

Fun at Home with Kids makes elephants toothpaste   look super simple, but do be careful with the hydrogen peroxide and take appropriate precautions.

Film Canister Rockets

Film canister rockets are easy, inexpensive and great fun. All you need is a film canister, effervescent vitamin tablet and some water. Experiment with different amounts of water and tablets to find the most explosive combination.

film canister rocket with a LEGO man attached to it.

Make a Volcano

Find out how to make a volcano erupt with sand, snow or papier mache.

Chemistry Experiments - multicoloured volcano eruption

Chemistry Separation Methods

Bicycle centrifuge.

Did you know you can use bike wheels as a very basic centrifuge ?

Test tube filled with oil and water tied to an upside down bike with cable ties.

Stone and Gravel Filter

Learn about filters by making a filter with stones , gravel and sand.

Filter Paper Chromatography

Take on the role of detective with some fun filter paper chromatography .

image of chromatography on filter paper

Can you think of any more amazing classic chemistry experiments for us?

Collage of fun chemistry experiments for kids, includes a density jar, coke and mento eruption, exploding sandwich bags and ice excavations

Last Updated on February 10, 2022 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

' src=

June 15, 2021 at 5:04 pm

these ideas are great i picked two to do at my moms house the skittles in water and coke with mentos my mom might not let me do the coke bootle and mentos but she might let me do the skittles i will let you know if it works if it does i give this website a 10/10

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

FREE Shipping on all our products! (Please expect 2.5 weeks for delivery due to  transit delays. We ship every day including Saturday

elementalscience.com

Your Cart is Empty

All books are shipped via media mail and can take up to three weeks to arrive. All experiment kits are shipped priority mail and may arrive before the books. All eBooks are delivered to your inbox within 5 minutes of your purchase.

elementalscience.com

Top 10 Chemistry Experiments You Don't Want to Miss

May 03, 2021 3 min read

A few years back we shared a series about how to teach the different areas of science at home, which you can find here:

The posts in the series have remained some of our most popular posts and so we thought we would help you all out by sharing our favorite experiments for each discipline!

So far we have shared our favorite biology , earth science , and astronomy experiments. Today, we are going to share ten of our favorites for chemistry.

And without further ado, here are our top 10 chemistry experiments!

Top 10 Chemistry Experiments

Don't miss these top ten favorite chemistry experiments from Elemental Science.

1. Explore marker chromatography.

This STEAM activity versatile enough to do with what you have on hand and definitely delivers the "WOW" factor.

It's a great project for   decorating a tree, making   beautiful butterflies, or for making a scientific version of a   tie-dye t-shirt. Whatever you decide to do with your marker chromatography artwork, the process is the same.

2. Test which one freezes first. 

Winter is a great time to explore the principles of chemistry through experimentation! Although, with a freezer you can enjoy this experiment year-round.

This simple experiment will help your students to see   how salt changes the freezing point of water .

3. Make a bioplastic in your kitchen.

This chemistry experiment shares how to make a simple bioplastic in your microwave!! What is a bioplastic you ask? It's a plasticky material made from biological chemicals.

Now, we can't exactly make a completely hard bioplastic in our microwave. However, we will make a super cool gel-like bioplastic using cornstarch and a few other items.

4. Polishing silver with chemistry.

I know you are thinking - silver polish can't possibly be a super fun chemistry experiment. But, the directions in this post contain the best possible homemade silver polish.

Uncle Cecil and President Lincoln of Sassafras Science fame tried hundreds of experiments just to make sure. This silver-polishing, scientific magic trick will make an afternoon chore into a super fun chemistry experiment.

5. Experiment with Borax.

Borax is an old-school laundry booster that many of the slime recipes use. But what do you do with the rest of the box when you are done? 

You could get all retro and add it to your next load of laundry, but what fun is that? Today, we are going to share with you three chemistry experiments that use Borax - ones that you will want to do over and over again until the whole box is gone!

6. Do a kitchen acid test.

A kitchen acid test is always fun because of the color changes.  But more than that, this hands-on science activity is a great way to show your kids a bit about the chemistry of acids and bases!

