I don’t know about you, but when I think of chemistry, I picture beakers, smoke, and explosions. So when my husband Ben asked me if I’d considered introducing our three-year-old to chemistry, I laughed.
“Do you want the house to go up in flames?”
“Well, no, but chemistry can just be about seeing what happens when you mix stuff together. Preferably noncombustible materials.”
Point taken.
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!
Chemistry Experiments for Toddlers
One of the best things about doing chemistry experiments with toddlers is that they know absolutely nothing.
So even the simplest things like seeing how baking soda and vinegar react is new and surprising to them. My daughter loved our magic snowballs activity and hidden colors experiment, which both use baking soda and vinegar.
These are both fun activities and easy to set up, but I wanted something different and even easier to set up.
Our chemistry experiment today is definitely that, and more.
- easy set-up
- open-ended
- fun
- safe for toddlers
- practical
- free
I think this experiment will be the first of many, many more chemistry concoctions in our house.
I get that you need to keep your kids busy because you feel stressed about all the stuff you need to get done today. That’s why my mission is to…
1. Find fun, quality kids’ activities and show you step by step how to do them.
2. Save you time and energy by using supplies from around the house or show you where to easily get them.
3. Inspire you to be creative and play with your kids in new and exciting ways.
Chemistry Concoctions in the Kitchen
We had one simple objective: discover what happens when you mix oil and water.
I dyed the water purple and poured oil into a small pitcher.
Then I just set my toddler loose.
Armed with a spoon and a Mason jar, she got to work pouring and stirring.
This was great pouring and stirring practice. Someday soon, I’ll be able to trust her to make her own chocolate milk without making a mess.
(And thank goodness I had a tray underneath everything to catch the spills.)
She discovered that oil floats on top of water and that no matter how much you stir the two will never combine.
Oil and water does make some cool bubbles when stirred though. (I see an oil and water lava lamp in our future…)
She also learned that because the oil floats on top and doesn’t mix, you can pour the oil back into its container and separate it from the water.
And now that they’re separate, she can mix them together all over again!
Your Turn to Do Kitchen Chemistry concoctions
Oil and water are just two common kitchen ingredients that are fun to mix together. Do this activity again with different ingredients, like flour and oil, or even ketchup and mustard.
Allow yourself to be curious and let kitchen experiments happen!
Kitchen Chemistry Concoctions
Supplies
- oil
- water
- food coloring (optional)
- jar
- small pitchers
- stirring spoons
- tray
Instructions
- Partially fill a small pitcher with oil. Fill another with water and add food coloring.
- Set the oil and water pitchers on a tray with an empty jar and stirring spoons.
- Let your child pour and mix the ingredients in the jar. Then pour the oil and water back into their pitchers and do it again.
Tips for Kitchen Chemistry Success
- Set out only as much as you want to clean.
- Oil can leave greasy spots, so play on non-porous surfaces.
- Clear plastic cups or jars can be used instead of glass.
- Ask questions to get your child to make predictions and observations.
- Let your child take the lead in the experiment. You’re just there to observe and make sure she doesn’t get hurt.
See? Anyone can do chemistry with toddlers. All you need are two things to mix together and a curious toddler.
More, More, More!
Kitchen concoctions are just one activity that can help you play with and teach your toddler so you can get stuff done. For more ideas, check out all our indoor activities here.
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!