15 Amazing Candy Science Experiments - Little Bins for Little Hands

Mix candy and science! You bet because candy much like baking is part science! Whether you are at home or in the classroom simple science experiments are one of our favorite things to do! This list of candy science experiments below is also a great way to use up the extra holiday candy that has been stashed in the drawer for months.

AWESOME EXPERIMENTS YOU CAN WITH CANDY

WHAT IS CANDY SCIENCE?

Can you do experiments with candy? You bet! Is it hard? Nope!

What do you need to get started?

A trip to the pantry! Make a grocery list and prepare to rock snacktime this week! Here are some easy candy experiments for kids that are totally do-able and make sense to try! Plus, I have even more food activities that are super popular.

Science doesn’t have to be boring or the same old thing! If your kids are into candy (which I am sure they are), they will totally be into candy experiments with a little taste testing! Who wouldn’t want to play with candy for science? Science you can eat is one of our favorites including ice cream in a bag.

Plus, you’ll find a complete list of edible science activities here including all the favorite candy slimes. Sometimes, all it takes is a trip to the kitchen to get kids into science

These science activities for kids that work well with many age groups from preschool to elementary and beyond. Our activities have also been readily used with special needs groups in high school and young adult programs! More or less adult supervision depends on your kids’ abilities!

TRY THESE CANDY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS

Click on each link below to see supplies list, and set up, as well as quick science behind the activity. Also, grab our free candy science worksheets below which shares the science process in a fun and digestible way for young kids as well as a journal page you can pair with each activity for the older kiddos.

Click here to get your FREE Candy Science worksheets

COLORFUL CANDY EXPERIMENTS!

Grab some simple candy supplies and let’s get started!

1. DISSOLVING CANDY LAB

There are so many options to try with a dissolving candy lab from types of candy to types of liquid. Hard candy, soft candy, mints, lollipops.

Alternative Option: Why not make art with candy? If you have a good assortment of different colored candy, you can set up a color mixing candy lab with cups of water. Check out our paint a color wheel with skittles paint!

Dissolving Candy Fish

Dissolving Jelly Beans

Dissolving Peeps Experiment

Dissolving Candy Canes

2. GROWING GUMMY BEARS

Can you make the gummy bear grow? Using different liquids (water, salt water, juice, soda, etc.) observe how gummy bears expand, or don’t, in a variety of solutions, and determine why that is. Don’t forget to measure and record the size of your gummy bears before and after!

Note: Measure after 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, and even 48 hours!

What’s Happening?

Osmosis! Gummy bears will expand in size due to osmosis. Osmosis is the ability of water (or another liquid) to be absorbed through a semi-permeable substance which in this case is the gelatin. The gelatin in the gummy bears also keeps them from dissolving except for when they are placed in an acidic liquid such as vinegar.

3. SKITTLES EXPERIMENT

Create a rainbow of colors from skittles, but why don’t they mix? Did you also know that you can do this classic candy science experiment with m&m’ss?

LOOK: M&M Candy Experiment

4. FLOATING M&M SCIENCE PROJECT

The floating m experiment is a classic science experiment, deceptively simple, and fascinating for kiddos to watch.

5. CHOCOLATE TASTE TEST

Quite a few mini chocolate candies look the same unwrapped, but their insides tell a different story. This is a great candy science experiment to set up with all of the leftover Halloween candy loot!

6. BUILDING CANDY STRUCTURES

Building activities with candy are always a hit. Our favorite candy to us with toothpicks is either mini marshmallows or gumdrops! Gumdrops come in various shapes and colors for holidays too!

Gumdrop Structures

Gumdrop Bridge

7. STARBURST ROCK CYCLE

Don’t eat just any rocks! Make your own edible rocks with Starburst. This candy experiment will take your kiddos through each step of the rock cycle all while using a favorite candy!

If you have enough candy, make this Starburst slime as well!

8. CANDY DNA MODEL

DNA might sound fairly complex to share with your early elementary age kiddos, but the basics are not too hard to explain which is what we do here with candy. They’ll learn more in-depth material later in life, but for now, building a candy DNA model is fun!

9. MARSHMALLOW SLIME

Marshmallow is a wonderful stretchy base for candy slime. We have a few options here including a S’mores marshmallow slime and a marshmallow fluff slime! Of course if you also want to make gummy bear slime or starburst slime, we have those too!

Oh, and if you have Peeps leftover, they make a fun playdough like slime too!

LOOK:

MORE FUN SCIENCE PROJECTS

Need more science projects for home or in the classroom that are actually do-able? Check out these fun and easy science ideas below. Make sure to download the science worksheets as well!