7. Send a secret message.

You use chemistry to be like a spy and send a secret message ! This  kitchen science activity is one you can use over and over again.

8. Explode fireworks in your kitchen.

There is a lot of chemistry behind fireworks - the colors alone are due to different chemicals!

And although, you can't explode actual fireworks in your kitchen, but you can learn about them and then do a simple chemistry experiment to see fireworks in your kitchen !

9. Play with dry ice.

Dry ice is a fun way to explore the states of matter. It's one of those materials that appear to boil in room temperature water, sending out billows of white, wispy smoke.

This post shares three  chemistry activities with dry ice from our lab to yours that you can use to explore this amazing material.

10. Mix up a batch of crazy colors.

This chemistry experiment is part color-change , part stink-up-the-kitchen and it requires a bit of preparation, but it is totally worth it! It's one of the best ways to show the difference between acids and bases.

Wrapping it Up

There are loads more options for chemistry experiments out there that we love - in fact, we probably could have done a post with 100 experiments! But these are the ten we don't want you to miss.  If you want more chemistry experiments, check out our   Chemistry Pinterest board .

If you want it all pulled together for you, check out the following our homeschool science programs with easy-to-use plans for teaching chemistry:

Also in Elemental Science Blog

5 simple steps for writing an interesting biography report on a famous scientist.

February 06, 2023 4 min read

chemistry experiments in school

We love sharing about the key men and women in science with our students. Click "Read More" to see how to write a biography report on a famous scientist in 5 easy steps.

19 Tips for Hand-on Science Success in your Homeschool

January 09, 2023 4 min read

Don't miss these 19 tips to help you with homeschool science

Don't miss these nineteen posts packed with tips that will help you with hands-on science in your homeschool. Click "Read More" to see the tips

5 Incredible Benefits of Taking Short Walks in Nature with your Kids for Homeschool Science

June 20, 2022 3 min read

Summer is the perfect time to start a practice of taking a walk in nature. Not only will these walks create memories, but they will help you sneak in a bit of science!

Summer is the perfect time to start a practice of taking a walk in nature. Not only will these walks create memories, but they will help you sneak in a bit of science! Click "Read More" to see the benefits.

Sign up to get monthly science tips, plus the latest on new releases and more…

Interesting High School Chemistry Demonstrations

High school science students can be hard to impress, but here's a list of cool and exciting chemistry demonstrations to capture student interest and illustrate chemistry concepts.

Sodium in Water Chemistry Demonstration

Getty Images / Andy Crawford and Tim Ridley 

Sodium reacts vigorously with water to form sodium hydroxide . A lot of heat/energy is released! A very small amount of sodium (or other alkali metal) produces bubbling and heat. If you have the resources and space, a larger amount in an outdoor body of water forms a memorable explosion. You can tell people the alkali metals are highly reactive, but the message is driven home by this demo.

Leidenfrost Effect Demonstrations

chemistry experiments in school

Wikimedia Commons / Cryonic07

The Leidenfrost Effect occurs when a liquid droplet encounters a surface much hotter than its boiling point , producing a layer of vapor that insulates the liquid from boiling. The simplest way to demonstrate the effect is by sprinkling water on a hot pan or burner, causing the droplets to skitter away. However, there are fascinating demonstrations involving​ liquid nitrogen or molten lead.

Sulfur Hexafluoride Demonstrations

chemistry experiments in school

 Getty Images / ollaweila

Sulfur hexafluoride is an odorless and colorless gas. Although students know fluorine is extremely reactive and usually quite toxic, the fluorine is safely bound to sulfur in this compound, making it safe enough to handle and even to inhale. Two noteworthy chemistry demonstrations illustrate the heavy density of sulfur hexafluoride relative to air. If you pour sulfur hexafluoride into a container, you can float light objects on it, much like you would float them on water except the sulfur hexafluoride layer is completely invisible. Another demonstration produces the opposite effect from inhaling helium . If you inhale sulfur hexafluoride and speak, your voice will seem much deeper.

Burning Money Demonstration

chemistry experiments in school

Getty Images / Martin Poole

Most high school chemistry demonstrations are hands-off for students, but this is one they can try at home. In this demonstration, 'paper' currency is dipped in a solution of water and alcohol and set alight. The water absorbed by the fibers of the bill protects it from ignition.

