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Kitchen Science Experiments for Kids

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 Not all science requires expensive and hard to find chemicals or fancy laboratories. You can explore the fun of science in your own kitchen. Here are some science  experiments  and projects you can do that use common kitchen chemicals.

Click through the images for a collection of easy kitchen science experiments, along with a list of the ingredients you will need for each project.

Rainbow Density Column Kitchen Chemistry

Make a rainbow-colored liquid density column. This project is very pretty, plus it's safe enough to drink. Experiment Materials: sugar, water, food coloring, a glass

Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano Kitchen Experiment

 This is the classic science fair demonstration in which you simulate a volcanic eruption using kitchen chemicals. Experiment Materials: baking soda, vinegar, water, detergent, food coloring and either a bottle or else you can build a dough volcano.

Invisible Ink Experiments Using Kitchen Chemicals

Write a secret message, which becomes invisible when the paper is dry. Reveal the secret! Experiment Materials: paper and just about any chemical in your house

Make Rock Candy Crystals Using Ordinary Sugar

Grow edible rock candy or sugar crystals. You can make them any color you want. Experiment Materials: sugar, water, food coloring, a glass, a string or stick

Make pH Indicator in your Ktchen

Make your own pH indicator solution from red cabbage or another pH-sensitive food then use the indicator solution to experiment with the acidity of common household chemicals. Experiment Materials: red cabbage

Make Oobleck Slime in the Kitchen

Oobleck is an interesting type of slime with properties of both solids and liquids. It normally behaves like a liquid or jelly, but if you squeeze it in your hand, it will seem like a solid. Experiment Materials: cornstarch, water, food coloring (optional)

Make Rubber Eggs and Chicken Bones Using Household Ingredients

Turn a raw egg in its shell into a soft and rubbery egg. If you're daring you even bounce these eggs as balls. The same principle can be used to make rubber chicken bones. Experiment Materials: egg or chicken bones, vinegar

Make Water Fireworks in a Glass from Water and Dye

Don't worry - there is no explosion or danger involved in this project! The 'fireworks' take place in a glass of water. You can learn about diffusion and liquids. Experiment Materials: water, oil, food coloring

Magic Colored Milk Experiment Using Kitchen Chemicals

Nothing happens if you add food coloring to milk, but it only takes one simple ingredient to turn the milk into a swirling color wheel. Experiment Materials: milk, dishwashing liquid, food coloring

Make Ice Cream in a Plastic Bag in the Kitchen

You can learn how freezing point depression works while making a tasty treat. You don't need an ice cream maker to make this ice cream, just some ice. Experiment Materials: milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, ice, salt, baggies

Let Kids Make Glue from Milk

Do you need glue for a project, but just can't seem to find any? You can use kitchen ingredients to make your own. Experiment Materials: milk, baking soda, vinegar, water

Show Kids How To Make a Mentos Candy and Soda Fountain

Explore the science of bubbles and pressure using Mentos candies and a bottle of soda. As the candies dissolve in soda, the tiny pits formed on their surface allow carbon dioxide bubbles to grow. The process occurs quickly, producing a sudden burst of foam from the narrow neck of the bottle. Experiment Materials: Mentos candies, soda

Make Hot Ice Using Vinegar and Baking Soda

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You can make 'hot ice' or sodium acetate at home using baking soda and vinegar and then cause it to instantly crystallize from a liquid in 'ice'. The reaction generates heat, so the ice is hot. It happens so quickly, you can form crystal towers as you pour the liquid into a dish. Note: The classic chemical volcano also produces sodium acetate, but there is too much water present for the hot ice to solidify! Experiment Materials: vinegar, baking soda

Fun Pepper and Water Science Experiment

Pepper floats on water. If you dip your finger into a water and pepper, nothing much happens. You can dip your finger into a common kitchen chemical first and get a dramatic result. Experiment Materials: pepper, water, dishwashing liquid

Cloud in a Bottle Science Experiment

Capture your own cloud in a plastic bottle. This experiment illustrates many principles of gases and phase changes. Experiment Materials: water, plastic bottle, match

Make Flubber from Kitchen Ingredients

Flubber is a non-sticky slime. It's easy to make and non-toxic. In fact, you can even eat it. Experiment Materials: Metamucil, water

Make a Ketchup Packet Cartesian Diver

Explore the concepts of density and buoyancy with this easy kitchen project. Experiment Materials: ketchup packet, water, plastic bottle

Easy Baking Soda Stalactites

You can grow baking soda crystals along a piece of string to make stalactites similar to those you might find in a cave. Experiment Materials: baking soda, water, string

Easy Egg in a Bottle Science Experiment

An egg doesn't fall into a bottle if you set it on top. Apply your science know-how to get the egg to drop inside. Experiment Materials: egg, bottle

More Kitchen Science Experiments To Try

Here are more fun and interesting kitchen science experiments you can try.

