Did you know that fizzing science is chemistry too? What makes the fizz and bubble, and the pop? A chemical reaction, of course! Here is our list of easy to set up chemical reaction experiments you can do at home or in the classroom. All of these easy chemistry experiments use common household ingredients. Suitable for indoors or especially fun to take outside!

CHEMICAL REACTIONS YOU CAN DO AT HOME

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WHAT IS A CHEMICAL REACTION?

A chemical reaction is a process where two or more substances react together to form a new chemical substance. This might look like a gas being formed, cooking or baking, or milk souring.

Some chemical reactions take energy to get started in the form of heat while others produce heat when the substances react with each other.

Chemical reactions take place all around us. Cooking food is an example of a chemical reaction. Burning a candle is another example. Can you think of a chemical reaction you have seen?

Sometimes a physical change occurs that looks like a chemical reaction, like our exploding Mentos and Diet coke experiment. However, these experiments below are all great examples of chemical change, where a new substance is formed and the change is irreversible.

Learn more about physical change and chemical change.

Chemical reactions are just one form of chemistry! Learn about mixing saturated solutions, acid and bases, growing crystals, making slime and more with over 65 easy chemistry experiments for kids.

EASY CHEMICAL REACTIONS AT HOME

Can you do chemical reaction experiments at home? You bet! Is it hard? Nope!

What do you need to get started? Simply get up, walk into the kitchen, and start rummaging through cupboards. You are sure to find some or all of the household items you will need for these chemical reactions below.

Why not make up your own DIY science kit from inexpensive items from the grocery store or the dollar store, and items you may already have at home. Fill a plastic tote with supplies and you will have a science kit filled with learning opportunities that are sure to keep them busy all year long.

Check out our list of must-have simple science supplies and how to set up a science lab at home.

These chemical reactions work well with multiple 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. Provide more or less adult supervision depending on your kids’ abilities!

We even have suggestions for easy chemical reactions for younger kiddos. Toddlers and preschoolers will love…

Grab this FREE printable Chemistry Experiments Ideas Pack to get started!

CHEMICAL REACTION SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT

Want to turn one of these experiments into a cool chemical reaction science project? Check out these helpful resources.

Turn one of these chemical reactions into a fantastic presentation along with your hypothesis. Learn more about the scientific method for kids and variables in science.

FUN CHEMICAL REACTIONS FOR HOME OR SCHOOL

Here are some examples of chemical reactions that use everyday household items. What could be easier? Think baking soda, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, Alka Seltzer tablets, and more!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Physics Experiments for Kids

Alka Seltzer Rocket

Use the chemical reaction that happens when you add an Alka Seltzer tablet to water to make this cool DIY Alka Seltzer rocket.

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Apple Browning Experiment

Why do apples turn brown? It is all to do with a chemical reaction between the cut part of the apple and air.

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Balloon Experiment

Use a classic baking soda and vinegar reaction to inflate a balloon.

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Bath Bombs

Make homemade bath bombs for a fun chemical reaction in your bath. Try our Christmas bath bomb recipe or make Halloween bath bombs. The base ingredients are the same, citric acid and baking soda.

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Baking Powder Science

Find out what happens to baking powder when you add water. Here is a simple acid-base reaction that you use in baking.

Bottle Rocket

Turn a simple water bottle into a DIY water bottle rocket using a baking soda and vinegar chemical reaction.

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Bread In A Bag

A chemical reaction you can eat! The chemical change is in the dough, notice what it looks like raw and then cooked. Follow our bread in a bag recipe for a fun treat the kids are sure to enjoy!

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Citric Acid Experiment

Grab some oranges and lemons, and baking soda to experiment with citric chemical reactions!

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Cranberry Experiment

What happens when you add baking soda to cranberry and lemon juice? Lots of fizzing action, of course!

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Egg In Vinegar

Can you make a naked egg? Observe how a chemical reaction between calcium carbonate (eggshell) and vinegar makes for a bouncy egg.

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Elephant Toothpaste

Kids of all ages will love this exothermic chemical reaction using hydrogen peroxide and yeast. Not only does it produce a lot of froth when the ingredients combine together. Hence the name! The reaction also produces heat.

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Green Pennies

Explore how the patina of pennies forms from a chemical reaction. Try this fun penny experiment!

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Invisible Ink

Write a message that no one else can see until the ink is revealed. Find out how to make your own invisible ink that is revealed with a simple chemical reaction.

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Lava Lamp Experiment

This oil and water experiment does involve a bit of physics but it also includes a fun Alka Seltzer reaction!

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Milk And Vinegar

Kids will be amazed by the transformation of a couple of common household ingredients, milk and vinegar, into a moldable, durable piece of a plastic-like substance.

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Popping Bags

You will want to take this fun experiment outside! Try bursting bags with only a baking soda and vinegar reaction.

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Volcano

Make a homemade volcano project with salt dough and baking soda and vinegar reaction. Of course, there is so many more ways to have fun with baking soda and vinegar volcano.

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SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS BY AGE GROUPS

We’ve put together a few separate resources for different age groups, but remember that many experiments will cross over and can be re-tried at several different age levels. Younger kiddos can enjoy the simplicity and hands-on fun. At the same time, you can talk back and forth about what is happening.

As kiddos get older, they can bring more complexity to the experiments, including using the scientific method, developing hypotheses, exploring variables, creating different tests, and writing conclusions from analyzing data.

MORE HELPFUL SCIENCE RESOURCES

Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

  • 90+ classic science activities with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information. NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
  • Best science practices posters and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
  • Be a Collector activities pack introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
  • Know the Words Science vocabulary pack includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
  • My science journal writing prompts explore what it means to be a scientist!!
  • Bonus STEAM Project Pack: Art meets science with doable projects!
  • Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics
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