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The shelves are bursting with candy corn confections this time of year. The mellocreme pumpkin is a treat made of honey and sugar, simply ripe with scientific possibilities. Grab your little goblins for this ghoulish experiment: dissolve candy pumpkins in different liquids. Stand back to watch the magic! This is an experiment of testing hypotheses. What does your little scientist think will happen in each liquid? Will the pumpkins float? Sink? Dissolve? Stay intact? What happens if you add a little heat? Let’s find out!
Supplies:
Candy corn pumpkins
Clear glasses
Water, warm and cold
Vinegar
Vegetable oil
Milk
Microwave
Timer
1. Label your clear glasses for each liquid. Fill your glasses about half full. 2. Drop in each pumpkin. Observe for any immediate reaction. Grab your timer and begin to measure your observations in five-minute increments.
3. 5 Minutes: There was lots of bubbling in the warm water and little difference to the other liquids.
4. 10 Minutes: The cold water and vinegar liquids began to turn orange as the sugar “skin” of the pumpkin began to shed, but not much change for the pumpkin in milk.
5. 15 minutes: The cold water, warm water, and vinegar pumpkins all began to shed their “skin,” providing a spooky element to the experiment!
6. 30 Minutes: At last! The theory that the pumpkins might float comes true as the pumpkin’s sugar skin lifts it to the top of the glass. This might provide giggles, as your experiment now looks a little haunted. Who invited the ghost?
8. To add a little interest, put the oil pumpkin in the microwave for 20 seconds. You’ll find it will bubble and then wholly flatten out.
9. Have an adult fish the flattened pumpkin out. You will find it is very pliable and is almost plastic-like in consistency. Your little scientists might be taken aback that this is, in fact, something we can eat!
Findings
The milk broke down the sugary pumpkin over time by dissolving it. The warm water made the reaction slightly faster, but the two water temperatures and the vinegar broke down the candy first, creating sugar “ghosts” from the outer coating. And while the oil had little effect on the pumpkin when resting in the liquid, adding the heat made the natural reaction occur. It was decided that time was the fundamental factor in this experiment: the more time the pumpkins sat in the liquids, the more chances to observe!
The shelves are bursting with candy corn confections this time of year. The mellocreme pumpkin is a treat made of honey and sugar, simply ripe with scientific possibilities. Grab your little goblins for this ghoulish experiment: dissolve candy pumpkins in different liquids. Stand back to watch the magic! This is an experiment of testing hypotheses. What does your little scientist think will happen in each liquid? Will the pumpkins float? Sink? Dissolve? Stay intact? What happens if you add a little heat? Let’s find out!
Supplies:
Candy corn pumpkins
Clear glasses
Water, warm and cold
Vinegar
Vegetable oil
Milk
Microwave
Timer
1. Label your clear glasses for each liquid. Fill your glasses about half full. 2. Drop in each pumpkin. Observe for any immediate reaction. Grab your timer and begin to measure your observations in five-minute increments.
3. 5 Minutes: There was lots of bubbling in the warm water and little difference to the other liquids.
4. 10 Minutes: The cold water and vinegar liquids began to turn orange as the sugar “skin” of the pumpkin began to shed, but not much change for the pumpkin in milk.
5. 15 minutes: The cold water, warm water, and vinegar pumpkins all began to shed their “skin,” providing a spooky element to the experiment!
6. 30 Minutes: At last! The theory that the pumpkins might float comes true as the pumpkin’s sugar skin lifts it to the top of the glass. This might provide giggles, as your experiment now looks a little haunted. Who invited the ghost?
8. To add a little interest, put the oil pumpkin in the microwave for 20 seconds. You’ll find it will bubble and then wholly flatten out.
9. Have an adult fish the flattened pumpkin out. You will find it is very pliable and is almost plastic-like in consistency. Your little scientists might be taken aback that this is, in fact, something we can eat!
Findings
The milk broke down the sugary pumpkin over time by dissolving it. The warm water made the reaction slightly faster, but the two water temperatures and the vinegar broke down the candy first, creating sugar “ghosts” from the outer coating. And while the oil had little effect on the pumpkin when resting in the liquid, adding the heat made the natural reaction occur. It was decided that time was the fundamental factor in this experiment: the more time the pumpkins sat in the liquids, the more chances to observe!
The chill in the air! The crunch of the leaves! The sights and sounds of autumn are here! Everything is cozy and crisp and wonderful, and…ACHOO!
