10 Halloween Science Experiments to Try at Home with Children Copy (update 2025)
Educational and Fun Activities
Written by Alexandra Stone
15 July 2024
🕓10 min
Halloween is the perfect time to mix spooky fun with hands-on science learning! Through exciting, themed experiments, children can explore scientific concepts like chemical reactions, density, static electricity, and sound waves while enjoying the festive spirit of the season.
These activities don't just entertain — they build critical thinking, creativity, and curiosity. Whether you’re concocting a bubbling cauldron, creating ghostly bouncing eggs, or uncovering the mysteries of density towers, each experiment transforms Halloween magic into memorable science lessons.
In this blog, we've gathered ten thrilling Halloween science experiments you can easily do at home. They're simple, safe, and guaranteed to spark wonder in children of all ages. Let’s make this Halloween a celebration of discovery, hands-on fun, and scientific exploration that your family will remember long after the jack-o'-lanterns fade!
1. Witch’s Brew: Bubbling Cauldron Experiment
Create a spooky, bubbling cauldron right at home while introducing children to chemical reactions! This classic Halloween experiment is a fun and visual way to demonstrate how acids and bases interact.
What You Need:
✅ Baking soda
✅ Vinegar
✅ Food colouring (green or orange for a festive touch)
✅ A large bowl or cauldron prop
Instructions:
✅ Add a few tablespoons of baking soda to the bowl.
✅ Mix in several drops of food colouring.
✅ Slowly pour vinegar over the baking soda and watch the magical bubbling reaction unfold!
Science Concept:
This experiment highlights a chemical reaction between baking soda (a base) and vinegar (an acid). When combined, they produce carbon dioxide gas, creating the fizzing, bubbling effect. It’s a simple but unforgettable way to show children the exciting power of chemistry during the Halloween season!
2. Ghostly Bouncing Eggs
Turn ordinary eggs into ghostly, bouncy wonders with this fun and slightly spooky science experiment! It’s a brilliant way to teach children about chemical reactions and the properties of materials.
What You Need:
✅ Raw eggs
✅ Vinegar
✅ A jar or glass
Instructions:
✅ Gently place one or more raw eggs into a jar.
✅ Cover the eggs completely with vinegar.
✅ Let them sit undisturbed for 24–48 hours.
✅ Once the shells have dissolved, rinse the eggs carefully — you’ll be left with a translucent, bouncy egg!
Science Concept:
The acetic acid in the vinegar reacts with the calcium carbonate in the eggshell, causing it to dissolve and release carbon dioxide. What remains is the semi-permeable membrane of the egg, which can now bounce! This simple activity not only delights but also introduces the basics of chemical reactions and material science in a memorable, hands-on way.
3. Mummy’s Wrap: Static Electricity Experiment
Bring a Halloween twist to the fascinating world of static electricity with this easy and interactive experiment! Children will love creating "mummy wraps" while learning about electric charges and attraction.
What You Need:
✅ A balloon
✅ A small piece of tissue paper or light fabric
Instructions:
✅ Inflate the balloon and tie it securely.
✅ Rub the balloon vigorously on your hair, a woolly jumper, or a carpet to generate static electricity.
✅ Hold the balloon close to the tissue paper or fabric and watch it "wrap" itself around the balloon like a mummy!
Science Concept:
Rubbing the balloon transfers electrons, giving it a negative charge. When brought near the neutral tissue paper, the opposite charges attract, causing the paper to stick to the balloon. This fun experiment introduces the principles of static electricity, charge transfer, and attraction in a playful, spooky way that’s perfect for Halloween learning!
4. Spooky Slime
Nothing says Halloween like making gooey, stretchy, spooky slime! This experiment offers a hands-on way to explore the science of polymers, while creating a playful, tactile experience kids love.
What You Need:
✅ White school glue
✅ Baking soda
✅ Contact lens solution (containing boric acid)
✅ Food colouring (optional for festive colours)
Instructions:
✅ In a bowl, mix 1 cup of white glue with 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
✅ Add a few drops of food colouring for a spooky twist (green, purple, or orange works great).
✅ Slowly add contact lens solution while stirring until the slime forms and becomes stretchy.
Science Concept:
Slime is a perfect example of a polymer, a substance made up of long chains of molecules that can move and stretch while remaining linked. The contact lens solution causes cross-linking between the glue molecules, transforming a liquid into a flexible solid. Making slime turns polymer science into a delightfully messy and memorable Halloween activity!
5. Eyeball Float: Density Experiment
This simple, spooky experiment is a fantastic way to teach children about density and buoyancy, using "eyeballs" to bring a little Halloween magic into the science lesson.
What You Need:
✅ A clear glass
✅ Water
✅ Cooking oil
✅ A grape or small bouncy ball (as the "eyeball")
Instructions:
✅ Fill the glass halfway with water.
✅ Gently pour a layer of cooking oil on top of the water.
✅ Drop the grape or bouncy ball into the glass and observe what happens.
Science Concept:
This experiment demonstrates the principles of density and buoyancy. Water and oil don't mix because they have different densities, with oil floating on top of the water. The grape (or "eyeball") moves differently depending on its density compared to the surrounding liquids. Children can clearly see how varying densities affect whether objects sink or float — all while adding a playful Halloween twist!