Oscillating Clock Color Changes

chemistry experiments in school

Getty Images / Trish Gant

The Briggs-Rauscher oscillating clock (clear-amber-blue) may be the best-known color change demo, but there are several colors of clock reactions , mostly involving acid-base reactions to produce the colors.

Supercooled Water

chemistry experiments in school

Creative Commons License

Supercooling occurs when a liquid is chilled below its freezing point , yet remains a liquid. When you do this to water, you can cause it to change to ice under controlled conditions. This makes for a great demonstration that students can try at home, too.

Colored Fire Chem Demos

chemistry experiments in school

Getty Images / Danita Delimont

A colored fire rainbow is an interesting take on the classic flame test, used to identify metal salts based on the color of their emission spectra. This fire rainbow uses chemicals readily available to most students, so they can replicate the rainbow themselves. This demo leaves a lasting impression.

Nitrogen Vapor Chem Demo

All you need is iodine and ammonia to make nitrogen triiodide. This unstable material decomposes with a very loud 'pop', releasing a cloud of violet iodine vapor. Other reactions produce violet smoke without the explosion.

chemistry experiments in school

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Babble Dabble Do

50 Chemistry Projects That Will Amaze Kids!

February 26, 2019 by Ana Dziengel 5 Comments

Chemistry projects feel like magic , do they not? If you think about some of your favorite science projects, the ones you love to try with your kids or the ones that amazed YOU as a kid, more likely than not most of them involved chemistry.

Now I know a lot of us associate chemistry with lab coats, beakers and specialty ingredients but the reality is there are so many chemistry projects you can do using very simple, easy to find ingredients, often found in your own pantry. And since these types of simple chemistry projects use relatively safe ingredients, they are perfect to try with younger kids, ie. preschool and elementary aged children! In fact I think it’s so important for young kids to have a positive association with chemistry from a young age that fosters a love of this branch of science.

When most children are finally exposed to chemistry in school, it is at the high school level where the subject turns complex quickly; hopefully giving kids a chance to have fun at young age mixing up concoctions and watching chemical reactions will help carry their interest through the more complicated days of study ahead.

This post is a GIANT compilation of  chemistry projects that would be great for the science fair, classroom demos, or at home science with your kids.

Before we get started let’s talk a little bit about what chemistry is and for parents I also included a section covering How to Do Chemistry Projects at Home. If you are a classroom teacher you can skip this section and head right to the projects here.

What is chemistry?

Chemistry is the branch of science that studies matter (anything that has mass and takes up space) and its properties, and how different substances (especially molecules and their atoms) interact, combine, and change to form new substances.

Here are some important definitions to know when working on chemistry projects:

While most people think of chemistry purely in terms of chemical reactions, chemistry also covers the study of the states of matter as well as the density of substances.

The five branches of chemistry are:

Read more about what each branch covers here.

How to Do Chemistry Projects at Home

Many chemistry projects can be done at home using simple materials and are a great way to foster a love of science in kids! I wholeheartedly believe that a wow factor in a project engages and inspires kids to learn more. If you want to try chemistry projects at home here are some suggestions and precautions:

Safety First

Even though most of the projects in this list use safe, easy to find materials they should be used with safety precautions and under adult supervision. Why? Sometimes the chemical reaction that ensues can irritate the skin or eye, can be harmful if swallowed, or is just plain sticky or  messy and adults should be on hand to supervise use . Also be advised that there are a few projects on this list that do use materials that are unsafe for kids to handle. These projects are meant to be demonstrations only and are labeled  accordingly.

Managing Messes

Chemistry Projects for Kids

The following chemistry projects for kids are sorted by topic: Chemical Reactions, Acids and Bases, Carbon Reactions, Chromatography, Colloids & Solutions, Polymers,  and Crystals.

Please note that many if these projects could fit in two or more categories in this post as they demonstrate various scientific and chemical processes. I only classified them once on this list.

Chemistry Projects with Chemical Reactions 

What is a chemical reaction.

