Forgetful Momma

Secular Homeschooling in Canada

science experiment

Bottle Rockets! Outside Fun

by Leave a Comment

One of the best things about living back on the East coast is the nice weather. It is January and right now my kids are running around outside in the dark with lights strapped to their foreheads having a blast. It’s not that cold out in January so we’re doing messy, outside fun things here still, like bottle rockets. This was a fun addition to our homeschool.

Bottle Rockets Science Experiment for kids - bottle on bench

This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.

This experiment was fun, and the excitement of not knowing how long it was going to take before the reaction happens and the bottle takes off into the sky. And boy do they take off!

What you need:

Launch Pad Construction

Are you kids as crazy about Lego as mine? These are great for building a launch pad. You are going to need some to set your bottle rocket on, and letting your kids create a launch pad out of Lego is just another why to include learning… I love Lego, my kids are crazy about it.

Bottle Rockets - Lego launch pad
Resource Library Sign Up
Make sure that you sign up to receive emails from me with new activities, including more science experiments, and more!

How to Make a Bottle Rocket

This is easier than I expected. And a lot of fun.

I wish I had removed the label from our pop bottle so we could see the reaction better. Which my kids thought of while they continued to make their own bottle rockets.

Take a piece of paper towel, add some baking soda, and roll it up. Make sure that it will fit into the bottle opening, even if you have to push it in a bit.

Bottle Rockets - baking soda on paper towel

Try to keep it out of the vinegar.

Bottle Rockets - pushing paper towel into bottle

Push a cork in, only in a little or it won’t be able to pop out. This happened with our first attempt.

Bottle Rockets - wine cork in bottle

Flip the bottle over into/onto the launch pad.

Stand back and watch, it can take a minute, so while it seems like a long time, stay back so you don’t get hurt.

Bottle Rockets

Bottle Rocket

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $5

Simple vinegar and baking soda can turn into a fun time with these bottle rockets.

Materials

  • vinegar
  • baking soda

Tools

  • 2L pop bottles
  • corks
  • launch pad
  • paper towel
  • toilet paper - optional

Instructions

  1. Take a piece of paper towel, add some baking soda, and roll it up. Make sure that it will fit into the bottle opening, even if you have to push it in a bit.
  2. Try to keep it out of the vinegar.
  3. Push a cork in, only in a little or it won't be able to pop out.
  4. Flip the bottle over into/onto the launch pad.
  5. Stand back and watch, it can take a minute, so while it seems like a long time, stay back so you don't get hurt.

Notes

Launch Pad:

Are you kids as crazy about Lego as mine? These are great for building a launch pad. You are going to need some to set your bottle rocket on, and letting your kids create a launch pad out of Lego is just another why to include learning... I love Lego, my kids are crazy about it.

© Ashley Mullen
Project Type: Science Experiment / Category: Experiments

Similar posts you may be interested in:

Self Inflating Balloon Experiment

Pop and Mentos Eruption

Bouncy Egg Experiment – Eggs in Vinegar

Snow Storm in A Jar Science Experiment

by Leave a Comment

The weather is changing out here, it’s getting colder with winter coming, and we have actually had a couple morning with snow on the ground. Snow Storm in A Jar is easy, and fun science experiment to do with your kids. It goes along great with our arctic animal theme.

Snow Storm in A Jar Science Experiment

This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.

What you need:

  • oil – we used baby oil & vegetable oil
  • white paint
  • alka seltzer tablets
  • a jar
  • glitter – optional
free resource library sign up

Sign up to join my Resource Library mailing list and you’ll be among the first to know about new items in the FREE resource library, new posts, and more!

How to Make A Snow Storm in a Jar

This is really super easy to do with your kids. It is very similar to a lava lamp in fact. First, you pour some water into the bottom of your jar, about two inches worth.

Add about a tablespoon of white paint in, this is just a rough guess of how much I squeezed in. And stir.

Snow Storm in A Jar Science Experiment

Add in oil to fill your jar. We used baby oil as seen in the picture below. I thought it would be easier to see the snow, slightly more “realistic” to have a clear sky rather than a yellow one the first time around.

Snow Storm in A Jar Science Experiment

I learned that pouring the oil in onto a spoon instead of directly into the water cause less mixing of the two before adding alka seltzer tablets. Once they settle, the fun really starts.

Drop in an alka seltzer tablet or two and watch the snow fly.

Snow Storm in A Jar Science Experiment

Looking at the side of the jar afterward looks like looking out the window during a storm. Which is why I called this a snow storm in a jar.

Using an oil with color, like vegetable oil actually made it easier to see the snow. We did it both ways.

Snow Storm in A Jar Science Experiment

Snow Storm in a Jar

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 1 minute
Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 6 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $2

Materials

  • oil - we used baby oil & vegetable oil
  • white paint
  • alka seltzer tablets
  • glitter - optional

Tools

  • a mason jar

Instructions

  1. Add a couple inches of water to the bottom of your jar.
  2. Add a tablespoon or so of white paint to your water and mix.
  3. Fill your jar up with oil of your choice.
  4. Add one or two alka seltzer tablets.

Notes

Using an oil with color, like vegetable oil actually made it easier to see the snow. We did it both ways.

© Ashley Mullen
Category: Experiments

Similar posts you may be interested in:

Cloud in A Jar – Science Experiment

Making Rain in a Jar

Weather in a Jar: Tornado

Arctic Animals – Science Experiment

Color Changing Water Science Experiment

by Leave a Comment

Who knew a head of red cabbage could be so much fun? We actually did this color changing water experiment the same day we did the pH indictor testing. One cabbage, two experiments. We love science experiments here and I hope you do too.

Color Changing Water

This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.

This is a very easy science experiment, and super budget friendly science. Everything you need is for this, is in your kitchen. I like experiments to be easy and accessible for everyone.

Red Cabbage Science Experiment

With this experiment, I had no idea what to expect along with my kids. I think those are the best experiments., the ones we get to experience the magic together. It was the same when we did the cabbage pH indictor.

What you need:

free resource library sign up

Sign up to join my Resource Library mailing list and you’ll be among the first to know about new items in the FREE resource library, new posts, and more!

How to Make Water Change Color

The first thing to do it boil water, and pour that boiling water over a head (or half a head) of red cabbage cut up. The more cabbage, the more water you use, the more water you’ll have to do this experiment with.

Let it sit for about 30 minutes.

Now strain the water off your cabbage and into either clear small jars or into glasses. Your red cabbage water is going to look quite purple.

Pour a little white vinegar into your cabbage water.

Color Changing Water (Red Cabbage)

Science Experiment E-Book

Shop now

Add a little baking soda.

Color Changing Water (Red Cabbage)

This color changing water science experiment doesn’t stop at one or two colors but you can add more baking soda to see more change.

Color Changing Water (Red Cabbage)

You do want to make sure that you let each reaction finish before adding more baking soda or vinegar to each glass of red cabbage water. We did end up with a really big mess… think volcano.

Color Changing Water

Color Changing Water (Red Cabbage)

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $1

Materials

  • head or red cabbage
  • boiling water
  • vinegar
  • baking soda

Tools

  • clear glasses/jars
  • kettle

Instructions

  1. The first thing to do it boil water, and pour that boiling water over a head (or half a head) of red cabbage cut up. Let it sit for about 30 minutes.
  2. Now strain the water off your cabbage and into either clear small jars or into glasses.
  3. Pour a little white vinegar into your cabbage water.
  4. Add a little baking soda.
  5. This color changing science experiment doesn't stop at one or two colors but you can add more baking soda to see more change.

Notes

You do want to make sure that you let each reaction finish before adding more baking soda or vinegar to each glass of red cabbage water. We did end up with a really big mess... think volcano.

© Ashley Mullen

Similar posts you may be interested in:

Easy Red Cabbage pH Indicator

Self Inflating Balloon Experiment

Heart Pumping Human Body Science Experiment

Easy Red Cabbage pH Indicator

by Leave a Comment

Getting in the kitchen with your kids doesn’t always mean cooking or baking. It means spending time together doing something, anything, and having fun. This is fun, easy, and a great science experiment using things that you have in your home, mostly in your kitchen at that. Buy a small head of red cabbage, and create this pH indicator.

pH Indictor with Red Cabbage

This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.

Red Cabbage pH Indicator Colors

Write this out and stick it somewhere that you and your kids can see during the experiment so you can decide what the pH is of each of the add-ins.

Red – 2
Purple – 4
Violet – 6
Blue – 8
Blue-Green – 10
Greenish-Yellow – 12

What you need:

  • 1/2 – 2 head of red cabbage
  • water
  • lemon juice
  • baking soda
  • washing soda
  • cream of tarter
  • vinegar

How to Make A pH Indictor with Red Cabbage

Cut up your cabbage. Pour boiling water over it, and wait 30 minutes.

pH Indictor with Red Cabbage - cup of red cabbage

Strain water off of cabbage into small containers. I used wine glasses because I couldn’t find any small clear jars for the amount of water I got off my cabbage.

I had all the solutions that we were adding to our cabbage water in separate containers for ease of adding them for smaller hands.

Add something different to each cup of cabbage water.

Cabbage Acidic & Bases Reactions:

pH Indictor with Red Cabbage

The moment the lemon juice hits the cabbage water, it turned red, a beautiful red as you can see above. Just from lemon juice. What would you guess is the pH here?

