Exploding Halloween Science Experiment

Looking for a fun Halloween science experiment to do with the kids? This exploding monsters Halloween activity for kids is very easy and doesn’t require much in the way of time or ingredients. Plus, it’s a guaranteed hit with kids of all ages! Keep in mind that you can do this when it’s not Halloween, too . . . just adjust the designs and colors to fit the occasion.

Who doesn’t love a great explosion? I know my boys are always excited to blow things up and they particularly love baking powder and vinegar. If you have these two ingredients, plus some zipper bags, you’ve got everything you need to turn your patio (or bathtub) into a blast zone. Let’s get started!

 

First, grab a pen or permanent marker and draw your designs on your zipper bags. I did a pumpkin, ghost and Frankenstein’s monster, but your imagination is the limit!

Next, fill the bag roughly one quarter full with white vinegar and add a drop or two of food coloring to get the right shade. For the ghost, you can just add cornstarch or baby powder to make the vinegar look white. Mine looks a bit weird here because I ran out of regular vinegar and used some apple cider vinegar, which had a yellow tint.

Try not to use too much food coloring, just enough to tint the vinegar so you don’t have to worry about staining your patio. This washed up just fine after we finished exploding everything! If you’re really worried, you can stick to just doing ghosts, but the colors are a lot of fun.

Now, rip some paper towel or toilet paper into squares and put about a tablespoon of baking soda into the middle of the square. Fold it up and carefully open one tiny section of the zipper bag, slipping the packet inside, but holding it away from the liquid. Seal the bag again.

When you’re ready, let the baking soda packet fall into the vinegar, shake it a couple times and toss the bag on the ground. The reaction between the baking soda and vinegar will cause the bag to fill up and expand, then eventually pop in a satisfying explosion.

Go ahead and pop over to our Mom Upgrade Facebook page to share your photos of exploding monster Halloween science experiments! We’d love to see them.

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