From creepy chemistry to haunted machines, add some spook to your science with these simple sensory STEAM activites
It’s Spooky Season! Looking for something ghoul to do with your young scientists? Create concoctions that are creepy, slimy, and scary! Take these simple sensory STEAM activities to the next level with a Halloween touch by adding scents, food coloring, and decorations.
Scary Simple Slime
Check out our simple slime recipe and see what creative ways you can adapt it to become a spooky sensory activity!
Pumpkin spice-it-up with orange food coloring and pumpkin extract for ultimate Halloween slime! Not a pumpkin person?
If you've got a black light, you can get bright blue slime that glows under UV light by substituting tonic water for water in any recipe. The tonic water contains quinine, which emits bright blue fluorescence under black light.
Another option is to add fluorescent highlighter ink to the slime recipe. You can get the ink by soaking a highlighter in water.
Create dancing ghosts with Oobleck! All you need is to put a speaker or subwoofer close to the Oobleck and play your favorite spooky tunes.
What is Oobleck? It’s a non-Newtonian fluid, meaning it can act like a solid or a liquid depending on what you do to it. If you try to pick it up, run through your hands like water. Try making a fist tap the mixture in the bowl; You’ll feel it become hard as a rock! You can use this to learn how molecules called polymers work. Click thebutton below to learn how to make this easy mixture!
Automata’s are simple machines, like levers, pulleys, or wheels, that change the direction or magnitude of a force.
In this project, you’ll be able to create your own simple machine, using small machines! Transform this cardboard structure with chilling decorations. From a haunted house to dancing skeletons, there’s so much you can do!
Mixing Halloween and these simple sensory STEAM activities will get you into the spooky spirit and teach you a thing or two about how cool science is. These projects are for all levels of scientists and can be repeated for extra fun!
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Learn a phantom-tastic physics lesson while you learn how to demonstrate static electricity!
How do you make a tissue dance? You put a little boo-gie in it!
Static electricity is electricity that doesn’t move. You’ve experienced static electricity if you’ve ever rubbed your feet on a carpet and then zapped a friend or sibling.
Let us teach you how to demonstrate static electricity, and put a little boogie in tissue paper ghosts to make them dance in this fun and simple science activity.
Materials you will need:
Tissue
Black marker
Scissors
Clear tape
A balloon
Directions:
Step 1:
Carefully separate the layers of your tissue and pull them apart. We want our tissue paper to be very thin for this activity.
Step 2:
Draw ghosts on your tissue pieces then cut them out.
Step 3:
Tape the bottom of each ghost to your work surface with clear tape.
Step 4:
Blow up a balloon then rub it against your hair or against wool. A fluffy wool sweater or blanket will work!
While you work on your experiment, ask your scientist some questions:
Before you hold your balloon over the ghosts, ask your scientist what you think will happen. This called a hypothesis.
What happened when you rubbed the balloon against your hair or with wool?
What do you think would happen if we didn’t pull the tissue apart?
Step 5:
Hold your balloon 3-4 inches above your ghosts and move it around to make them rise up from the grave and dance! *If nothing happens right away, try moving the balloon closer to the ghosts or rubbing the balloon again.
Take the experiment further:
How many ghosts can you lift up at once?
How far away can you hold the balloon from the ghosts and still make them move?
What happens if you use different thicknesses of paper? What about different types of paper? Why do you think some types and thicknesses of paper work better than others?
Expand on the Activity!
Learn more about static electricity
Electricity is a form of energy that powers our electronics like our TVs, computers, light bulbs, and more.
Static electricity is electricity that doesn’t move. You’ve experienced static electricity if you’ve ever rubbed your feet on a carpet and then zapped a friend or sibling, if you’ve ever zapped yourself touching a doorknob, or if you’ve ever seen lightening before.
Electricity is created by teeny tiny particles called protons and electrons. Protons are positively charged, while electrons are negatively charged. Just like magnets, opposites attract. So the positive protons and negative electrons attract each other!
When you rubbed the balloon with the cloth, you built up a negative charge on the balloon by adding electrons to it. Our little tissue paper ghosts are positive, so they were attracted to the balloon. This causes them to rise up!
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Follow us on social media for even more science fun including fun facts, games, behind-the-scenes photos, and more!
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Using science and creativity, these painting techniques for kids to try will elicit a reaction from your friends and your art!