As the first sneeze of the season rings through your house, it can only mean one thing: cold and flu season is upon us. Let’s prepare together by making a cost-effective, all-natural hand sanitizer to keep those nasty germs at bay.
This easy activity opens up discussions on practicing healthy habits during this germ-filled time of year. Here are a few reminders:
Wash or sanitize hands whenever possible
Germs are everywhere – there’s no way around it. But sanitizing or washing hands is the best way to prevent them from spreading. Rub in sanitizer to the palms and back of hands, and teach little ones to wash hands with soap for as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice.
Clean areas children touch frequently.
Wipe down doorknobs, toys, railings, electronic tablets, remote controls, etc., with disinfectant. You obviously can’t chase after your children with a Clorox wipe every moment, but staying on top of cleaning surfaces makes a huge difference in germ transfers.
Scrub down that bathroom
A hygienic bathroom during cold and flu seasons is a must. Top-to-bottom care is essential in this busy hub in your home. The toilet handle, the sink, and the floor should enjoy frequent cleanings. And don’t forget to wash hand towels…and then rewash them.
Teach the beloved “vampire” to sneeze and cough
This one comes with some practice, but teaching kids to sneeze or cough in the elbow crook is a huge step in preventing the spreading of germs. If you stick with it, you will notice that the “vampire” move quickly becomes a knee-jerk reaction.
Lastly, call your little ones in sick.
If your child has a temperature or isn’t acting like him or herself, keep them home. No one knows your child better than you, so it’s best to err on caution if something seems off.
To make your own hand sanitizer, you will need:
8 ounces Aloe Vera gel
One tablespoon witch hazel
¼ teaspoon tea tree oil
¼ teaspoon Vitamin E oil
Essential oils, a variety of scents
Travel-sized spray bottles
First, decide which essential oils you’d like to use. Four scents were chosen here, and we were creative in decorating each spray bottle with labels. If it’s going to be attached to you all during cold and flu season, you might as well make it nice-looking.
Fill a measuring cup with 8 ounces of Aloe Vera gel. Aloe Vera’s job is to serve as the base of the sanitizer and to be very gentle on the skin.
Next, add the active ingredients. Begin with the witch hazel, adding one tablespoon. Witch hazel is a natural cleanser that protects against infection.
Alcohol can be used in its place, but witch hazel is far less drying.
Add ¼ tablespoon of tea tree oil. When it is in 0.5-1.0% concentration form, tea tree oil is powerful in killing most bacteria and is potent when preventing infection. (The other thing that is powerful about tea tree oil is its scent. The kids might not love how strong it is, but once the essential oils are added to the hand sanitizer mixture, the odor dissipates).
For extra moisture, add Vitamin E oil. A common complaint about store-bought sanitizers is how drying they can be, mainly applied for days (and months). Vitamin E and aloe make this homemade version easier on the kids’ hands. And it is thick!
Lastly, add the essential oil for scent. The overwhelming favorite in this house was peppermint. Pour into your cutely made spray bottles. Stash them away in the kids’ backpacks, lunch boxes, cup holders of their car seats, or anywhere in between! Best of luck this cold and flu season!
The chill in the air! The crunch of the leaves! The sights and sounds of autumn are here! Everything is cozy and crisp and wonderful, and…ACHOO!
As the first sneeze of the season rings through your house, it can only mean one thing: cold and flu season is upon us. Let’s prepare together by making a cost-effective, all-natural hand sanitizer to keep those nasty germs at bay.
This easy activity opens up discussions on practicing healthy habits during this germ-filled time of year. Here are a few reminders:
Wash or sanitize hands whenever possible
Germs are everywhere – there’s no way around it. But sanitizing or washing hands is the best way to prevent them from spreading. Rub in sanitizer to the palms and back of hands, and teach little ones to wash hands with soap for as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice.
Clean areas children touch frequently.
Wipe down doorknobs, toys, railings, electronic tablets, remote controls, etc., with disinfectant. You obviously can’t chase after your children with a Clorox wipe every moment, but staying on top of cleaning surfaces makes a huge difference in germ transfers.
Scrub down that bathroom
A hygienic bathroom during cold and flu seasons is a must. Top-to-bottom care is essential in this busy hub in your home. The toilet handle, the sink, and the floor should enjoy frequent cleanings. And don’t forget to wash hand towels…and then rewash them.
