Bubbly Foam! A Fun Science Experiment For Your Little One!

 

I used to do a version of this experiment (elephant’s toothpaste) at school growing up but it was done up at the front of class and we had to stand back and it just honestly isn’t safe for little kids. The reaction is different with this experiment for sure because the ingredients are different but it’s along the same line and still really fun and this one is kid friendly! This is fun for the kids to see that they can make foam! Yes my kids decided to inspect the foam with their hand held magnifying glass as well. They could see a lot of tiny bubbles and that was super fun for them!

 

Bubbly Foam!

 

What you need –

Empty water bottle
Hydrogen peroxide
Dish soap
Packet of active yeast
Food coloring
Funnel
Measuring cup

 

Directions –

 

(You might want to take this experiment outside or have the bottle in the middle of a cookie sheet because this will be foaming out and the food coloring could stain.)

• Mix yeast with a little warm water and be sure to get the clumps out. Set aside for a few minutes.
• Fill the empty water bottle with about ¼ cup of dish soap, about ½ cup hydrogen peroxide, and your food coloring, the liquid food coloring works best and just a few drops, the paste food coloring wouldn’t work well. Swirl it all around to combine.
• Add the yeast and watch what happens!

 

What’s going on – This shows a decomposition and catalyzed reaction. Hydrogen Peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen and when you add the yeast, it increases that reaction at a faster rate and then the dish soap grabs onto the oxygen that was released and that is what creates the foam.

 

My kids loved this one and I hope yours do too!

 

Enjoy!