Looking for fun educational science experiments to do at home this summer? These three STEAM backyard experiments are easy to do but have big results!
They're also all great to do outdoors because they have EXPLOSIVE results!
You can add some educational fun to these experiments too! Have your child come up with a hypothesis. When the experiment is complete compare the outcome to their guess. Make sure they are explaining their thoughts in as much detail as possible.
Okay, let's get started!
 Alohalika via Canva |
Exploding Soda, With Mentos
What you need:
- Diet Soda. Any brand or flavor will work. We recommend diet because it is sugar-free and won't create a sticky mess.
- Mentos. Any color or flavor. Both mint and fruit flavors work.
Directions:
1. Leave your soda bottle out in the sun for a bit because warm soda tends to explode more. Find a nice outdoor grassy location. Remove the cap from the soda and get ready. The more Mentos you get into the soda bottle before it starts exploding, the higher the soda plume will be.
3. Quickly drop a few Mentos in the soda bottle and watch it explode!
The science behind it:
The Mentos reacting with the soda creates a rush of carbonation. This is the perfect example of why you never mix chemicals without knowing the result because they could have an exploding reaction!
 Vladimir Bolokh via Canva |
Elephant Toothpaste
What you need:
- Empty 20 oz. soda bottle
- 3 tsp. Dawn or another liquid dish soap
- 1/2 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide (available in almost every grocery or drugstore)
- Packet of active yeast (found in the baking section of the grocery store)
- Warm water
- Safety goggles (the hydrogen peroxide can irritate eyes!)
- Food coloring (optional)
Directions:
- Pour the hydrogen peroxide into your bottle. Add the dish soap and mix.
- If you want to make your toothpaste a color, add a few drops of food coloring.
- In a separate cup, mix 1 Tbsp. of yeast with 3 Tbsp. of warm water. Mix for about 30 seconds to make sure it's well combined.
- Pour the yeast mixture into the bottle then step back quickly! The reaction will happen immediately.
 Helen Partlow |
Exploding "volcano"
What you need:
- 1 cup vinegar
- 4 tbsp. baking soda
- baking sheet
- plastic or paper cup
- food coloring (optional)
- 1 tsp. dish soap (optional)
Directions:
1. Add baking soda to your cup. (Make sure to always keep your cup on the baking sheet to make clean-up a breeze!)
2. Pick your colors and add them to the cup.
3. Add liquid dish soap to the cup. This will create fun bubbles!
4. Add the vinegar and ... watch your volcano erupt!
The science behind it:
Helen Partlow, a publisher of Macaroni KID Greater Port Jefferson, N.Y., shared this experiment with us. She told us: Vinegar is an acid and baking soda is a base. When they combine it's a chemical reaction and it creates carbon dioxide, which is a gas that bubbles everything up and out of the cup! The food coloring and dish soap just add extra flair!