Teach the beloved “vampire” to sneeze and cough
This one comes with some practice, but teaching kids to sneeze or cough in the elbow crook is a huge step in preventing the spreading of germs. If you stick with it, you will notice that the “vampire” move quickly becomes a knee-jerk reaction.
Lastly, call your little ones in sick.
If your child has a temperature or isn’t acting like him or herself, keep them home. No one knows your child better than you, so it’s best to err on caution if something seems off.
To make your own hand sanitizer, you will need:
8 ounces Aloe Vera gel
One tablespoon witch hazel
¼ teaspoon tea tree oil
¼ teaspoon Vitamin E oil
Essential oils, a variety of scents
Travel-sized spray bottles
First, decide which essential oils you’d like to use. Four scents were chosen here, and we were creative in decorating each spray bottle with labels. If it’s going to be attached to you all during cold and flu season, you might as well make it nice-looking.
Fill a measuring cup with 8 ounces of Aloe Vera gel. Aloe Vera’s job is to serve as the base of the sanitizer and to be very gentle on the skin.
Next, add the active ingredients. Begin with the witch hazel, adding one tablespoon. Witch hazel is a natural cleanser that protects against infection.
Alcohol can be used in its place, but witch hazel is far less drying.
Add ¼ tablespoon of tea tree oil. When it is in 0.5-1.0% concentration form, tea tree oil is powerful in killing most bacteria and is potent when preventing infection. (The other thing that is powerful about tea tree oil is its scent. The kids might not love how strong it is, but once the essential oils are added to the hand sanitizer mixture, the odor dissipates).
For extra moisture, add Vitamin E oil. A common complaint about store-bought sanitizers is how drying they can be, mainly applied for days (and months). Vitamin E and aloe make this homemade version easier on the kids’ hands. And it is thick!
Lastly, add the essential oil for scent. The overwhelming favorite in this house was peppermint. Pour into your cutely made spray bottles. Stash them away in the kids’ backpacks, lunch boxes, cup holders of their car seats, or anywhere in between! Best of luck this cold and flu season!
Are you excited about the fall? Cooler weather, changing colors, and leaves and seeds on the ground make for a great time to get outside and explore nature. Bring a nature inside and set up a discovery table. Today I’m sharing five tools for your fall discovery table. These items will help your little scientists make observations and use real science tools in the process.
5 Tools to Add:
1. Sensory Tubes: Sensory Tubes are a fantastic way to let children observe things through sight and/or smell. They are especially handy for items that you don’t necessarily want the children to touch (sticky pine cones, for example). I added different nature items to the sensory tubes and then also placed items on the tray that can be touched and explored. The focus in this particular discovery table is comparing seeds and leaves. I chose a seed pod, leaves, pine cones, and pine needles.
Questions to ask:
What do you notice about the different leaves? (colors, shape, size)
What time of year do trees like sycamore and maple lose all of their leaves? (fall/autumn)
Pine cones and pine needles come from evergreen trees. They lose their needles a little at a time; not all at once. Compare the green pine needles to the brown ones. What do you think the difference is? (time – the green needles fell more recently than the brown needles, the brown needles are older/drier)
2. Magnifying Glass: A magnifying glass is perfect for looking at objects more closely. Lay a magnifying glass next to a few nature objects and encourage your child to explore. Here I’ve used walnuts, bark, and pine cones.
Observations to make:
What do you notice about the different kinds of bark? (color, texture, etc.)
Look at the inside of the walnut. Compare it to the outside.
How is the small pine cone similar to the large pine cone? (look at the cone scales, or seed scales)
3. Tweezers: Tweezers are a tool worth using for multiple reasons. Your child can take things apart like these sycamore seeds to observe the insides more closely. (Combine the tweezers with the magnifying glass.) Tweezers also work on fine motor skills and hand strengthening. Encourage your child to pick things up with the tweezers. Move things from one side of the tray to the next.
4. Tape Measure or Ruler
Measuring is a science and math skill that is important to practice. Once you’ve taught your child how to use a ruler or tape measure properly, set them off to compare the sizes of different nature items. We used the tape measure and ruler. My kids love finding the objects on the card and then measuring them. Taking the tape measure outside on your next nature walk would also be fun. Measure the distance between trees or the length of a large rock. The possibilities are endless.
5. Balance: My favorite addition to the fall discovery table is a balance. We used the Three Bear Family® Beginner's Balance Set (similar item shown). The set comes with caterpillars and leaves in different sizes and weights. I placed the leaves next to the balance and added in some nature items (pinecone, walnuts, acorns, etc.). Encourage your child to explore the balance. Talk to her about how the scale works. When the items on each side weighh the same, the balance will be in the middle. The heavier side will be lower than the lighter side.
