Sometimes experimenting with confectionery is even more fun than consuming it! Try these 3 candy science experiments your kids will love!
dancing gummy worms
Can you make gummy worms? The confectionery variety like to wiggle as much as their real counterparts — under the right conditions.
materials
Gummy Worms (not the sour variety with sugar coating. Plain old gummy worms work best!)
Warm Water
Baking Soda
White Vinegar
Clear Jar
Measuring Cup
Measuring Spoon
Sharp Knife + Cutting Board*
what to do
Count your worms. How many do you have?
If you have worms that are larger than about an inch and a half, use the sharp knife and cutting board to cut worms into segments (an adult may need to do this if young kids are involved in the experiment!).
Measure one cup of water into a clear jar. Measure 3 tablespoons of Baking Soda. Add the baking soda to the water. Stir to dissolve.
Add your worms to the water. Wait 15 minutes.
Measure 1 cup of vinegar to another cup. Carefully remove worms one at a time from the baking soda solution.
Watch them dance!
Note: Don’t put all of the baking soda-soaked worms in the vinegar at once…
candy-inflated balloons
Believe it or not, air isn’t the only way to inflate a balloon. Candy can do it, too!
materials
3 Bottles of Coke
Nerds Candy
Pop Rocks Candy
3 Balloons
Funnel
Measuring Spoon
what to do
Measure out 3 Tablespoons of Pop Rocks. Measure out 3 Tablespoons of Nerds Candy. (Keep the two kinds of candy separate).
Secure one balloon around the top of one bottle of Coke. This is your control.
Using the funnel, pour Pop Rocks into a second balloon. Secure balloon to the top of a second bottle of Coke. Squeeze contents of balloon into bottle. Watch what happens!
Using the funnel, pour Nerds Candy into a third balloon. Secure balloon to the top of a third bottle of Coke. Squeeze contents of balloon into bottle. Watch what happens!
Which candy made the biggest balloon? Why didn’t the “control” balloon inflate?
can you sink a marshmallow?
If you toss a marshmallow into a cup of water, it floats. Can you make it sink?
materials
Mini Marshmallows
Jumbo Marshmallows
Water
3 Clear Cups
Water
what to do
Fill each cup half way with water.
Put one jumbo marshmallow and one mini marshmallow into the first cup of water. What happens?
How can you make the marshmallow sink? Hint: marshmallows are full of air, which help them to float. To make them sink, you need to make them denser… get that air out!
Photography by Laura Black.
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