Chemical reactions occur when the chemical bonds in a substance are either destroyed or created. In other words the bonds in a molecule are broken during a chemical reaction and the atoms rearranged to create new molecules. Interestingly enough the number of original atoms does not change during the reaction, they are simply reconfigured.

An easy way to explain chemical reactions to kids is to use this analogy: Atoms are like letters, molecules are like words. Chemistry is like taking apart words and rearranging the letters to form a new word.

Read more about chemical reactions here.

Chemical Reactions Projects:

1. milk painting, 2. citrus battery, 3. elephant toothpaste.

<span data-mce-type=”bookmark” style=”display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;” class=”mce_SELRES_start”></span>

4. Density Lava Lamps

To make a density lava lamp fill a plastic bottle with the following liquids: Clear corn syrup, water with a few drops of food coloring, and  layer of vegetable oil. Be sure to leave a space at the top of the bottle. Wait until the liquids settle then add in a tablet of extra strength alka seltzer. Watch as the alka seltzer and water react and bubble up through the oil layer.   To see this in a  step by step video check out this video (Pssst this is one of our students!!!)

5. Plastic Milk   and Curds & Whey Experiment

6 . color mixing.

Pour water into three clear plastic cups, then add blue, red, and yellow food coloring to each. Have an additional cup full of uncolored water available as well. Give your child an empty ice cube tray and pipettes and let them create different colors by mixing different ratios of two different primary colors in each ice cube compartment. The secondary colors are new colors created from two primary colors. This is a simple visual of how chemical reactions work.

7. Chemistry Clock

8. blow balloons with yeast and sugar, 9. shiny pennies.

Acids are corrosive and sour tasting. Liquids such as vinegar, lemon juice, and tomato juice are acids. Pennies are made from copper which tarnishes (turns dark) when exposed to oxygen over time. Placing the copper pennies in an acid will clean the copper oxide off them and make them shiny again.

Learn about Acids and Bases

Most liquids are either an acid or a base. Liquids with lots of hydrogen ions in them are considered acids. Liquids with many hydroxide ions are bases. Scientists use a scale called the ph scale to measure how acidic or basic a liquid is. The more hydrogen ions in a liquid the more acidic it is and ranks low on the ph scale. The more hydroxide ions in a liquid the more basic it is and ranks high on the ph scale.  You can see what that looks like here.

When acids and bases are mixed chemical reactions occur and the solution becomes neutralized.

Acid and Bases Projects:

1. baking soda & vinegar volcano, 2. lemon volcano, 3. the colorful cabbage juice science experiment   and acid base experiment with cabbage, 4. dancing rice, 5. green eggs & ham, 6. bubbly citric acid brew , 7. baking soda vs baking powder science experiment, 8. exploding bags, 9. rainbow rubber eggs , 10. surprise eggs  , 11. rainbow wizard’s brew, chemistry projects with fire (carbon reactions).

Carbon is the most important element for life. Chemicals that contain carbon are called organic compounds.  Carbon has two main forms: The first is in the hard form of diamonds and graphite, and the second is the impure form found in charcoal, coal and soot.

SAFTEY WARNING: Carbon reactions are always fascinating to watch however the presence of fire means that these experiments must be supervised by adults at all times!  

Carbon Reactions Projects:

1. smoking fingers, 2. fire snake, 3. silver egg, 4. invisible ink, chromatography.

Chromatography is the process of separating mixtures. We usually think of it in terms of color hence the prefix -chroma, however in chemistry is means simply a method of separating mixtures by letting them slowly move past each other. It applies to both liquids and gasses.  This is wonderful in-depth explanation of chromatography.

Chromatography Projects:

1. chromatography  .

In this project you will separate the color black into other colors. Fold a coffee filter in half. Fold in half two more times until you have a triangular shape. Color the tip of the coffee filter with washable black marker. Get a good coat of ink on the filter. Add a small amount of water to a plastic cup. Place the black tip of the coffee filter in the cup Wait and observe. Come back to the filter after an hour or two and see what happens to the ink. As the coffee filter absorbs water through capillary action, the black ink moves through the filter and is separated by the water into other colors. You should see blue, green and even red as the water separates the ink.