Questions to ask:
How many leaves will it take to balance a walnut?
Which is heavier: a pine cone or an acorn?
Which weighs less: a hickory nut or three orange leaves?
Final Tips for your Fall Discovery Table
Setting up a fall discovery table is excellent for various age groups. The goal is to let children make observations and explore the nature items. It’s a good idea to show your child how to use the tools first and then let them explore freely. They can ask questions to you and learn more about the items through books or additional resources you provide. What’s your favorite part about fall?
Are you excited about the fall? Cooler weather, changing colors, and leaves and seeds on the ground make for a great time to get outside and explore nature. Bring a nature inside and set up a discovery table. Today I’m sharing five tools for your fall discovery table. These items will help your little scientists make observations and use real science tools in the process.
5 Tools to Add:
1. Sensory Tubes: Sensory Tubes are a fantastic way to let children observe things through sight and/or smell. They are especially handy for items that you don’t necessarily want the children to touch (sticky pine cones, for example). I added different nature items to the sensory tubes and then also placed items on the tray that can be touched and explored. The focus in this particular discovery table is comparing seeds and leaves. I chose a seed pod, leaves, pine cones, and pine needles.
Questions to ask:
What do you notice about the different leaves? (colors, shape, size)
What time of year do trees like sycamore and maple lose all of their leaves? (fall/autumn)
Pine cones and pine needles come from evergreen trees. They lose their needles a little at a time; not all at once. Compare the green pine needles to the brown ones. What do you think the difference is? (time – the green needles fell more recently than the brown needles, the brown needles are older/drier)
2. Magnifying Glass: A magnifying glass is perfect for looking at objects more closely. Lay a magnifying glass next to a few nature objects and encourage your child to explore. Here I’ve used walnuts, bark, and pine cones.
Observations to make:
What do you notice about the different kinds of bark? (color, texture, etc.)
Look at the inside of the walnut. Compare it to the outside.
How is the small pine cone similar to the large pine cone? (look at the cone scales, or seed scales)
3. Tweezers: Tweezers are a tool worth using for multiple reasons. Your child can take things apart like these sycamore seeds to observe the insides more closely. (Combine the tweezers with the magnifying glass.) Tweezers also work on fine motor skills and hand strengthening. Encourage your child to pick things up with the tweezers. Move things from one side of the tray to the next.
4. Tape Measure or Ruler
Measuring is a science and math skill that is important to practice. Once you’ve taught your child how to use a ruler or tape measure properly, set them off to compare the sizes of different nature items. We used the tape measure and ruler. My kids love finding the objects on the card and then measuring them. Taking the tape measure outside on your next nature walk would also be fun. Measure the distance between trees or the length of a large rock. The possibilities are endless.
5. Balance: My favorite addition to the fall discovery table is a balance. We used the Three Bear Family® Beginner's Balance Set (similar item shown). The set comes with caterpillars and leaves in different sizes and weights. I placed the leaves next to the balance and added in some nature items (pinecone, walnuts, acorns, etc.). Encourage your child to explore the balance. Talk to her about how the scale works. When the items on each side weighh the same, the balance will be in the middle. The heavier side will be lower than the lighter side.
Questions to ask:
How many leaves will it take to balance a walnut?
Which is heavier: a pine cone or an acorn?
Which weighs less: a hickory nut or three orange leaves?
Final Tips for your Fall Discovery Table
Setting up a fall discovery table is excellent for various age groups. The goal is to let children make observations and explore the nature items. It’s a good idea to show your child how to use the tools first and then let them explore freely. They can ask questions to you and learn more about the items through books or additional resources you provide. What’s your favorite part about fall?
I love it when the leaves start to change color, and it creates so many fun Fall-themed learning opportunities for my three- and seven-year-old. For this activity, we enjoyed a leaf hunt outside, looking for all sorts of shapes and colors of leaves. I then added a few simple tools and ingredients to turn our new leaf collection into an exciting sensory water table.
Water (we also added a few drops of food coloring)
Leaves from a nature walk
Some of my all-time favorite activities start with a nature walk; there’s just something so special about the learning and creativity that comes from the great outdoors! Before we left the playground, we worked together to gather up a fun selection of leaves that had fallen from the trees. As we did so, we spoke about the different colors and shapes we could see. I put my seven-year-old in charge of counting how many leaves we had in our collection.