1,941 years ago, a catastrophic event occurred in Pompeii, a city on the Italian peninsula. A volcano called Mount Vesuvius erupted and covered the whole city in ash!
The site was lost for centuries and remained almost entirely untouched until 1748. Today, scientific research brings to light the extraordinary history and culture of Pompeii and the Roman world. Learn how to create a fizzing work of art or a Buon Fresco with these Roman- inspired painting techniques for kids to try.
Using the DIY baking soda paint you just created, you can now make an erupting volcano painting!
Materials you will need:
Red or orange baking soda paint *Learn how to make your own here!
A tray or a small container to put the baking soda paint in
A small cup
A dropper (if you do not have on you can use drips from your paintbrush)
White vinegar (you can add pigment to the vinegar, but it is not necessary)
A cup of water
A paintbrush or two
Watercolor or mixed media paper -Watercolor pencils or paint (colored pencils or markers will work too, but not crayon)
Follow along with the video or the steps below to try this painting technique!
Directions:
Step One: Draw your volcano. A volcano is a mountain that lets magma or molten rock escape from under the Earth’s crust to the surface where it comes out as lava. The molten rock makes its way up the main vent of the volcano. Some volcanoes have side vents where lava will flow out the side instead of the top. At the top of the volcano is the crater, this is where most of the lava will come out, sometimes it flows and sometimes there’s a big eruption. Not all volcanoes erupt with lava, some, like Mount Vesuvius erupt with ash, but our painting today will have lava. Right not we are just drawing the mountain that will be our volcano.
Step Two: Fill in the background. I added plants and the sun and made the sky blue. When you are done with this step the whole scene should be complete, except the lava. In Pompeii there were marketplaces, houses, courtyards, and bathhouses- you can add some of them to your scene too!
Step Three: For watercolor pencils, this step turns the pencil marks into paint. Dip your paintbrush in clean water and paint on the pencil marks with the water, you will see the marks turn into paint. Make sure to rinse your brush between colors.
Step Four: This step adds your lava! Use a clean brush and your baking soda paint. The paint will be a little chunky because the baking soda doesn’t dissolve. Paint your lava on your volcano.
Step Five: Watch your volcano erupt! Using the dropper, drip the vinegar one drop at a time onto your lava. What happens? A little goes a long way, take your time and watch it bubble and flow. When the vinegar touches the baking soda, it starts a chemical reaction. The chemical reaction releases a gas and creates the bubbles you see. Once you’ve watched your eruption, leave your painting in the same spot to dry- moving it will make the lava drip off the page.
Learn more!
Were you inspired by your baking soda painting technique? Try creating a Buon Fresco, a popular art technique common in Ancient Rome!
If you want to learn more about volcanoes and Pompeii follow the links below:
Thanks to the support from Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs, Orlando Science Center is excited to host the blockbuster exhibit, Pompeii: The Immortal City in the Fall of 2020.
Orlando Science Center is excited to support partnership programs and collaborations leading up to and coinciding with the run of the exhibition.
Students from UCF CREATE Lake Eola Charter School will participate in the Pompeii program where they will learn the science of how frescos are created and work collaboratively to create fresco paintings.
If you would like more STEAM Lessons like these, learn how to enroll in the free public STEAM Art Making with Miss A online Canvas course.
This DIY baking soda paint will cause a reaction from your art AND your friends!
In just 24 hours, Pompeii and neighboring Herculaneum were buried by the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
Using a little chemistry and watercolor paint, you can create an erupting volcano painting ! First, follow the steps to make your DIY baking soda paint. Then, learn how to use that paint to bring your art to life!
Materials you will need:
Containers with lids for the paint (you will need one for each color you make)
Baking Soda
Water
Measuring Spoon
Scrap paper to use as a funnel
Pigment *This adds color to your paint, you can use liquid watercolor paints, tempera paint, acrylic paint, food coloring, or even old eyeshadow. Anything that will add color is fine as long as it is not wax or oil-based because those won’t mix with the water.
Directions:
Follow along with the video or the steps below to make your own DIY baking soda paint.
Step 1: For each color put an equal amount of baking soda and water in your paint containers. My bottles are small so I used two tablespoons of each. I made a funnel with my scrap paper to get the baking soda in the bottle. If you want a thicker paint, you can do a 2:1 ratio of two part baking soda to 1 part water.
Step Two: Put your pigment in and shake! More pigment means more color saturation- if you use a little your paint will be light, if you use a lot your paint will be dark.
