If you got any sour gummy worms for Halloween, they’re probably coated with sweet-sour powder made from citric acid  and sugar crystals. Using the same science used to make rock candy, you can use sour gummy worms to crystallize sugar syrup and make an”icy worm pond.” It’s even more fun to add sugar cubes to […]

For an explosive fountain of Halloween fun, try this carbonated chemical reaction! You’ll need: -a two liter bottle of Diet Coke -a roll of  Mentos mints -a piece of paper. -a disposable plastic table cloth or some construction paper 1. Make a Halloween costume for your Diet Coke bottle. We made pumpkins by cutting up […]

Parents are under a ridiculous amount pressure to make sure kids finish homework, practice for music lessons and make it to sporting events, among other things. I saw the photo below on Facebook yesterday, and then again in a post on an awesome science blog called “It’s OK to Be Smart . The poster is funny, but kind […]

Doctor Frankenstein would have loved this experiment that makes electrons jump from place to place, with a shocking conclusion. You can watch us demonstrate it on Kare11 Sunrise by clicking here. To make an electrophorus, or charge carrier, all you need is a Styrofoam plate, a cardboard square large enough to tape the plate onto, […]

Although I don’t usually do product reviews, when Steve Spangler Science asked me to try out  Larry’s Polymer Lab, I couldn’t resist. I’d seen some of Steve’s Halloween Science Demonstrations online and guessed that his kit would probably be both fun and educational. When the package arrived, we unwrapped a clear paint can filled with […]

This morning, my daughter and I got out some white coffee filters and started playing with liquid chromatography, which is defined as: a process in which a chemical mixture carried by a liquid is separated into components as a result of differential distribution of the solutes as they flow around or over a stationary liquid […]

This experiment is easy, non-toxic and so much fun that it is worth every bit of the mess it makes.   Your kids will love it! All you need is a cup of cornstarch and half a cup of water with a little food coloring in it (purple and green are fun for Halloween and red would […]

A homemade slime craze is sweeping the nation, and glue is becoming a limited resource as stores are swarmed by school kids on a quest to make the perfect goo. I’ve posted recipes and videos for slime-making on this website and included one in “Kitchen Science Lab for Kids.” For my most recent book, “Outdoor Science Lab […]

(Re-post from April 14, 2016) I love traditional tie-dye, but it’s fun to do this experiment that uses permanent markers and rubbing alcohol to make bright, gorgeous designs that mimic tie-dye, more easily, and with less mess. This experiment was created by Bob Becker, a chemistry and AP chemistry teacher at Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, MO.  (To find a […]

When I do science outreach with kids, I encourage them to get creative and try different ratios of ingredients in experiments like Mad Scientist’s Green Slime, to see how their results will vary. Will they get stretchy goo, or bouncy balls? This morning, I decided to explore the kid in me and see what fun […]