How to set up the table
Once we got home, the kids refueled with a snack while I quickly set up the water table. I used our IKEA FLISAT Children’s Table with two small TROFAST bins and one large one. I added water and five drops of green food coloring to the large bin placed the leaves in one of the small bins, and then the fine motor and cutting tools in the other small bin. It was terrific how inviting this setup looked, considering its simplicity!
Let's Play
I always try to keep sensory bin setups as open-ended as possible to build my children’s confidence to explore independently. Straight away, my seven-year-old started experimenting to see whether the leaves would float or sink in the water. Together they spent ages using scissors to cut the leaves into different shapes. We had a star, a man, a dinosaur, and even a boat floating on the water. The fine motor skills at work were awesome. This is where having an older sibling helps because it encourages creativity and imagination for the little one!
Both my kids enjoyed exploring the different fine motor tools. Big bro liked using the Squeezy Tweezers™ and Handy Scooper™ to rescue the leaves from the water and then drop them back in. Meanwhile, baby sis was all about making the leaf confetti and sprinkling it into her bowls of green leaf soup!
Adding a magnifying glass to any sensory setup can stimulate more in-depth conversations and observations. The kids were fascinated by the veins running through the leaves and experimented with ripping the leaves to explore them further.
This was such a fun sensory and fine motor setup, and best of all, it appealed to both ages. It pays off to ensure a range of open-ended tools and containers with a sensory table because you never quite know how kids will choose to play with it.
Writer's bio
Lucy Baker is a Mom of two (4 & 8 years old) passionate about creative play and hands-on learning. She firmly believes in providing children with the opportunity to learn through play and being part of their play journey as a parent. See more of her creative play ideas and process art projects on Instagram @findthelittlemind and over on her blog, Find the Little Mind.
I love it when the leaves start to change color, and it creates so many fun Fall-themed learning opportunities for my three- and seven-year-old. For this activity, we enjoyed a leaf hunt outside, looking for all sorts of shapes and colors of leaves. I then added a few simple tools and ingredients to turn our new leaf collection into an exciting sensory water table.
Water (we also added a few drops of food coloring)
Leaves from a nature walk
Some of my all-time favorite activities start with a nature walk; there’s just something so special about the learning and creativity that comes from the great outdoors! Before we left the playground, we worked together to gather up a fun selection of leaves that had fallen from the trees. As we did so, we spoke about the different colors and shapes we could see. I put my seven-year-old in charge of counting how many leaves we had in our collection.
How to set up the table
Once we got home, the kids refueled with a snack while I quickly set up the water table. I used our IKEA FLISAT Children’s Table with two small TROFAST bins and one large one. I added water and five drops of green food coloring to the large bin placed the leaves in one of the small bins, and then the fine motor and cutting tools in the other small bin. It was terrific how inviting this setup looked, considering its simplicity!
Let's Play
I always try to keep sensory bin setups as open-ended as possible to build my children’s confidence to explore independently. Straight away, my seven-year-old started experimenting to see whether the leaves would float or sink in the water. Together they spent ages using scissors to cut the leaves into different shapes. We had a star, a man, a dinosaur, and even a boat floating on the water. The fine motor skills at work were awesome. This is where having an older sibling helps because it encourages creativity and imagination for the little one!
Both my kids enjoyed exploring the different fine motor tools. Big bro liked using the Squeezy Tweezers™ and Handy Scooper™ to rescue the leaves from the water and then drop them back in. Meanwhile, baby sis was all about making the leaf confetti and sprinkling it into her bowls of green leaf soup!
Adding a magnifying glass to any sensory setup can stimulate more in-depth conversations and observations. The kids were fascinated by the veins running through the leaves and experimented with ripping the leaves to explore them further.
This was such a fun sensory and fine motor setup, and best of all, it appealed to both ages. It pays off to ensure a range of open-ended tools and containers with a sensory table because you never quite know how kids will choose to play with it.
Writer's bio
Lucy Baker is a Mom of two (4 & 8 years old) passionate about creative play and hands-on learning. She firmly believes in providing children with the opportunity to learn through play and being part of their play journey as a parent. See more of her creative play ideas and process art projects on Instagram @findthelittlemind and over on her blog, Find the Little Mind.
