You are listening to episode 23 of the “Ready, Set, Science Podcast”. This week we are talking about having fun with fall science activities. These activities are not only educational but also a lot of fun for kids and adults alike during the fall and Halloween season. This episode is packed full of ideas so let’s dive right in! 

Welcome back! If you are like me, you are ready to get into the holiday season and for me that starts with Halloween. Halloween is a great time to do fun and meaningful science experiments with your students. They can be short activities or long experiments. Either way, they are sure to make your students excited about science!

1. Pumpkin Volcano: Create a pumpkin volcano by carving a jack-o'-lantern and placing it on a tray. Mix baking soda and vinegar inside the pumpkin to create a foamy eruption, simulating a volcanic eruption. Discuss the chemical reaction happening and its relevance to real volcanoes.

   1. Create a "volcano" using a carved pumpkin. Mix baking soda and vinegar inside the pumpkin to create a foaming eruption.

   2. Discuss the chemical reaction happening and the science behind it.

   3. Check it out here

2. Glow-in-the-Dark Slime: Make glow-in-the-dark slime using a simple recipe of glue, liquid starch, and glow-in-the-dark paint or pigment. Discuss the science behind polymers and how the slime glows in the dark due to phosphorescence.

3. Candy Experiments: Use Halloween candy to conduct various science experiments. 

   1. Melt chocolate to explore changes in state (solid to liquid). Discuss the physical and chemical changes taking place.

   2. Experiment with candy dissolving rates in various liquids (water, vinegar, oil) and temperatures. Discuss the concepts of solubility, diffusion, and the role of temperature in chemical reactions.

   3. Candy Corn Density Experiment: Explore density with a candy corn density tower. Fill a clear container with liquids of varying densities like honey, colored water, vegetable oil, and corn syrup. Drop candy corn pieces into the container and observe how they settle into different layers based on their density. Layer candy corn of different colors in a clear container with water or various liquids (e.g., oil, corn syrup). Observe how the candy corn sinks or floats in each liquid, explaining the concept of density.

4. Leaf Chromatography:

   1. Collect different colored leaves from the fall foliage.

   2. Use chromatography paper and a solvent (like rubbing alcohol) to separate the pigments in the leaves.

   3. Explore the science of leaf pigments and why leaves change color in the fall.

   4. Check it out here

5. Cranberry Sauce pH Test:

   1. Test the pH of cranberry sauce using pH strips or a pH meter.

   2. Explain the science behind acidity and alkalinity and how it relates to the taste of the sauce.

6. Pumpkin Seed Germination:

   1. Save seeds from a carved pumpkin.

   2. Put seeds in plastic baggies with a little water so you can see the growth.

   3. Discuss the science of seed germination and plant growth.

7. Spooky Sound Experiments: Set up a series of Halloween-themed sound experiments. Create ghostly sounds using glasses filled with different amounts of water and demonstrate how sound travels through solids, liquids, and gasses using a spooky-themed obstacle course with string telephones.

8. Ghost Balloon Static Electricity:

   1. Inflate a white balloon and draw a ghost face on it.

   2. Rub the balloon against your hair or clothing to create static electricity, making the "ghost" stick to walls or other surfaces.

   3. Explore the science of static electricity and its spooky effects.

9. Apple Oxidation Experiment:

   1. Cut apples into slices and expose them to different treatments (e.g., lemon juice, water, air) to see how quickly they brown.

   2. Discuss the science behind oxidation and how to slow it down.

10. Pumpkin Catapult:

    1. Design and build a device to move a candy pumpkin as far as possible.

    2. You can purchase this experiment on TpT here 

11. Pumpkin Jack Rotting Experiment:

    1. Take two or more pumpkins and expose them to different conditions (e.g., one in a cool, dry place and another in a warm, humid place).

    2. Observe and document how quickly they rot, discussing the factors affecting decomposition.

    3. You can purchase this experiment on TpT here 

Ok those are my favorite ideas for fall and halloween science. If you try one of them or you have another activity that you have done please head over to Instagram and share what you have done.

Don’t forget that all of my fall and halloween products are on sale in my TPT store this Friday, October 13. They will all be 15% for 24 hours so don’t wait, head over there and check them out.

Thanks so much for listening this week! See you next time.

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