13 of Our Favorite Halloween Candy Experiments
Halloween is a time for spooky decorations, costumes, and of course, candy! But did you know that you can do more than just eat your Halloween candy? In fact, you can conduct some fun and educational experiments using your favorite treats. Here are 13 of our favorite Halloween candy experiments that are sure to delight both kids and adults alike.
1. Floating M&M’s: Fill a bowl with water and drop some M&M’s in. Watch as the candy coating dissolves, revealing the colorful “M” imprint before the candy floats to the surface.
2. Pop Rocks Balloon: Stretch a balloon over the mouth of an empty soda bottle. Add a packet of Pop Rocks candy into the bottle and listen as the fizzing candy causes the balloon to inflate.
3. Skittles Rainbow: Arrange a circle of Skittles candies on a plate and pour a small amount of warm water in the center. Observe as the colors from the Skittles dissolve and create a beautiful rainbow effect.
4. Gummy Bear Osmosis: Place a gummy bear in a cup filled with water and leave it overnight. Witness how the gummy bear grows in size as it absorbs the water through osmosis.
5. Candy Chromatography: Grab some coffee filters and markers. Color a small dot near the bottom of the coffee filter using different colored markers. Then, dip the filter tip in water and watch as the colors separate and create a unique pattern.
6. Candy Corn Catapult: Build a simple catapult using popsicle sticks and rubber bands. Load a candy corn onto the catapult and launch it to see how far it can go.
7. Mentos and Diet Coke Volcano: Drop a few Mentos candies into a bottle of Diet Coke and stand back. Witness the explosive reaction as the carbon dioxide in the soda reacts with the candy, causing a foamy eruption.
8. Jolly Rancher Stained Glass: Preheat your oven to 350°F and arrange Jolly Rancher candies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the sheet in the oven for about 5-7 minutes or until the candies have melted and flattened out. Let them cool and you’ll have colorful, edible stained glass candy.
9. Candy Wrapper Chain: Save your candy wrappers and turn them into a colorful chain. Cut the wrappers into strips and link them together using tape or glue. Keep adding more wrappers until you have a long chain of candy memories.
10. Candy Density Tower: Create a candy density tower by layering candies of different densities in a clear container. Watch as the candies stack up based on their respective densities, creating a visually appealing tower.
11. Candy DNA Extraction: Extract DNA from a strawberry using everyday household items like dish soap, salt, and rubbing alcohol. Use a candy necklace or licorice lace to represent the DNA structure.
12. Candy Bar Math: Use your favorite candy bars to practice math skills. Add, subtract, multiply, or divide the quantities and prices of the different candy bars to solve various math problems.
13. Candy Corn Catapult Challenge: Design and build your own candy corn catapult using craft sticks, rubber bands, and other materials. Test different designs and see whose catapult can launch the candy corn the farthest.
These Halloween candy experiments are not only a great way to have fun, but they also provide an opportunity to learn and explore scientific concepts. So, get creative and enjoy some hands-on candy fun this Halloween season!