5 activities to spark your child’s interest in chemistry

Effervescence, a lovely word that refers to the formation of a gas, occurs when certain substances come into contact. The observed reaction can vary, resulting in bubbles, smoke, etc. Dissolving bath bombs is a well-known example of effervescence. During this activity, ask your child to write down their observations:

• What happens during the reaction?
• How long does it take for the bath bombs to dissolve?
• Etc.

Before you can get started, you’ll need to grab some items from your kitchen to make your bath bombs. Follow this simple recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp of baking soda
• 1 tbsp of cornstarch
• 2 tbsp of Epsom salt (available in pharmacies)
• 3 ml of lemon juice
• 4 ml of vegetable oil
• Food colouring (optional)

Directions

• Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl
• Add the lemon juice
• Stir until the mixture is homogeneous
• Add the vegetable oil (and the food colouring if desired)
• Knead firmly and form the mixture into balls
• Let dry for several hours

In this popular experiment, a chemical reaction occurs when you combine the ingredients, producing a chain of molecules that holds them all together. Playing with the mixture causes this chain to continually break apart and re-form, resulting in a slimy texture that kids adore. During this activity, ask your child to do the following:

• Calculate the rate of reaction
• Describe the substance’s properties (colour, texture, elasticity, etc.)
• Note changes in appearance over time (e.g., Does the slime dry out?)
• Etc.

Ingredients for borax-free homemade slime

• ¼ cup of liquid glue (white glue)
• ¼ cup of shaving cream
• ¼ cup of foaming hand soap
• 1 tsp of cornstarch
• 2 drops of hand cream
• 2 drops of food colouring
• 1 drop of contact lens solution

Directions

• Mix together the shaving cream, glue, and hand soap
• Add the cornstarch and food colouring
• Stir to combine
• Add the contact lens solution
• Stir to combine
• Add the hand cream
• Knead the mixture

Did you know that we all use chemistry in the kitchen? That’s right! Baking is a perfect example. The same ingredients, when used in different quantities and combined in different orders, can produce very different results (cake, puff pastry, dough, etc.). This is called food chemistry. See for yourself by baking any type of cake with your child! Encourage them to make observations by asking them questions as you go through the recipe:

• What do you think the eggs do in this recipe? (Answer: They help the ingredients stick together.)
• Why do you think you’re not supposed to add the sugar directly to the eggs? (Answer: Because the sugar cooks the eggs.)
• Why do you think this recipe includes salt? (Answer: To enhance the flavour of the other ingredients.)
• Etc.

Homemade chalk is made from plaster, not chalk. Various phenomena can be observed during this activity, including a precipitation reaction, which forms an insoluble product, and an exothermic reaction, which releases energy. Ask your child to record what they see:

• Does the mixture give off heat?
• How long does it take to set?
• Once it’s dry, does it dissolve in water?
• Etc.

Materials

• 1 cup of acrylic paint
• ½ cup of plaster powder
• ½ cup of water
• A large bowl
• A spoon
• Cookie moulds

Directions

• Pour the water into the bowl
• Add the paint
• Add the plaster powder
• Mix until smooth
• Pour the mixture into the cookie moulds
• Let set

Making glue is so easy, we had to include it on our list. Simply add 60 g of flour to 80 ml of water, mix until thoroughly combined, and presto—you’ve got homemade glue! The secret to this recipe is the starch molecules in the flour: they love to stick to other compounds, such as paper.

Once your glue is ready, show your child how to do different experiments to determine the stickiest combination of molecules. Ask them to find out which of the following materials interacts best with their glue:

• White paper
• Acetate sheets
• Toilet paper
• Forks
• Etc.