Halloween is the perfect time of year to make candy the focal point of fun science experiments.
The creative people at CandyExperiments.com have been working to bringing the science out of some of our favorite candies. Why not try some of their experiments in your classroom as we approach one of the year's biggest candy holidays?
The site lists some great activities such as testing candy for acid by mixing it with water and baking soda (ask students to predict which candies are more acidic, and then test their theories by seeing which candies produce the most bubbles), testing for oil by mixing the candy in hot water (ask students why the oil that forms when the water cools is able to float at the top), and separating colors from candy by dissolving the candies in water.
M&Ms, Skittles, Warheads, Lemonheads, chocolate candies, PopRocks and all sorts of candy can be the basis of cool, thought-provoking experiments for kids.
Students can learn about density and how to make a rainbow of colors by layering the dyes by pouring melted Skittles in a cup. They can also witness the edible ink on candies like M&Ms float in water.
Remember to check out their Youtube channel for some video examples of their experiments.
Glad you liked candy experiments. I'm doing them in several classrooms the next two weeks--kids really do love them. Anybody doing candy experiments should make sure to tailor to kids' attention spans, and very clearly tell them not to eat the candy. (If you give each child one piece for an experiment like floating M&M m's or testing sink/float, it will soon be apparent if any of the pieces have been eaten!)
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, and for the additional tips! It will take a lot of discipline for the kiddos not to sneak a piece or two during experiments, lol.
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