In this Halloween science experiment we’re combining two simple ingredients to make a chemical reaction full of fizz. This is a great sensory play activity with an added fizzy science lesson.
Pumpkin fizzy science experiment for Halloween
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Make your Halloween fun and easy with the Super Fun, Not Scary Halloween Unit. A complete unit of Halloween resources including math, science, literacy, play, art, craft, and sensory, with lots of bonus printables.
No monsters, vampires, zombies, ghosts or mummies - just lots of Halloween fun and learning!
Click here to download your pack.
In this pumpkin fizzy science experiment for Halloween we’re combining simple kitchen ingredients to make lots of fizz.
:: We’ll be exploring how to conduct a simple science experiment: selecting materials, setting up an experiment, observing results, making predictions, thinking about the reasons behind what we see.
:: We’ll learn that combining different ingredients can have surprising results.
:: Younger children can enjoy the sensory play aspect of the experiment. Older children can change the amounts of each ingredient they add, to try and influence the results.
:: You might like to record your experiment in your journal, on film, or through photographs.
Materials needed:
:: Pumpkin or squash
:: spoon
:: black permanent marker
:: bicarbonate of soda
:: vinegar
:: tray
Start by preparing your pumpkin or squash by scooping out all the inside flesh and seeds, to leave your with a pumpkin bowl.
You might like to draw a funny face on your pumpkin with a permanent marker.
Place your pumpkin on a tray, ready to catch any spills
Next, fill your pumpkin with some bicarbonate of soda. You can begin with a large spoonful and add more as your experiment develops.
Then squirt in some vinegar and observe what happens. What can you see and what can you hear?
Experiment with your combination of bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to see which amount produces the most fizz. Can you create enough fizz to flow up, all the way over the top of your pumpkin?
What’s the science behind the fizz?
Younger children can enjoy this experiment as a sensory play activity, playing with cause and effect. Older children can learn about the science that causes the reaction.
What you’re seeing is a chemical reaction taking place as the base (the bicarbonate of soda, NaHCO3) reacts with the acid (the vinegar, CH3COOH).
When they mix together they create carbonic acid, which is unstable.
The carbonic acid splits up into water and carbon dioxide – and that’s why you can see and hear all the fizzing.
How to get your Super Fun, Not Scary Halloween Unit
Make your Halloween fun and easy with the Super Fun, Not Scary Halloween Unit. A complete unit of Halloween resources including math, science, literacy, play, art, craft, and sensory, with lots of bonus printables.
No monsters, vampires, zombies, ghosts or mummies - just lots of Halloween fun and learning!
Click here to download your pack.
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