Chemistry

Ice Cream In A Bag

Make delicious ice cream in a zip lock bag using just a few simple ingredients.

Suitable for kids aged 6+

You Need:

• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• cup of milk
• teaspoon of vanilla essence
• 6 tablespoons of rock salt (or use regular table salt as a substitute)
• 2 cups of ice
• 4 litre zip lock bag (approx. size)
• litre zip lock bag (approx. size)

What to do:

1. Half fill the 4 litre zip lock bag with ice (about 2 cups).
2. Add the salt and seal the bag.
3. Pour the sugar, milk and vanilla essence into the litre zip lock bag and seal securely.
4. Open the large zip lock bag and place the smaller bag inside. Seal the large bag.
5. Shake and rock the large bag for 10 to 15 minutes. It may help to wear gloves or wrap a tea towel around the bag to protect your hands from the cold.

Soak a raw- egg in vinegar and highlighter ink to transform it into a fluoro bouncy ball!

Suitable for kids aged 4+ with parental supervision

You Need:

• Raw egg
• Glass or jar, big enough to hold the egg
• Vinegar
• Highlighter ink for highlighter pen (this may require some pliers)
• Ultra violet torch (otherwise known as a black light)

What to do:

Fizzy, refreshing lemonade that is full of science discovery! 

What you need:

• 2 lemons
• Sugar or any sweetner
• Baking soda
• Water

What to do:

1. Juice 2 lemons.
2. Add an equal amount of cold water.
3. Add one teaspoon of sugar or any sweetener you like,

Can you pop a balloon without touching it?

Yes you can! All you need to know is the balloon’s secret nemesis- the humble orange (or lemon)! That’s
right— latex balloons have a major citrus allergy.

What you need:
● Balloon
● Citrus fruit

What to do:

1. Blow up a latex balloon.

2. Take a peel from a citrus fruit (orange or lemon will work) and squeeze it hard enough to spray the oil
from the peel at the balloon.

OR scratch the zest off or a lemon, making sure you get plenty of zesty oil on your finger (invisible to the
naked eye) and pop your balloon in front of your friends with a single, light touch- your friends will be
lost for words!

3. You’ll see that exposure to the citrus oil immediately pops your latex balloon.

Why is it so?

Well, there is a chemical in citrus fruits called limonene, which is a hydrocarbon that is actually used in
many cosmetics

Grow an amazing sugar monster from common kitchen ingredients! 

Grow your own pretty crystal ornaments to hang with a solution of Borax.

Got a dinosaur enthusiast at your place? Make a dinosaur egg they can hatch with a chemical reaction!

You Need:

A packet of Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda, from the supermarket)

Some food colouring

Mixing Bowl

Water

Gloves

Small dinosaur figurines (or other animals that hatch out of eggs, such as lizards or birds)

Baking tray with a sheet of baking paper or foil to line it

Vinegar in a small cup or bowl

Pipette (eye dropper) or small spoon

What To Do:

Pour the sodium bicarbonate into the mixing bowl.  Put on the gloves, then add a little water and a few drops of food colouring. Mix with a spoon or your hands to form a mouldable paste, adding more water if necessary.

Take a handful of the paste and mould it into a small bowl that you can place a figurine inside. Place more paste on top of the figurine and mould into an egg shape, making

This activity is perfect for keeping young dinosaur enthusiasts cool on a hot day.

You Need:

Some small dinosaur figurines (or other animals that hatch out of eggs, such as lizards or birds)

Some round balloons (not water balloons)

Scissors

Some toy tools, or other safe objects for breaking or melting ice

What To Do:

Stretch a balloon carefully around the figurine, taking extra care not to puncture it with any spikes or claws. (Water balloons are too thin and can break at this point).

Place the opening of the balloon over the end of a tap. Turn the tap on gently and fill the balloon with enough water to surround the figurine.

Seal the balloon and place it gently in the freezer overnight.

When your ‘ice egg’ is completely frozen, use the scissors to remove the balloon.

Place the egg in a tray with appropriate tools,  and invite your young dino-enthusiast

if you suck on a candy cane long enough, it will dissolve in your mouth. in this experiment you can observe the process up close, and also find out which liquid will dissolve a candy cane the fastest. it is easy to set up with household materials and substances (and a packet of candy canes), and a great opportunity for developing the science skills of hypothesising, observation, measurement, fair testing, comparison and analysis. it also a great way to use up your left over candy canes at christmas!

you need

• 6 candy canes, any plastic wrapping removed
• 6 clear glasses or jars
• a stopwatch
• a bar magnet
• 6 different liquids such as cold water, hot water, salty water, water with food colouring, vinegar, oil, juice, milk etc.

what to do

• pour different liquids into each glass or jar, then label

If you thought vinegar and bicarb were only good for making messy, oozy volcanoes, think again! Turn an empty cream container into an exciting, explosive rocket with this classic acid/base reaction.

You Need:

What to do: