I have two simple chemistry for kids experiments which do not require special equipment. Your kids will also love these 21 Fun Chemistry Homeschool Ideas for Kids.
These science experiments can be done with younger kids, and you need just a few basic household items.
Chemistry can be introduced as early as preschool and learned through high school.
Using simple household items like bleach, vinegar, pennies, and food coloring you can complete a couple of experiments to introduce chemistry to your kids.
Also, John Dalton was an English chemist.
He proposed the theory that all modern chemistry is based on. It is the Atomic Theory of Matter.
I have some free notebooking pages so you can add his life to your study.
Chemistry for Kids Books
First, look at some of these fun books and resources.
For example, Basher Chemistry is an amazing beginning chemistry book and is a particularly great resource for unschoolers and relaxed schoolers.
It is engaging and interesting with funny illustrations alongside great chunks of information.
Introduction Chemistry Books for Kids
But first here are some resources that are a great introduction to chemistry for kids.
Discover fun facts about the greatest scientists from history through Basher's fresh and unique illustration style.
Did you know that Marie Curie used to keep radioactive materials in her pockets? Or that Mendeleyev literally dreamed up his famous periodic table? Superstars of Science tells the stories behind the big ideas in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, mathematics, cosmology, earth sciences, and engineering. Read about 40 great scientists including Newton and Einstein who produced theories that explained the way in which the Universe works, Crick and Watson who uncovered the structure of DNA, and Alexander Graham Bell who had the big idea that became the telephone. Each one of these greats of science has had some vital flash of insight that has changed the way we see the world and the way we live. Come meet the superstars of science!
Discover the secrets of chemistry, and learn about the properties of matter and the ways in which they interact, combine and change. Chemistry is a compelling guide to a community of characters who make up everything around us.
You’ll be amazed at all you can learn from this favorite drink – what’s in it, why it fizzes, what you can do with it, the containers it’s in, and more!
If you want your child to be able to explore and complete some simple chemistry experiments without running around grabbing all the items an all in on kit is just the thing to add to your chemistry studies.
Chemistry EditionChemistry Fluxx is the perfect compound of chance, skill and strategy-use atoms and laboratory tools to match the current goal of the game and win! The rules are always changing in Fluxx. The Keepers, Goals, Rules and Action cards determine how the game will be played.
More Chemistry for Kids Activities
- 21 Fun Chemistry Homeschool Ideas for Kids
- 10 Popular High School Chemistry Homeschool Curriculum
- Medieval Chemistry and Homeschool History – Fun Hands-On Activity
- Atomidoodle Chemistry Game App
- Homeschool High School Chemistry & Free Reference Sheet and Resources
Next, look at these two fun notebooking pages.
John Dalton and Democritus Chemistry Notebooking Pages
John Dalton was an English chemist and physicist born about the 6th of September 1766.
Dalton is credited with the Atomic Theory in chemistry.
What is the Atomic Theory of Matter? It states:
- Matter is made of small particles called atoms.
- Atoms are indestructible. They cannot be created or destroyed during chemical or physical changes.
- Atoms of an element are identical.
- Atoms of different elements have different masses.
Next, Democritus proposed the idea of atoms centuries earlier, around 460 BC. Democritus gets the credit for coining the word “atom” to describe that smallest piece of matter.
Finally, look at these chemistry for kids experiments.
Chemistry Experiment 1- Cleaning Pennies
When choosing your household items to clean the pennies look for acidic items as well as some non-acidic items like water to compare them.
You will need:
- 4-6 dirty pennies
- Disposable paper cups
- Various household items- vinegar, baking soda and water paste, bleach, ketchup, lemon or lime juice, tap water, sparkling water, hot sauce, soda, etc.
Try to find pennies that have roughly the same amount of tarnish to them. Place 4-6 pennies in paper cups, 1 per cup.
Write the name of each item on the outside of the cup so that it is easier to keep track.
Add your chosen household items to each cup, be sure that each penny is completely covered.
Set a timer for 20-30 minutes and while the pennies are soaking have your child make a hypothesis as to which will clean the pennies best.
Clean each penny and place it in front of the corresponding cup to compare how clean they are.
Here are how our pennies looked at the end, the cleanest in our batch was lime juice.
Questions to ask your child:
- Which solution cleaned its penny the best?
- Was your hypothesis correct?
For older children you can have them research why the acidic items work better to clean the pennies than less or non-acidic items.
Chemistry Experiment 2 – Disappearing Color
You will need:
- 4 glass containers
- 3 different food colorings
- bleach
- Pipette or dropper
Fill 3 containers ¾ full of water.
Add 3-4 drops of food coloring to each container.
Fill the 4th container with bleach.
Have your child use the dropper to add bleach a few drops at a time to each color and stir.
When the bleach mixes, the color should begin to disappear until the water is nearly or completely devoid of any color at all.
If you continue to add drops of bleach and stir your color will completely disappear out of each one.
Questions to ask:
- Before the experiment- What do you think will happen when you add bleach to the colored water?
- What happened when you added the bleach?
- Do different colors disappear quicker than others?
- Why did the color disappear? Bleach contains an oxidizer called sodium hypochlorite. This along with the molecules of the food coloring change their shape and they cannot reflect the light the same way so color disappears.
Finally, look below to see how to download the free notebooking pages.
Free John Dalton and Democritus Notebooking Pages
Too, I have two notebooking pages. One page is about John Dalton and the second one is Democritus.
Additionally, I have 2 of each one. One page is blank for your child to add his own research and the second page has a few facts.
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