From exploding Peeps to dancing Gummy Bears this article from WeAreTeachers.com is creative, educational and fun! Written by Elizabeth Mulvahill on October 21, 2021. Halloween is the perfect occasion to try some spooky, creepy, candy-centered science experiments! Here, we’ve rounded up 20 hands-on Halloween science experiments that explore concepts such as the scientific method, osmosis, exothermic reactions, and more.
1. Whip up a batch of bubbling slime
Source: Epic Fun for Kids
There are gobs of recipes out there for DIY slime, but this recipe has an added element your students will love: bubbles! (Shh … the secret ingredient is xanthan gum.)
2. Experiment with this haunted Halloween hand melt
Source: Happy Hooligans
This fun activity will teach your students about the effect of salt on frozen water. They will make observations as the creepy hands melt and colorful Halloween toys emerge from the slush.
3. Create your own articulated hand Source: De Tout et de Rien Play Frankenstein in your classroom and teach your students to engineer their own articulated hands using construction paper, straws, string, and hot glue.
4. Concoct a batch of Wizard’s Brew
Source: Little Bins for Little Hands
Create a cool Halloween-themed chemical reaction that is just as much fun to play with as it is to learn from with this exothermic chemical reaction using hydrogen peroxide and yeast.
5. Brew up some candy potions
Source: Housing a Forest
Let your little scientists loose as they play Mad Scientist … mixing, dumping, shaking, pouring, and experimenting to create their own magic potions from Halloween candy.
6. Monitor a decomposing pumpkin Source: Gift of Curiosity Decomposition, or rotting, is the process by which organic substances are broken down after death. Eventually, decomposition breaks organic matter down so that it becomes part of the soil again. And what better tool for this lesson than an old Jack-O-Lantern?
7. Observe sprouting flint corn
Source: De-Tout-et-de-Rien
Explore germination with this fun experiment using dried flint corn, a shallow basin, and water.
8. Dissect a candy bar. This lesson plan offers a starting point that can be adapted for other candies.
9. Make a Skittles rainbow! SOURCE: Little Bins for Little Hands This isn’t just a cool science experiment, it’s like a beautiful art project! Simple (just two ingredients) and quick.
10. Create an exploding Peeps geyser.
Source: Housing a Forest
Exploding? Say no more! Your students will be enthralled as they watch ghost-shaped Peeps transform when they’re placed in the microwave.
11. Remove the “M” from M&Ms
You can actually make the Ms float! The video above, from Kids’ Fun Science, explains it all.
12. Take the candy acid test
Source: Play Dr. Mom
A simple experiment to test whether candy has acid in it. All you need are sour Skittles, water, and baking soda. If the candy has acid, the mixture will bubble and fizz when the baking soda is added.
13. Make your own candy vending machine
There are a lot of variations of this project on YouTube from Hack Room, but it’s sure to challenge students’ engineering and planning skills.
14. Dance with gummy worms
Source: Playdough To Plato
This simple activity is perfect for little scientists who want to see creatures come to life before their eyes.
15. Create an edible solar system
Source: School Time Snippets
This awesome hands-on activity is paired with the book Planets by Ellen Hasbrouck. Kids will love constructing their own galaxy on a pan of brownies with leftover Halloween candy. (Ask parent volunteers to provide the brownies.)
16. Inflate balloons using Pop Rocks and Nerds
Source: Learn Play Imagine
Your students will think they are performing magic with this fun experiment! This version is a fun one, as kids get to try varying amounts of different candies and observe the results.
17. Instigate a fizzy eruption
Source: Steve Spangler Science
This experiment is a crowd-pleasing classic! Your students will love creating geysers from Diet Coke and Mentos as they learn about chemical reactions. Definitely an outdoor activity!
18. Supersize some gummy bears
Source: Playdough to Plato
Little ones will love this Alice in Wonderland-style experiment. Using water, salt, and gummy bears, your students will learn about the process of osmosis.
19. Play magician with disappearing candies!
Source: Lemon Lime Adventures
What makes these candies dissolve the fastest—and why? Your students will get a taste of the scientific method as they experiment with different liquids and leftover Halloween candy.
20. Wanna know what’s really in candy?
Source: Candy Experiments
Who knew candy had more than just sugar in it? This experiment using Starbursts and heat is eye-opening.
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