6. Invisible Ink: Spooky Messages
Add a mysterious twist to Halloween by writing secret messages with invisible ink! This fun experiment teaches children about oxidation while letting them play detective.
What You Need:
✅ Lemon juice
✅ Cotton swab or small paintbrush
✅ White paper
✅ A light bulb or iron
Instructions:
✅ Dip the cotton swab or brush into lemon juice and use it to write a message or draw spooky shapes on the paper.
✅ Allow the paper to dry completely so the writing becomes invisible.
✅ To reveal the hidden message, gently heat the paper by holding it near a light bulb or ironing it carefully with adult supervision.
Science Concept:
The lemon juice weakens the paper fibers, and when heated, it oxidises and turns brown faster than the surrounding paper. This simple chemical reaction introduces the concept of oxidation and heat sensitivity, wrapped up in an exciting Halloween-themed discovery activity!
7. Volcanic Eruption with Pumpkins
Combine Halloween fun with explosive science by creating a mini volcanic eruption inside a pumpkin! This exciting experiment showcases chemical reactions and brings seasonal excitement to the learning process.
What You Need:
✅ A small pumpkin
✅ Baking soda
✅ Vinegar
✅ Food colouring (optional for extra spooky effect)
✅ Tray or plate to contain the mess
Instructions:
✅ Hollow out the pumpkin and place it on a tray.
✅ Fill the inside with a few tablespoons of baking soda.
✅ Add a few drops of food colouring for dramatic "lava."
✅ Pour vinegar into the pumpkin and watch the foamy eruption!
Science Concept:
The reaction between baking soda (a base) and vinegar (an acid) releases carbon dioxide gas, causing the bubbling and foaming effect. This experiment vividly demonstrates gas production and chemical changes, making it an unforgettable way to bring Halloween and science together!
8. Creepy Crawly Ants: Candy Displacement Experiment
Turn Halloween sweets into a playful science lesson with this simple displacement experiment! Children will love seeing how "creepy crawly" candies interact with water while learning about important physical science concepts.
What You Need:
✅ Candy corn, gummy worms, or similar Halloween sweets
✅ A clear container
✅ Water
Instructions:
✅ Fill the clear container with water.
✅ Drop pieces of candy into the water and observe how they move and displace the water.
✅ Watch as the candies sink, float, or create ripple effects.
Science Concept:
This activity demonstrates displacement and buoyancy. Objects placed in water push the water aside, and depending on their density relative to water, they either sink or float. Observing the creepy crawly candies gives children a fun, visual way to understand how density and mass affect an object's behaviour in water — a perfect spooky science moment!
9. Candy Corn Density Tower
Create a colourful, layered density tower with candy corn for a fun and festive Halloween science activity! This experiment is an excellent way to introduce children to the concepts of density and liquid stratification.
What You Need:
✅ Candy corn
✅ Water
✅ Corn syrup
✅ Cooking oil
✅ A tall, clear glass or container
Instructions:
✅ Carefully pour water into the glass.
✅ Slowly add a layer of corn syrup — it will settle below the water if poured gently.
✅ Add a top layer of cooking oil.
✅ Gently drop candy corn into the glass and observe how it moves through the layers.
Science Concept:
Each liquid has a different density, causing them to form separate layers rather than mixing. Candy corn, depending on its density, will either float or sink through the layers. This experiment visually demonstrates density differences and buoyancy, giving children an exciting and seasonal look at liquid behaviours!
10. The Science of Sound: Spooky Sounds
Bring eerie sound effects to life this Halloween while exploring the fascinating world of sound waves! Children will love experimenting with different materials to create their own spooky soundtrack.
What You Need:
✅ Various household items (pots, pans, jars, rubber bands)
✅ A spoon, stick, or mallet for striking or tapping
Instructions:
✅ Set up a "sound station" with different materials.
✅ Strike, tap, shake, or scrape the items to produce a variety of sounds.
✅ Compare how the sounds change depending on the material and method used.
Science Concept:
Sound is produced by vibrations that travel through the air as waves. Different materials and shapes vibrate differently, affecting the pitch, volume, and tone of the sound produced. Through this playful experiment, children can experience firsthand how vibrations create sound and how material properties influence the spooky effects we hear during Halloween!
Final Thoughts
Halloween is the perfect season to inspire wonder, creativity, and scientific curiosity. Through these ten festive experiments, children not only experience the magic of the holiday but also build a deeper understanding of chemistry, physics, and biology in fun and memorable ways.
Hands-on activities like these turn everyday household items into tools of discovery, reinforcing key scientific concepts while offering exciting opportunities for family bonding and exploration. From bubbling cauldrons to bouncing ghost eggs and candy corn density towers, each experiment transforms spooky fun into powerful learning moments.
At Science of Sound, we believe that learning should always be an adventure. Our holiday camps, after-school clubs, and workshops are designed to keep curiosity alive, blending education with hands-on creativity. This Halloween, why not make science the star of the show? Join us in making memories that will last far beyond the last piece of candy!