Your paint is now ready to use! Make sure to shake it well before each use.
Now that you've made your DIY baking soda paint, get the next steps!
Turn your kitchen into a chemistry lab by making your own DIY pH Indicators!
pHis a measurement of how acidic or basic something is on a scale of 0-14.
Testing how acidic or basic something is with a color-changing indicator is a staple of many chemistry experiments. Now you can try it too! Turn your kitchen into a chemistry lab with DIY pH indicators!
A substance with a pH of 7 (like distilled water) is neutral. A substance with a pH of less than 7 is an acid. The closer the number gets to zero, the stronger the acid is. A substance with a pH of more than 7 is a base. The closer the number is to 14, the stronger the base is.
Try making one of these two natural DIY pH indicators and use it to test the pH of things you find around your home!
Recommend Age: 8+ with adult help for chopping and boiling.
Materials you will need for a red cabbage pH indicator:
Red cabbage
Knife and cutting board
Warm water
Blender
Strainer or funnel with coffee filter
Container to collect indicator
WARNING: Cabbage and blueberry juices can stain clothes! Mess-friendly play clothes or coverings such as aprons are recommended for this activity.
Directions for making red cabbage pH indicator:
STEP 1
Peel 3 or 4 big leaves off a head of red cabbage and chop the leaves into small pieces.
Fill a blender halfway with hot water.
Add the chopped cabbage leaves to the blender.
Blend the leaves and water on high until the liquid turns purple and all the leaves are blended.
*Alternatively, you can boil the chopped leaves in just enough water to cover them for a few minutes, then let steep for 30-60 minutes.
STEP 2
Place a strainer or funnel lined with a coffee filter over a container to collect the indictor, such as bowl, pot, or bottle.
Pour the mixture through the strainer to remove the cabbage pulp.
Push down on the pulp in the strainer with a spoon or spatula to squeeze out more liquid.
STEP 3
The purple liquid in your container is your indicator solution. The exact color will vary depending on the pH of the water you used.
Experiment with the indicator using the ideas below!
Red cabbage indicator can be saved in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Materials you will need for a blueberry pH indicator:
200g blueberries
Masher, spoon, or spatula to mash blueberries
Water
Pot
Strainer or funnel with coffee filter
Container to collect indicator
Directions for making blueberry pH indicator:
STEP 1
Mash the blueberries in a bowl or pot to release the blueberry juice.
Add mashed blueberries, juice, and a half cup of water to a pot.
Boil the blueberries for 5-10 minutes. The blueberry juice will turn red-purple.
STEP 2
Place a strainer or funnel lined with a coffee filter over a container to collect the indictor.
Pour the mixture through the strainer to remove the blueberry skins.
Push down on the skins in the strainer with a spoon or spatula to squeeze out more liquid.
The purple liquid in your container is your indicator solution. The exact color will vary depending on the pH of the water you used.
What to do with your DIY pH indicators
Now that you have your pH indicators, it's time to get to testing! Use household liquids such as salt or distilled water, different fruit juices, milk, liquid detergent or soap, and more!
Add each of the substances you would like to test to the cups. (Only add one substance to each cup.)
Add a spoonful of indicator to the first cup, and stir the indicator into the substance.
Observe the color changes. What do you see? Encourage your scientist to write down what color each substance turns. You can use crayons or markers to help keep track of color changes.
Expand on the Activity:
What color changes did you see? Did you notice any patterns?
If you use vinegar or lemon juice, what do you think will happen to the color of the DIY pH indicator if you add baking soda or an antacid tablet
For another hands-on chemistry experiment, try making your own STEM slime activity!
The Science: pH and pH indicators
pH is a measurement of how acidic or basic something is. It is measured on a scale of 0-14.
A substance with a pH of 7 (like distilled water) is neutral. A substance with a pH of less than 7 is an acid. The closer the number gets to zero, the stronger the acid is. A substance with a pH of more than 7 is a base. The closer the number is to 14, the stronger the base is.
Strong acids and bases can be very dangerous, while weaker acids and bases (those with a pH close to 7) are safer to use.
We find acids in many of the foods we eat, as well as in our stomachs. Acids found in foods give them a sour taste.
Bases are commonly found in cleaning products and antacid medications. Bases feel slippery and are rare in food because they taste bitter. For reference, think about the taste of soap!
pH indicators are compounds that change color in the presence of an acid or a base.