Candy Chromatography

Separate the pigments in colored candies using a saltwater solution and a coffee filter. Experiment Materials: colored candies, salt, water, coffee filter 

Make Honeycomb Candy

Honeycomb candy is an easy-to-make candy that has an interesting texture caused by carbon dioxide bubbles that you cause to form and get trapped within the candy. Experiment Materials: sugar, baking soda, honey, water

Lemon Fizz Kitchen Science Experiment

This kitchen science project involves making a fizzy volcano using baking soda and lemon juice. Experiment Materials: lemon juice, baking soda, dishwashing liquid, food coloring

Powdered Olive Oil

This is a simple molecular gastronomy project to turn liquid olive oil into a powdered form that melts in your mouth. Experiment Materials: olive oil, maltodextrin

Alum Crystal

Alum is sold with spices. You can use it to grow a large, clear crystal or a mass of smaller ones overnight. Experiment Materials: alum, water

Supercool Water

Make water freeze on command. There are two easy methods you can try. Experiment Materials: bottle of water

Edible Water Bottle

Make a ball of water with an edible shell.

This content is provided in partnership with National 4-H Council. 4-H science programs provide youth the opportunity to learn about STEM through fun, hands-on activities, and projects. Learn more by visiting  their website .

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Kitchen science

These activities contain step-by-step instructions for science activities and experiments that are safe and easy to do in the classroom or at home.

Tablecloth trick

Can you pull out a tablecloth without sending cups and saucers flying?

Liquid Lava Layers

What happens if you try to mix oil and water?

Bubble Fun!

Can you make giant bubbles?

Can you make an egg bounce?

Blow-up balloon

Can you blow up a balloon without using your mouth?

Can you make milk move without touching it?

Oozing oobleck

Oobleck: solid or liquid?

Gravity-defying water

Can you make water defy gravity?

Fizzy fountain

Can you make a fizzy fountain?

Egg-drop trick

Can you use science to pull off a cool trick?

Downloadable resources

SMG Learning Activities – Kitchen Science – Blow Up Balloon (PDF Document)

SMG Learning Activities – Kitchen Science – Tablecloth Trick (PDF Document)

SMG Learning Activities – Kitchen Science – Milk Magic (PDF Document)

SMG Learning Activities – Kitchen Science – Gravity Defying Water (PDF Document)

SMG Learning Activities – Kitchen Science – Fizzy Fountain (PDF Document)

SMG Learning Activities – Kitchen Science – Egg Drop Trick (PDF Document)

SMG Learning Activities – Kitchen Science – Bouncy Egg (PDF Document)

SMG Learning Activities – Kitchen Science – Liquid Lava (PDF Document)

SMG Learning Activities – Kitchen Science – Bubble Fun (PDF Document)

Related resources

Pinball machine

Build your own pinball machine and use it to explore Newton’s Laws of Motion while challenging your friends!

Instant Ice Cream

Explore states of matter in the tastiest way – by turning milk into ice cream instantly!

40 Genius Kitchen Science Lab Projects For Kids

Playing with food, it’s something kids love to do. What’s better than playing with food? Using food to learn! Kitchen Science Lab for Kids is a fantastic way to get kids exploring with food and learning valuable science lessons. Plus, many of these activities teach healthy living principles that will help kids live healthier lives!

Kitchen Science Lab for Kids

What you will discover in this article!

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So how does one get started doing science labs with kids in the kitchen? The best way is to start by letting kids explore with their food. Have them make observations and talk about items in the kitchen. Cut open various foods to explore them, inside and out. Use a magnifying glass or microscope to examine items up close. Invite them to help you bake and cook. Let them see up close the transformations food can undergo in the kitchen. Let them get hands on and explore. It’s amazing the amount of learning that can happen when we let kids follow their interests.

Once you are ready to start some more structured lessons, here are some genius kitchen science lab activities for kids . Let these inspire your own kitchen science experiments !

MAKING FOOD SCIENCE LABS

Sweet Slurpee – In this science lab kids will learn how to use a little ice and salt to make themselves a sweet slurpee treat. This heat transfer activity takes a bit of time but the results are a hit every time.

How to Make Ice Cream in a Bag – A classic summer favourite, learn how to make delicious Ice Cream in a Bag using a little bit of science and a little bit of energy. Regular and dairy free recipes included.

Making Butter – Need an arm workout? Get your busy kids putting that energy to good use as they shake, shake, shake their way to some delicious, homemade butter.

Bread Science – After making butter it’s time to bake some homemade bread to pair with your delicious butter. We have made bread so many different ways, just pick the one that’s perfect for you and learn math, chemistry and more. Plus fresh baked bread tastes incredible!

USING CANDY FOR SCIENCE LABS IN THE KITCHEN

Skittles Experiment – This gorgeous experiment brings out the creative juices in kids! So easy to set up and the result is the most stunning pieces of science art. A definitely must do!

Gummy Mummies – We love making our own gummies and it wasn’t long before the kids were wondering what kind of science we could do with our gummies. This activity has a wonderful history tie in, to help broaden your lesson.

Growing Gummy Bears – A fantastic partner activity to Gummy Mummies, is to do this growing gummies experiment. Do these two activities together for even more studies and learning.

