Chemistry Experiments for Kids

Kids have always been fascinated with chemistry and the many experiments they engulf within. I am no different either. Pouring some strange sort of magic potion into a test tube filled with another weird looking liquid, and watching the colorful reaction that follows...chemistry experiments are an absolute visual treat, in addition to being extremely educational and entertaining. Kids will be thrilled to know that there are quite a few experiments that can be performed at home itself. No complicated laboratory stuff required, no smelly fumes involved. They are quite simple and can be real fun! On that note, let us have a look at a few easy-to-perform middle school chemistry experiments.

Fun Chemistry Experiments for Children

Invisible Ink
Many of you may have read about this one in the mystery novels for children. You can make invisible ink in two ways:

• Squeezing a couple of lemons into an empty bowl.
• Mixing an equal amount of baking soda and water.

If you have a spare ink pen, fill it with this newly created invisible ink. Alternatively, you can also use a cotton swab to serve the purpose of a pen. Take a blank sheet of white paper. Using the ink pen (or the cotton swab dipped in the liquid solution) write a few words on the sheet of paper. Wait for a couple of minutes after which you should hold the paper over a low flame. You will see the invisible ink darkening and you will be able to read the secret message!

Density Column
This experiment is aimed at teaching you the concept of density of liquids. You will need a regular cocktail glass for this purpose. If you do not have a cocktail glass, a regular tall glass will also do. We will use a variety of liquids, namely - water, honey, lamp oil, maple syrup and dish washing soap. First pour the honey, then the maple syrup, followed by the dish washing soap. Finally, pour the water and top it with lamp oil. Let the liquids settle for a minute after which you can observe the density column. As we have poured the liquids in decreasing order of densities, you will see lamp oil as the topmost layer whereas the layer of honey will be right at the bottom.

Vinegar Volcano
You will need an empty soda bottle and some flour dough to cover the bottle from all sides. Mold the dough around the bottle (leaving the top uncovered) such that it resembles a cone-shaped volcano. Fill sixty percent of the bottle with colored warm water. Now add a little bit of dish washing detergent to the warm water. Top that with a couple of spoons of baking soda. Finally, pour the vinegar into this mixture and lo and behold, you have a volcano erupting right here in your kitchen!

Disappearing Eggshell
Place a hard-boiled egg into an empty glass jar. Fill the jar all the way to the top with vinegar and seal it tightly. Place the jar on a shelf and let it remain that way for a week. After a week has passed, unscrew the lid and take the egg out of the jar. You will notice that the eggshell has disappeared! Where did it go? Was this a magic trick? No, it wasn't. The eggshell reacted with the vinegar due to which it got absorbed into the vinegar solution, leaving you with a bare, boiled, rubbery egg!

Before beginning to experiment, take a look at these precautions that you need to take:

• Wear old cotton clothes while performing these experiments. If possible, wear a chemistry lab coat to protect your clothes from getting stained.
• Do not fool around with chemicals or chemical elements. They can be extremely dangerous and can cause serious harm if misused.
• Always perform these experiments under the supervision of your parents or any other elder person.

So, above were some easy home-based experiments for chemistry fanatics. Try them out and boast about your chemistry knowledge in front of all your friends!