Different pH indicators have different ranges. Some may only be able to show whether something is acidic or basic, while others may have a wide range of colors that can show different strengths of acids and bases. Some may be better for showing the pH of acids, while others may be better at showing the pH of bases. In a lab, the best indicator to use depends on the pH range you want to see.
Learn More: Chemistry
There are several different definitions of acids and bases in chemistry.
A simple chemical definition of an acid is a substance that releases hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolved in water. A simple chemical definition of a base is a substance that makes hydroxide ions (OH-) when dissolved in water or a substance that takes hydrogen ions from an acid.
Ions are positively (+) or negatively (-) charged particles of an element.
Many red, purple, and blue plants contain chemicals called anthocyanins, which are weak acids that dissolve in water and change color in response to changes in pH. Because of this, plants with anthocyanins like red cabbage and blueberries can easily be made into pH indicators.
Did you make and test your own indicator? We’d love to see how it turned out! Snap a photo of you making or experimenting with your indicator and submit it to our Science Showcase here or use #OSCatHome on social media!
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Get a round up of our latest activities and ideas delivered straight to your inbox so you don't miss a thing!
Find out when we release new resources by following us on social media!
Follow us on social media for even more science fun including fun facts, games, behind-the-scenes photos, and more!
Support OSC At Home
In these ever-changing times, it is our pleasure to adapt quality Orlando Science Center experiences to engage with everyone while they are safe at home. Please consider supporting our operating fund to ensure we can continue developing resources today and well into the future. Thank you for your generosity and support!
Learn about density with this simple DIY Lava Lamp Experiment!
Density has to do with how much space something takes up in relation to what its mass is. While density can be a tricky concept for younger scientists to understand right away, this DIY lava lamp experiment is a great opportunity to observe density in action and make some initial observations while enjoying some fizzing good fun!
Materials:
Canola oil
Measuring cup
Water
Tall, clear container (we used a clean salsa jar)
Alka-Seltzer tablets (or any other effervescent tablets)
Food coloring *Warning: Food coloring can stain! Feel free to substitute in washable paint such as liquid watercolor or tempera paint if you’re worried about mess. Either way, mess-friendly play clothes are recommended for this DIY lava lamp experiment!
Directions:
STEP 1
Fill your measuring cup with 1 cup water.
STEP 2
Add 10-15 drops of food coloring to your water then stir. Observe the food coloring drops as they enter the water. What do you notice? Do they float? Do they sink? Does the food coloring mix well into the water? What do you see?
STEP 3
Fill a clear container ¾ of the way with canola oil.
STEP 4
Pour the dyed water into your clear container, along with your canola oil.
What do you notice about the water and the canola oil? Do they mix together? Which one sinks to the bottom? Is this the same as what you observed with the food coloring and water?
STEP 6
Break up your effervescent tablets into several small pieces, drop them into your clear container one at a time, and enjoy the show!
What happens when you add the effervescent tablets? Practice your observation skills and describe what you notice!
STEP 7
You can continue adding effervescent tablets as the bubbles slow.
Expand on the Activity:
Experiment with your effervescent tablets! What happens when you drop a full tablet in your lava lamp? What happens when you drop in several pieces at once? What happens if you crush your tablet into dust and then add it to your lamp?
Make something to remember your experiment! Drop several pieces of effervescent tablet into your lava lamp and cover the top with a piece of paper. As the bubbles pop, the food coloring will leave a surprise behind on the paper for you.
If you had fun learning about fizz and snapped some photos, be sure to submit it to our Science Showcase here or tag Orlando Science Center and use #OSCatHome on social media! You might be featured on our channels.
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Get a round up of our latest activities and ideas delivered straight to your inbox so you don't miss a thing!
Find out when we release new resources by following us on social media!
Follow us on social media for even more science fun including fun facts, games, behind-the-scenes photos, and more!
Support OSC At Home
In these ever-changing times, it is our pleasure to adapt quality Orlando Science Center experiences to engage with everyone while they are safe at home. Please consider supporting our operating fund to ensure we can continue developing resources today and well into the future. Thank you for your generosity and support!
If they have fun while they're doing it, does it even count? Make a hypothesis and test it with this STEM slime activity.
Enjoy messy science with one our favorite activities at the Orlando Science Center! Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid, meaning it can act like a solid or a liquid depending on what you do to it. With this STEM slime activity, you can learn about the states of matter and viscosity, practice lab skills like measuring and mixing, and have some ooey-gooey fun!
