There are so many easy chemistry experiments to do at home using just basic household supplies in your pantry or under the sink.
You don’t need a lab coat or a cabinet full of chemicals to explore real chemistry. Some of the most fascinating reactions happen with stuff you probably already have in your kitchen.
Milk, vinegar, baking soda, and food coloring aren’t just cooking staples; they’re active chemical ingredients.
Acids, bases, proteins, and gases are all sitting in your pantry, just waiting for the right combination to set off a reaction.
You don’t need a fancy lab to see real chemical reactions in action.
Curdling milk into plastic, watching an egg turn rubbery, or making a volcano erupt on your countertop are all genuine demonstrations of acid-base chemistry, protein structure, and gas production.
That makes your kitchen one of the best (and safest) places to introduce chemistry concepts. For example, acid-base reactions, protein denaturation, and gas production can be learned in the kitchen.
BOOKS AND RESOURCES FOR A CHEMISTRY UNIT STUDY
Next, look at these books about chemistry and with fun chemistry activities.
12 Chemistry Books & Resources for Kids of All Ages
But first here are some resources that are a great introduction and more 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.
This book is a classic in the field of popular science. Standard reading since the 1930s, it is one of the few histories of chemistry to concentrate on the lives of the great chemists. Through these dramatic and human stories, it gives an authoritative and entertaining account of the great discoveries and advances in this scientific field. After many printings in three previous editions, this book has been newly revised by the author for this fourth edition. Beginning with Trevisan and his lifelong search for the "philosopher's stone," the author narrates the lives and discoveries of such towering figures as Paracelsus and his chemical treatment of disease; Priestley looking for phlogiston and finding oxygen and carbon dioxide, Lavoisier creating a new language of chemistry; Dalton and his Atomic Theory; Avogadro and the idea of molecules, Mendeleeff arranging the table of elements under his Periodic Law; the Curies isolating radium; Thomson discovering the electron; Moseley and his Law of Atomic Numbers; Lawrence and the construction of the cyclotron; and more. Probably the most dramatic chapter in the book, the account of the development of nuclear fission, ends the story of chemistry at its most monumental achievement.
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!
Napoleon's Buttons is the fascinating account of seventeen groups of molecules that have greatly influenced the course of history. These molecules provided the impetus for early exploration, and made possible the voyages of discovery that ensued. The molecules resulted in grand feats of engineering and spurred advances in medicine and law; they determined what we now eat, drink, and wear. A change as small as the position of an atom can lead to enormous alterations in the properties of a substance-which, in turn, can result in great historical shifts.
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.
Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why is gallium (Ga, 31) the go-to element for laboratory pranksters? The Periodic Table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventure, betrayal, and obsession. These fascinating tales follow every element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, and in the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. The Disappearing Spoon masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, and discovery -- from the Big Bang through the end of time.
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.
For students, DIY hobbyists, and science buffs, who can no longer get real chemistry sets, this one-of-a-kind guide explains how to set up and use a home chemistry lab, with step-by-step instructions for conducting experiments in basic chemistry -- not just to make pretty colors and stinky smells, but to learn how to do real lab work:
- Purify alcohol by distillation
- Produce hydrogen and oxygen gas by electrolysis
- Smelt metallic copper from copper ore you make yourself
- Analyze the makeup of seawater, bone, and other common substances
- Synthesize oil of wintergreen from aspirin and rayon fiber from paper
- Perform forensics tests for fingerprints, blood, drugs, and poisons
- and much more
Written for lay readers, provides an introduction to the principles of chemistry and includes quotations from popular literature to show how chemistry and everyday life intertwine.
If you have ever suspected that "heavy water" is the title of a bootleg Pink Floyd album, believed that surface tension is an anxiety disorder, or imagined that a noble gas is the result of a heavy meal at Buckingham Palace, then you need The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry to set you on the road to chemical literacy.
You don't need to be a scientist to grasp these and many other complex ideas, because The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry explains them all: the history and basics of chemistry, atomic theory, combustion, solubility, reaction stoichiometry, the mole, entropy, and much more—all explained in simple, clear, and yes, funny illustrations. Chemistry will never be the same!
