Spooky Halloween Science Experiments Kids Will Love

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These spooky Halloween science experiments can be used in Halloween season lesson plans, but they are also a great way to include a little educational fun in a homeschool co-op Halloween party. They use simple household ingredients that you probably already have at home.

These fun activities are science experiments so be sure to:

• Work through the scientific method
• Ask your students to predict what will happen
• Explain why an experiment ended the way it did. It is okay to research this with your kids!
• Let students try changing variables to see how the experiment changes

Check out these fun Halloween activities and try a few with your kids.

Spooky Fun Halloween Science Experiments

Flying Tea Bag Ghosts

Kids will love everything about this simple Halloween science experiment – especially the fire and the flying little ghosts. It does involve setting an empty tea bag on fire, so adult supervision is required. Please also make sure you are in a safe area for lighting a small fire.

Supplies needed:

• Tea bags (plain paper tea bags – not fancy pyramid plastic tea bags)
• Scissors
• Marker
• Nonflammable surface (I used a ceramic saucer)
• Lighter

Katie, at Gift of Curiosity, has the complete instructions and the scientific explanation available. I tried it to make sure it worked . . . and then did it again because it was such a fun experiment!

My family does a similar activity every New Year’s Eve. We each write wishes for the new year on empty tea bags before we set them flying. Kids of all ages seem to love this activity.

Pumpkin Volcano

A pumpkin volcano is a fun Halloween twist on a traditional baking soda and vinegar volcano. This could be done in small plastic cauldrons to make fizzy cauldrons too. Young scientists love watching the explosion of bubbles!

Related: Fizzy Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiments

You will need:

• Small pumpkin (either a mini pumpkin or a pie-size pumpkin)
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Spoon
• Dish with raised edges (like a casserole dish or a loaf pan)
• Baking soda
• Vinegar

First, cut the top off of a small pumpkin and scoop out the inner pumpkin guts.

Place the prepared pumpkin in the dish. The dish will keep the mess contained. Alternatively, the prepared pumpkin can be set in an empty sink.

Add baking soda to the inside of the pumpkin.

Pour vinegar onto the baking soda. Watch out for the fizzy mess that is headed your way!

Little Passports does a great job explaining this acid-base reaction. This activity is a fun way to observe chemical reactions at home.

Monster Slime

My kids both went through a huge slime phase a few years ago. They had so much fun making slime at least once a week!

Monster slime, or Halloween slime, supplies include:

• School glue (clear and white will both work, but will look slightly different)
• Saline solution with boric acid and sodium borate or slime activator (then skip the baking soda)
• Food coloring
• Baking soda
• Monster add-ins (glitter, Googly eyes, plastic fangs, spider rings, etc. – optional)

Sarah, at Little Bins Little Hands, has the complete monster slime directions.

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How is slime science? Well, slime is a non-Newtonian fluid. Kids are exploring scientific concepts such as viscosity and polymers. Students of all ages will enjoy playing with slime while you explain the chemistry behind the material.

Halloween Lava Lamp

Traditional lava lamps can be fun to watch. The bubbles can be mesmerizing. This DIY Halloween lava lamp is a little different. Kids will enjoy watching the bubbles, but it is a little ingenuous to call it a lamp. There is no light source.

This fun activity will help kids explore the idea of polar molecules. Oil and water do not mix. Water molecules are polar, and oil molecules are nonpolar.

Science Sparks has the complete directions and scientific explanation.

Materials needed:

• Clear glass jar
• Water
• Oil (vegetable oil or baby oil will work)
• Food coloring in your choice of color
• Alka Seltzer tablets

Dissolving Candy

This time of year, there is usually lots of candy around the house. I like to use it in educational activities whenever possible. Kids always pay attention if school involves food!

Anytime I am teaching with food, I like to set expectations. For this Halloween science experiment, make sure kids know not to eat the candy once the experiment has begun. Instead, offer a small amount of the candy to taste before trying to dissolve it.

This simple experiment is so easy it could even be done Halloween night after trick-or-treating.

You will need:

• Halloween candy to dissolve (I used pumpkins from a candy corn autumn mix.)
• Clear jars or cups
• Fluids to try (This can include vinegar, water, oil, or whatever the kids want to try.)

Put a small amount of candy in each jar. Make sure the amount of candy is the same in each jar (one piece, 1 tablespoon of a powder candy, etc.)

Pour an equal amount of liquid in each jar, one liquid per container. Make sure to completely cover the candy.

Observe the jars to see if the candy dissolves.

Candy experiments can be repeated with different types of candy and different liquids.

The American Chemical Society used M&M’s in their experiment, but they do a great job explaining the science behind the activity.

I hope these Halloween experiment ideas help add a little Halloween fun to your homeschool lessons!

Keep reading . . .

• Halloween Poetry Teatime
• Not Too Scary Halloween Books for Kids
• Fun Halloween Math Activities
• Fun Halloween Rhyming Word Activities for Kids
• Fun {and Educational} Candy Corn Activities
• Free Halloween Writing Prompts for Kindergarten
• October Homeschool Activities
• Thanksgiving Science Experiments for Kids

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