2. Chromatography Flowers

3. chromatography art, 4. chromatography bags, colloids and solutions/solubility.

Colloids and Solutions are two types of homogenous mixtures.

If you want a more in-depth primer on solutions and colloids hop over here .

Colloid Projects:

1. colloid examples, 2.  oobleck  , 3. make butter , 4. gelatin streaking, solutions/solubility projects:, 5. ice sculptures , 6. ice cream in a bag.

A printable of the science facts at play here

7. Skittles Science

8. magical water blossoms  <span data-mce-type=”bookmark” style=”display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;” class=”mce_selres_start”></span>, 9. diffusion art, 10. paint solubility  , 11. bleeding blossoms  .

A polymer is a substance made up of a long chain of molecules.  Polymers are typically flexible materials like plastic or gum.

The classic polymer kids LOVE to make is slime! Glue is already a polymer but when combined with sodium tetraborate (borax ) the protein molecules of the glue and the borate ions crosslink, making it harder for the molecules to move and forming the gooey, sticky, substance we know as slime.

Other polymers you are probably familiar with are plastic bags, balloons, instant snow, and even the powdery substance found in diapers that expands when wet.

Polymer Projects:

1. best basic slime  .

Bonus: Get the Science Behind Slime printable here

2. Heat Sensitive Slime

3. diy bouncy balls, 4. magic plastic bag experiment, 5. instant terrariums, 6. how to make paper, 7. skewer through balloon , 8. dry erase figure   and dry erase drawings, 9. recycled plastic flowers.

Crystals are a type of material that is formed by patterns of repeating molecules. There are four types of chemical bonds in crystals and therefore four categories of crystals. These are: Covalent, Molecular, Metallic, and Ionic Crystals. You can grow crystals by mixing up a super saturated solution (usually with a type of salt and water) and letting it settle over time so crystals will form. Check out the various types of easy to grow crystal below and go here to read more about the science of crystals .

Crystals Projects:

1. classic borax crystals , 2. overnight crystal garden, 3. egg geodes, 4. crystal wind catchers, 5. crystal landscapes, 6. candy geodes , 7. salt crystals, conclusion & more.

Alright you guys, do you feel like you have some good project ideas for exploring chemistry with kids? Many of these will make greats science fair projects. Be sure to start with them as a topic then start asking questions, form a hypotheses, and do some experiments.

Now I have to admit that I really fell in love with chemistry projects as an adult. Working with kids in camp, after school, and with my own kids at home I’ve had the chance to try fun chemistry projects and discovered that I love watching chemical reactions AND the reactions on the faces of kids and bystanders during demonstration or project!

If you have kids who fall in love with this branch of science please do check out the incredible book series Elements , Molecules , and Reactions by Theodore Gray (see the series in our Amazon science ideas list here ) The books are stunning, informative, easy to understand and, wait for it…funny!

Another valuable resource for kids who love chemistry is Mel Science’s Chemistry subscription box. They send you a starter kit for free with all the materials you’ll need and then each month you get a new chemistry experiment delivered to your door! This is great product because a lot of specialty chemistry ingredients are hard to find and these kits simplify getting the materials you need! Check it out here:

Are you passionate about raising creative kids?

Join over 22,179 parents and educators who want connect with kids and nurture their creative process through magical, easy projects you can do TOGETHER.

Subscribe to our email list to receive project ideas as well as offers for some our creative products.

If you want to read our privacy policy before subscribing, hop over here.    

February 26, 2019 at 10:31 pm

These were some really awesome projects. I really liked the Citrus Battery projects. It seems simple and easy for a young kid. I wish schools should give more focus to such experiments instead of shoving down the theoretical knowledge down the throat of young kids.

Carol Biggs says

March 1, 2019 at 4:58 am

Is all of this info available on book form?

Ana Dziengel says

March 6, 2019 at 5:49 am

Not at this time but that’s a great idea!

Betsy Mitten says

March 5, 2019 at 10:43 am

Thank you for making this fantastic collection of experiments with clear directions and easy to understand explanations of the science behind the fun! I know I’ll refer to this list often. I especially appreciate the way the experiments are classified/organized. I teach art with science connections and we are already planning on chalkboard and magnetic slime :). I’ll be sure to tag Babble Dabble Do when I post photos of work inspired by this on target collection!