AIR IS NOT OXYGEN is a fun way to brush up on essential science concepts you missed in school. (Admit it. You probably thought you had better things to do than study!) Clear, short chapters focus on mastering key concepts instead of memorizing facts. Dozens of optional hands-on activities make science come alive! In a style described as “Dave Barry meets Bill Nye with a touch of the Mythbusters,” award-winning author, Bill Morelan, debunks common misconceptions about basic science. Reflecting both the National Science Content Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards, AIR IS NOT OXYGEN covers Life Science, Earth Science, Physical Science, and Science Methods.A fun, informative read, AIR IS NOT OXYGEN helps fill the gaps in your science education. (Never be humiliated by science geeks again!) Perfect for sharing, or as a handy basic reference tool. Makes a great book for kids, too.
Best of all, the ingredients are already in your kitchen, so nothing stops you from starting your first experiment today.
Below I have links to 10 simple experiments you can try today. And take a deeper dive into the coolest one: turning milk into moldable plastic.
EASY CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENTS TO DO AT HOME
Gather up your baking soda, yeast, watercolors, vinegar, and other basic items and get ready to amaze your kids with your scientific genius.
Look at the science fun I have found for you below.
- Try these Gummy Juice Noodles: Food Chemistry Experiment for Kids.
- 2 Fun Chemistry for Kids Experiments & John Dalton Notebooking Pages
- Watch a Baking Soda Growing Tree form overnight.
- 10 Facts About Oxygen For Kids | How To Do An Underwater Flame Experiment |Free Printable
- Make a Simple Chemistry Hatching Dino Egg for the dino lover.
- Learn How to Make Elephant Toothpaste | Fun Chemistry Activities & Printable
- Medieval Chemistry and Homeschool History – Fun Hands-On Activity
- Simple Chemical Reaction Experiment – Steel wool and vinegar reaction is great for preschool through early elementary.
- How to Make Elephant Toothpaste | Fun Chemistry Activities & Printable
- Enjoy edible Delightfully Fizzy Sherbet – Go Science Girls.
Even though these experiments use safe household products, this is a great time to introduce lab safety and encourage your child to use proper equipment like gloves and safety goggles.
TURNING MILK INTO MOLDABLE PLASTIC EXPERIMENT
This is the star of the show today; I am giving you the simple breakdown for this one. With just two ingredients, you can watch milk transform from a liquid into a moldable, rubbery solid, essentially homemade bioplastic.
First, talk about the chemistry behind it with your learner.
Milk contains a protein called casein, which normally stays suspended in the liquid because of its electrical charge and the milk’s pH balance.
Vinegar is acetic acid, and adding it lowers the pH of the milk.
That change causes the casein proteins to lose their charge and clump together in a process called curdling or denaturation.
In fact, casein plastic (sometimes called “Galalith”) was actually used commercially in the early 1900s to make buttons, jewelry, and pen casings before synthetic plastics took over-amazing!
You will need:
- 1 cup of milk (whole milk works best)
- 4 tablespoons of white vinegar
- A saucepan
- A strainer or cheesecloth
- A bowl of cold water
- Cookie cutters or molds
- Paper towels
Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it’s warm but not boiling (small bubbles forming at the edges are your cue).
Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar.
The solid curds you’re left with are almost pure casein, and this protein has a naturally plastic-like structure.
MILK AND VINEGAR PLASTIC (CASEIN PLASTIC)
Watch closely; within seconds, you’ll see white clumps (curds) separate from a yellowish liquid (whey). This is the reaction in action.
Let it sit for a minute, then pour the mixture through a strainer to separate the curds from the liquid.
I will say this batch doesn’t make much, so if you have more than one kid or want to create a larger plastic shape, you will want to double or triple the recipe to be sure you have plenty.
Rinse the curds gently under cold water, then press out excess moisture with paper towels.
While it’s still warm and pliable, knead the curds like dough or press flat for the cookie cutter.
Press them into a mold, shape them by hand, or flatten out and cut them with a cookie cutter.
Let your creation air-dry for 24–48 hours.
As it dries, it hardens into a solid, plastic-like material.