Be sure to explore the science behind oobleck toward the bottom of this page and try our other slime recipe so you can compare it to your oobleck!
Recommended age range: Any age; younger scientists may need help measuring but will have fun mixing and playing. Older scientists can explore oobleck’s properties and the topics of polymers and viscosity.
Warning: This activity is messy!Mess-friendly play clothes are recommended for this activity! You may also want to set out newspaper or other materials to protect your surfaces, or work in an area you don’t mind getting messy. However, once oobleck dries, it can easily be cleaned up!
Materials:
½ cup cornstarch
¼ cup water
Optional: Washable paint or food coloring
Optional: Scent (for example, orange scented oil or peppermint extract)
Mixing bowl
Craft stick or other stirring utensil
Directions:
Step 1
Measure ½ cup cornstarch and add it to your mixing bowl.
Step 2
Next, measure ¼ cup water and add it to your mixing bowl.
Step 3 (optional)
Add a few drops of color or scent to your mixture.
Step 4
Stir until your mixture looks like glue... That’s it! You’ve made oobleck!
Step 5
Try some of the ideas below to expand on this activity and learn about oobleck's properties.
Step 6
Throw your oobleck in the trash when you are finished. It will mold overnight and clogs drains!
Experiments:
Once you’ve made your oobleck, it’s time to do some experiments! Before you perform you start this STEM slime activity, make some predictions. Is the oobleck a solid, a liquid, or a gas? What will happen if you poke it? What will happen if you let it sit in your hand?
TRY:
Poking the oobleck with your craft stick. How does it feel?
Gently stepping your craft stick on top of the oobleck. What happens?
Holding the oobleck in your hand. What happens when you squeeze it? What happens when you let go?
Expand on the Activity:
What happens if you pour oobleck through a container with holes in it, like a colander or a strainer?
What happens if you put plastic or LEGO figures in the oobleck? What stories can you tell? Use your imagination!
Use highlighter water to make oobleck that glows under a blacklight!
Make more! This recipe gives you a small amount of oobleck, but as long as you add twice as much cornstarch as water, you’ll have oobleck!
The Science Behind this STEM Slime Activity: Why Does Oobleck Act Like This?
Oobleck is made up of molecules called polymers, which are arranged in long chains. A great example of a polymer is a rubber band. The molecules can be stretched out or bundled up and stuck together like wet spaghetti.
When you put pressure on the oobleck, the molecule chains bundle up and stick together, making the oobleck act like a solid.
When there is no force on the oobleck, the polymers stretch out, and the oobleck acts like a liquid.
Since oobleck can be a solid or a liquid depending on whether you apply force to it, it is called a non-Newtonian fluid.
Learn More: Physics
In a solid, the molecules are tightly packed and vibrate in place. In a liquid, the molecules slip past each other, allowing liquids to flow. But have you ever noticed some liquids flow faster than others? Think about water versus honey. What makes them flow differently?
You can find out by rubbing your hands together quickly. What do you feel? That heat is from friction, or force that holds back the movement of a sliding object. As the molecules in a liquid slide past each other, they generate friction, too. The more friction they generate, the slower they move. Why is that? The force of the friction is holding back their movement, effectively slowing them down.
The friction between molecules in a liquid is called viscosity. The more viscous a liquid, the more energy it takes for it to flow. High visocity liquids, like honey or corn syrup, also tend to be thicker.
So what about oobleck? Oobleck is called a non-Newtonian fluid because it breaks the rules of Newtonian viscosity. On Earth, they’ll always be subject to the laws of gravity and the laws of motion Newton described. But the viscosity of oobleck, or the interactions and friction between the molecules, changes based on force you apply to applied to it.
Did you make your own oobleck and perform any experiments with it? We’d love to see how it turned out! Snap a photo of you making, testing, or playing with your oobleck and submit it to our Science Showcase here or tag Orlando Science Center and use #OSCatHome on social media! You might be featured on our channels.
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Get a round up of our latest activities and ideas delivered straight to your inbox so you don't miss a thing!
Find out when we release new resources by following us on social media!
Follow us on social media for even more science fun including fun facts, games, behind-the-scenes photos, and more!
Support OSC At Home
In these ever-changing times, it is our pleasure to adapt quality Orlando Science Center experiences to engage with everyone while they are safe at home. Please consider supporting our operating fund to ensure we can continue developing resources today and well into the future. Thank you for your generosity and support!