Edible Marshmallow Play Dough  – For your slime and play dough obsessed kids, this is a fun way to make an edible alternative using items in the kitchen. It’s super fast and easy to do, and kids can’t resist having a little taste. For another recipe alternative, try this  Edible Silly Putty .

Layered Lollipops – This activity smells amazing and kids are fascinated by the results. It takes a steady hand, but once you have layered your lollipops, the results are mesmerizing.

Want to do more science studies with sweets and candies?

Check out this Marshmallow Unit Study that will really help your students dive in and explore these soft, tasty treats.

I LOVE Chocolate. Like, love, love, love chocolate! So whenever the opportunity arises to use chocolate in our studies, I’m all over it! Especially when it results in delicious truffles. This Chocolate Unit Study is sure to keep your chocolate lovers happy.

If you have older kids and want to really challenge them, why not start make your own candies? We went deep, really deep, with this very in depth candy science study where we explored many facets of candy making, and even made a whole lot of candy. It was a fascinating study that we did over many months, and boy did we learn a lot!

SCIENCE LABS USING EGGS

Bouncy Egg Science Lab – The kids actually call this the naked egg experiment or dragon eggs, but when I came across this version that called it a Bouncy Egg Science Experiment , which I thought was a much more fitting name. No matter what you call it though, this is a fun activity, that can get a little messy, but has some great chemistry lessons.

The Egg Drop Challenge Kitchen Style – The classic egg drop challenge is an engineering lab that encourages kids to get really creative building things. But for our Kitchen Science Egg Drop Challenge we use simple items from the pantry to keep our eggs from breaking when dropped.

Egg Geodes – Create stunning crystals with this Geode making project that uses an egg shell to seed the crystals. The result is a plethora of glittery crystals that will make your kids say WOW!

CHEMICAL REACTIONS IN THE KITCHEN SCIENCE LAB

Milk Plastic – Making casein plastic is by far one of our favourite kitchen chemistry labs. The results are mind boggling and what you could create with your milk plastic is endless. We have made everything from Christmas ornaments to spooky glow in the dark pieces for Halloween . Simple, yet so much fun, this is one activity every kid should try.

Magic Milk – Don’t put away the milk yet! This experiment is magical in the way colours erupt and spread through the milk. It’s an easy experiment, that has appeal for all ages.

Lemon Volcanoes – This rainbow eruption smells incredible. An easy and fun activity that encourages exploration of chemical reactions in a safe way using natural foods.

Dino Eggs – One of the most popular acid-base reactions in the kitchen is vinegar and baking soda. It’s exciting, easy and there are so many different ways you can use this reaction to create exciting activities. Dino Eggs are a very popular version of this reaction that can be used by any age. It’s a great way to give out little gifts too!

Bottle Rockets – You can take your baking soda and vinegar reactions outside for this STEM activity that is a blast every single time! My kids especially love it when we powered up our reaction . The heights we reached were incredible!

Erupting Slime – For the slime lovers in your life, this twist on the traditional volcano science lab is sure to be a big hit. Once again it uses our baking soda and vinegar reaction, but in a unique way that is sure to wow!

Colour changing chemical reactions – Did you know you can create PH indicators with items in your kitchen? It’s simple but the results will have kids testing the PH of everything. Plus they will feel like a true scientist in the laboratory!

Colour changing lemonade – This gorgeous twist on natural PH indicators will have your kids asking for lemonade over and over again this summer.

EXPLORING DENSITY SCIENCE LAB

Lava Lamp – The homemade lava lamp activity is such a fun project to do with this. This version glows in the dark, which created some unique learning moments.

Exploring the density of sweeteners – Kids love water balloons, so when we have the chance to use them in a little science my kids get really excited! With this study we are exploring the phenomenon of the traditional Does It Float Soda Pop Can experiment . But this time we dive deeper into the science in order to use scientific principles to provide proof of concept.

WATER SCIENCE LABS AND PROJECTS FOR KIDS

Desalinization Experiment – How do you remove salt from saltwater? How does salt in water affect the buoyancy of an object? Does the amount of salt in water affect it’s density? These are just a few questions that are answered with this genius science lab that will have kids feeling like true scientists.

How Does Salt Affect Ice – Not only does salt have some significant affects when mixed with water, but it also causes some exciting and interesting things to happen when added to ice. In this STEM lab for kids, they explore how salt affects ice using some very insightful measurements.

Water Lab – Safe drinking water experiment – Water safety is a huge issue in many parts of the world. Understanding what is in our water is important for keeping kids safe. Especially when they are exploring the great outdoors. In this lab we test water from various local sources to see what is lurking beyond what we can see.

Want to find more Genius Water Projects for Kids ? Make sure you check out this resource that is packed full of exciting science labs and experiments.

Build a Battery

Build a Food Battery – This kitchen science lab is for your older kids that want a true challenge. Create a potato, lemon or pumpkin battery that generates enough energy to power an LED light bulb. A fantastic activity for your older kids learning about circuits and also energy in food sources. Click the images here for more details.

Happy learning in the kitchen with these genius science lab projects for kids!

5 Days of Smart STEM Ideas for Kids

Get started in STEM with easy, engaging activities.