Young learners love to explore the wonders and surprises of science! Bring the spirit of October to life with this fun and engaging science experiment: Exploding Pumpkins! Kids of all ages will love to “dig deep” and watch the chemical reaction unfold before their eyes. But don’t blink, because you might miss it!
This experiment requires a few simple ingredients. You will probably already have a home. It’s easy to set up and clean up, which makes it mom and teacher approved!
You’ll want to gather the supplies below before getting started.
First, add food coloring to the vinegar. Here I added about 10 drops, but you can adjust it as you see fit to obtain the desired color. Give it a mix and place it off to the side for now.
Next, carve the top portion of your pumpkin off. Before removing the seeds, this would be the perfect opportunity to pause and have your little learners use their senses to smell and touch the pumpkin pulp, strands and seeds. After, use a spoon to carve out the gooey middle. Be sure to scrape the strands off the edges. You can even bake the seeds as a tasty after science treat!
Assemble the pumpkin, eye droppers, and vinegar on a tray.
This will prevent excess spillage on any unwanted surfaces. Sprinkle some baking soda into the bottom of the pumpkin. About ¼ cup of baking soda will be plenty for a small pumpkin. If you plan to use a larger pumpkin, consider using ½ cup to 1 cup of baking soda instead.
Have the littles make a prediction for what they think will happen once you add the two ingredients together. Use the eye droppers to transfer a few drops of the vinegar into the pumpkin. After, take some time to observe the chemical reaction. What do they hear, see, smell, etc is happening. Does it happen right away or after some time? They can record it in a “science notebook” and draw what they see and notice.
After using the eye droppers, make a “splash” with a large chemical reaction! Pour the remaining vinegar into the pumpkin and watch the results unfold! It will be tremendous fun. Consider filming their reaction so you can rewatch it again and again!
Don’t be afraid to pour the vinegar into the pumpkin quickly for best results. Also, consider choosing a food coloring color with enough of a contrast to the color of your pumpkin and tray.
The foam from the chemical reaction won’t last long so soak up all of the excitement while you can! This is the perfect way to ignite a love of learning and passion for science in your little learners. The Exploding Pumpkins experiment can even be adapted to fit other thematic seasons and holidays. You can even opt to use a plastic pumpkin, cauldron, etc.
Young learners love to explore the wonders and surprises of science! Bring the spirit of October to life with this fun and engaging science experiment: Exploding Pumpkins! Kids of all ages will love to “dig deep” and watch the chemical reaction unfold before their eyes. But don’t blink, because you might miss it!
This experiment requires a few simple ingredients. You will probably already have a home. It’s easy to set up and clean up, which makes it mom and teacher approved!
You’ll want to gather the supplies below before getting started.
First, add food coloring to the vinegar. Here I added about 10 drops, but you can adjust it as you see fit to obtain the desired color. Give it a mix and place it off to the side for now.
Next, carve the top portion of your pumpkin off. Before removing the seeds, this would be the perfect opportunity to pause and have your little learners use their senses to smell and touch the pumpkin pulp, strands and seeds. After, use a spoon to carve out the gooey middle. Be sure to scrape the strands off the edges. You can even bake the seeds as a tasty after science treat!
Assemble the pumpkin, eye droppers, and vinegar on a tray.
This will prevent excess spillage on any unwanted surfaces. Sprinkle some baking soda into the bottom of the pumpkin. About ¼ cup of baking soda will be plenty for a small pumpkin. If you plan to use a larger pumpkin, consider using ½ cup to 1 cup of baking soda instead.
Have the littles make a prediction for what they think will happen once you add the two ingredients together. Use the eye droppers to transfer a few drops of the vinegar into the pumpkin. After, take some time to observe the chemical reaction. What do they hear, see, smell, etc is happening. Does it happen right away or after some time? They can record it in a “science notebook” and draw what they see and notice.
After using the eye droppers, make a “splash” with a large chemical reaction! Pour the remaining vinegar into the pumpkin and watch the results unfold! It will be tremendous fun. Consider filming their reaction so you can rewatch it again and again!
Don’t be afraid to pour the vinegar into the pumpkin quickly for best results. Also, consider choosing a food coloring color with enough of a contrast to the color of your pumpkin and tray.
The foam from the chemical reaction won’t last long so soak up all of the excitement while you can! This is the perfect way to ignite a love of learning and passion for science in your little learners. The Exploding Pumpkins experiment can even be adapted to fit other thematic seasons and holidays. You can even opt to use a plastic pumpkin, cauldron, etc.
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