Kyra Rodriguez says

March 5, 2019 at 10:54 pm

These are all great ideas! I’m pretty sure the kids will have fun and love this activities

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Pin It on Pinterest

Science Activities for the Classroom

Hands-on activities for elementary school science (grades 3-5).

Elementary school teachers can use these activities to enrich the study of many different science topics in the elementary curriculum. Topics are aligned with curriculum for physical science, earth and space science, and some life science.

The activities focus on the process of doing science, including the importance of establishing an experimental control; changing and controlling variables; observing, measuring, and recording data; and drawing reasonable conclusions. Whenever possible, mathematics is incorporated into activities so that math and science skills are developed together.

Chemical & Physical Change

Solids, Liquids & Gases

Characteristics of Materials

Motion & Energy

Planet Earth

Art & Toys

Students & educators  —menu.

1155 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA |  [email protected]  | 1-800-333-9511 (US and Canada) | 614-447-3776 (outside North America)

Copyright © 2023 American Chemical Society

IMAGES

  1. 3 Simple Science Experiments for Kids

    chemistry experiments in school

  2. Chemistry Experiments for High School at Home

    chemistry experiments in school

  3. School Chemistry Experiments

    chemistry experiments in school

  4. 10 At-Home Science Experiments to Do With the Kids

    chemistry experiments in school

  5. Fun Chemistry Experiments for High Schools

    chemistry experiments in school

  6. Chemistry Experiments for High School at Home

    chemistry experiments in school

VIDEO

  1. Another cool chemistry experiment

  2. Amazing chemical experiment #shorts #experiment #sciencetrick

  3. chemistry experiments #shorts

  4. a chemistry experiment for my school🗿

  5. Science Experiments

  6. Amazing chemistry experiment 😱

COMMENTS

  1. Classic chemistry experiments

    Classic chemistry experiments · A Cartesian diver · Chemistry and electricity · Disappearing ink · Electricity from chemicals · Experiments with particles.

  2. 55 Best Science Experiments for High School Labs & Science Fairs

    Chemistry Experiments for High School · 14. Watch a beating heart made of gallium · 15. Break apart covalent bonds · 16. Measure the calories in

  3. 110 Awesome Chemistry Experiments For All Ages

    Chemistry experiments are a great way to get kids excited about studying chemistry even at a young age. I mean, what child doesn't think about creating

  4. 12 Captivating Chemistry Experiments (performed by Senior

    00:01 Hot Ice Experiment 2. 00:58 Explosive Soap Foam 3. 01:51 Traffic Lights 4. 03:07 Shape Memory Metal Alloys 5. 04:01 Red cabbage pH Indicator 6.

  5. Awesome and Easy Chemistry Experiments for Kids

    Chemistry Experiments for Kids in the Kitchen · Exploding Sandwich Bags · Blow Up a Balloon · Colourful Milk · Oil, Food Colouring and Water

  6. Top 10 Chemistry Experiments You Don't Want to Miss

    1. Explore marker chromatography. · 2. Test which one freezes first. · 3. Make a bioplastic in your kitchen. · 4. Polishing silver with chemistry. · 5. Experiment

  7. Interesting High School Chemistry Demonstrations

    Interesting High School Chemistry Demonstrations · Sodium in Water Chemistry Demonstration · Leidenfrost Effect Demonstrations · Sulfur

  8. 12 Captivating Chemistry Experiments (performed by ...

    1. 00:00 Hot Ice Experiment2. 00:58 Explosive Soap Foam3. 01:51 Traffic Lights4. 03:07 Shape Memory Metal Alloys5.

  9. 50 Chemistry Projects That Will Amaze Kids!

    Chemistry Projects for Kids · 1. Colloid Examples · 2. Oobleck · 3. Make Butter · 4. Gelatin Streaking · 5. Ice Sculptures · 6. Ice Cream in a Bag · 7.

  10. Science Activities

    Elementary school teachers can use these activities to enrich the study of many different science topics in the elementary curriculum.