Ever wonder if a simple tea bag could defy gravity and take flight? Get ready to be amazed! In this fun and easy experiment, we’ll turn an ordinary tea bag into a tiny hot air balloon. Watch it rise, float, and soar—all thanks to the science of heat and air! Let’s take off with fun science experiments.
Flying Tea Bag Experiment
Make it a fun theme for Halloween science with flying ghosts!
SAFETY NOTE: Adult Supervision and Assistance are Required. Adults should handle the lighter, and kids should stay back. Please be aware of the area around you and place this demonstration on a non-flammable surface.
Recommended Grade Level: 2-5th Grades
It’s a simple yet fascinating demonstration of hot air rising and convection currents, making it appropriate for elementary-aged kids who are starting to learn about heat, air pressure, and basic physical science concepts.
Supplies:
- Flat tea bags
- Black permanent markers
- Lighter
- Non-flammable surface
Instructions:
STEP 1. Cut the top from the tea bag, creating a straight edge.
STEP 2. Unfold the tea bag and empty the contents.
STEP 3. Draw a face towards the bottom of the tea bag.
STEP 4. Shape the tea bag into a cylinder and stand it on a non-flammable surface in a draft-free location.
STEP 5. Light the top of the tea bag on fire and watch what happens!
How Does the Flying Tea Bag Work?
Why does the ghostly tea bag float? As the tea bag burns, the air density on the inside of the tea bag changes, resulting in a lift of the final pieces.
Be aware that some tea bags lift higher and faster than others. Some may burn all the way down before blowing. The humidity in the air may also change the flight of the tea bag.
As the air molecules inside the tea bag heat up, they move around more quickly and spread out, helping to open the tea bag into its ghostly floating shape.
The heated air molecules inside the tea bag are less dense or tightly packed together than the molecules in the cold air outside the tea bag. Hopefully, the difference in density between the warm and cold air causes the tea bag to turn to ash and float upwards, but it may go very quickly!
More Halloween Science Experiments
Check out our complete list of spooky Halloween science experiments for kids!
150+ Pages of Halloween-Themed Materials!
This Halloween project pack is suitable for home, school, and group use for kids in grades Kindergarten through elementary but is scaleable for many ages and abilities.
What’s Included:
- 25+ Halloween theme science and STEM activities with printable sheets, instructions, and helpful information all using easy-to-source materials perfect for limited-time needs. Includes a Halloween engineering pack with fun, problem-based challenges for kids to solve!
- The skeleton activity pack includes building a skeleton challenge and a coding challenge! Try a skeleton bone bridge-building STEM challenge!
- Halloween theme brick printable activities for hands-on learning with math that is perfect for early finishers or home fun and reinforces basic math concepts.
- Bonus fun pack includes games and activities to round out your Halloween theme, such as I Spy, bingo, matching, Would You Rather cards, scavenger hunt, word search, A-Z Halloween hunt, and a coloring page.
- The Halloween STEAM Pack includes artist-inspired projects by Warhol, Lichtenstein, and more!