Science Experiment E-Book

Shop now
pH Indictor with Red Cabbage (2)

You can see how noticeable the difference is between the plain cabbage water and the water that we added the baking soda to. We did add a little too much, a spoonful and we probably could have gotten away with a lot less.

pH Indictor with Red Cabbage

pH Indictor with Red Cabbage

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $1

pH Indictor with Red Cabbage with different items from the kitchen.

Materials

  • 1/2 - 2 head of red cabbage
  • water
  • lemon juice
  • baking soda
  • washing soda
  • cream of tarter
  • vinegar

Tools

  • small clear glass containers
  • spoon
  • bowl
  • kettle

Instructions

  1. Cut up your cabbage.
  2. Pour boiling water over it, and wait 30 minutes.
  3. Strain water off of cabbage into small containers.
  4. Add something different to each cup of cabbage water. Baking soda to a cup to watch the reaction.
  5. Continue on with the rest of the bases.
© Ashley Mullen

Cabbage pH Indicator Basics

Red cabbage contains a pigment molecule called flavin (an anthocyanin). This water-soluble pigment is also found in apple skins, plums, poppies, cornflowers, and grapes.

Very acidic solutions will turn anthocyanin into a red color. 

Neutral solutions result in a purplish color. 

Basic solutions appear in greenish-yellow.

Therefore, you can determine the pH of a solution based on the color that it turns the anthocyanin pigments in red cabbage juice.

The color of the juice changes in response to changes in its hydrogen ion concentration; pH is the -log[H+]. Acids will donate hydrogen ions in an aqueous solution and have a low pH (pH 7).

Resource Library Sign Up
Make sure that you sign up to receive emails from me with new activities, including more science experiments, and more!

Similar posts you may be interested in:

Self Inflating Balloon Experiment

Invisible Ink Secret Messages

Arctic Animals – Science Experiment

Self Inflating Balloon Experiment

by 1 Comment

How about some science fun with a balloon? My seven year old was amazed by this. He had no idea what to expect when we started this self inflating balloon experiment.

Self Inflating Balloon

Self Inflating Balloon Experiment

This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.

I used a Sharpie to draw a face on our balloon just to give it a little more fun, and to pretend we were growing a monster head with Halloween coming up soon.

Gauge loved this, I don’t know if you can hear him in the video or not, but he says “Did you know this would happen?!” Who know inflating a balloon could be so much fun.

What you need:

How to make a balloon self inflate

This is a science experiment simple enough for your kids to do themselves. My almost seven year old did it with very little help from me.

Start by measuring out half a cup of vinegar.

Self Inflating Balloon Experiment

It is very helpful to have a funnel for the next part: pouring the vinegar into a bottle. A funnel means less will get spilled.

Self Inflating Balloon Experiment - pouring vinegar into a bottle

We dried off our funnel, and used it to put half a tablespoon of baking soda into our balloon.

Self Inflating Balloon - filling a balloon with baking soda

Remove the funnel from your balloon, and carefully fit it over the opening of your bottle without spilling any of the baking soda in the bottle. It will cause a reaction before you are ready.

Self Inflating Balloon

Once you are ready and watching you can flip the balloon up to empty the baking soda into the bottle. The reaction does happen quite fast.

Self Inflating Balloon

Now you just wait for the reaction. My favorite part of this is that this science experiment uses things you most likely have around your house already.

Self Inflating Balloon

Self Inflating Balloon

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Active Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $1

Easy science experiment for kids using things you have in the kitchen.

Materials

  • 1/2 cup of vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp of baking soda
  • balloons
  • water/pop bottle

Tools

  • funnel

Instructions

  1. Pour 1/2 cup of vinegar into an old water or pop bottle.
  2. put 1/2 tbsp of baking soda into a balloon.
  3. Carefully, put the opening of the balloon over the water bottle.
  4. Empty the baking soda into the bottle, and into the vinegar and watch the reaction.
© Ashley Mullen
Category: Kids Activities

We have balloons from parties past “floating” around our house, which is probably why I have been finding activities to do with my kids using balloons. Time to use them up before another birthday, and party theme comes around.

Resource Library Sign Up
Make sure that you sign up to receive emails from me with new activities, including more science experiments, and more!

Self Inflating Balloon Experiment

What’s Happening:

The secret lies with vinegar and baking soda, two household staples that, when combined, create carbonic acid. Carbonic acid breaks down into water and carbon dioxide.

This experiment uses the carbon dioxide to fill the balloon, giving the illusion that the balloon is self inflating.

Similar posts you may be interested in:

Heart Pumping Human Body Science Experiment

Homemade Lava Lamp for your Kids

Wizard’s Brew Fun is Brewing