Science Activities for Kids

Hot Chocolate Science Experiment

October 17, 2018 By Terri Thompson

I love my girls’ natural curiosity when it comes to science. So, when my daughter asked me “Can we do a hot chocolate science experiment?” I knew it was time to get creative.

Working together, we came up with an idea. When we make instant hot chocolate, we dissolve the contents of the packet into hot water. We decided to find out if temperature affected the speed that it dissolves.

This hot chocolate science experiment is a fun way to learn about how temperature affects the rate at which hot chocolate dissolves. It's a great STEM activity that uses items you probably already have in your kitchen.

Let’s get started!

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Supplies Needed:

First we needed to gather our supplies. Luckily most of the items were already in our kitchen.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Three heat-proof mugs
Three packets of instant hot chocolate
Measuring cup
Water
Spoons
Stopwatch or timer
Notebook for recording your results.

Hot Chocolate Science Experiment

We started our experiment by making a prediction. Which temperature of water would dissolve the hot chocolate the quickest?

The girls made their prediction (they chose hot) and then it was time to experiment.

We started by emptying our hot chocolate packets into our mugs, one packet per mug. Then we moved on to testing the different temperatures of water.

We tested each temperature, one at a time. We were very vague with our temperatures, using ice cold water, room temperature water, and hot water. You can always add a kitchen thermometer to measure the temperature of the water to add an extra measurement element to your experiment.

My girls took turns measuring the water, stirring, and operating the stopwatch. We used the digital stopwatch on my phone to time how long the hot chocolate took to dissolve.

For each cup, we measured 6 oz. of water. We used cold water from our refrigerator over ice, lukewarm water from the tap, and I did my grown-up duty and heated water in the microwave for the last mug.

Once the water was added to a mug, one girl started the stopwatch and the other started stirring. We stopped the stopwatch as soon as we saw the hot chocolate had dissolved.

The results:

We started with the ice cold water. My oldest daughter was in charge of the stirring. She stirred and stirred and stirred some more. It wouldn’t dissolve. Eventually, we made the decision to stop after three minutes. You can see the results above. Disgusting!

We moved on to the room temperature water, which clocked in at 1 minute 38 seconds. And, then the hot water, which only took 28 seconds.

The results: hot water takes the least amount of time. We predicted that because the instructions said to use hot water when we made hot chocolate. (And, it’s called hot chocolate after all…) But, now we know why we need to use hot water.

Science Tidbit:

Hot water has more energy than cold water. With more energy, the molecules in the water move faster breaking down the hot chocolate mix quicker.

We finished writing our results and unceremoniously dumped the cold water hot chocolate sludge down the kitchen sink. Ick.

What happened to the other two mugs? They were topped with a dollop of whipped cream and enjoyed!

Yield: 1 experiment

Hot Chocolate Science Experiment

Learn about how temperature affects the rate at which hot chocolate mix dissolves with this fun science experiment.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Active Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost under $5

Materials

Tools

Instructions

Make a prediction. Which temperature of water will dissolve the hot water the fastest: cold, room temperature, or hot? Write it in your notebook.
Empty your hot chocolate packets into your mugs. You need three total mugs with one packet per mug.
Get your stopwatch or timer reader to start measuring your time.
Choose the first mug and add 1 cup (8 oz.) of cold water to your mix.
Start the timer and start stirring. Record how long it takes for your hot chocolate mix to dissolve.
Grab your next mug and add 1 cup of room temperature water to your hot chocolate mix.
Start the timer and start stirring. How long did this one take?
Next, grab your last mug. Have a grown up add 1 cup of hot water to your mug.
Start the timer and start stirring. Record the time it takes to dissolve.
Compare your results to your prediction. Were you right?

Notes

Use a kitchen thermometer to measure the temperature of your water if you would like. This is a great way to practice reading a thermometer and adds more data to your experiment.

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This hot chocolate science experiment is a fun way to learn about how temperature affects the rate at which hot chocolate dissolves.

Our hot chocolate science experiment and turned out great!

Do more science at home:

We love Green Kid Crafts boxes because they provide easy, ready-to-do STEM activities we can try at home. You’ll receive easy-to-follow instructions plus the supplies that you need for up to 6 activities. You can get a monthly subscription or buy a single themed box. If you enjoyed our hot chocolate science experiment, you may enjoy the Kitchen Science or the monthly Discovery Box subscription.

Click here for the Kitchen Science box.

Click here for the monthly Discovery Box subscription.

Are you looking for more activities?

Join our fun Facebook community, Creative Family Fun for Busy Families, for daily activities that are great for kids and families. We’ll chat, share, and have fun. It’s a safe and private place to share idea for family and kids activities. I’d love for you to join me! Just click the link below, request to join, and answer the questions (they’re easy, I promise). Come join the fun! Join the Creative Family Fun for Busy Families community here.

Find more great STEM activities here:

Child-led STEAM Density Investigation at Life Over C’s

Snack Time Engineering Easy STEAM Project for Kids at Handmade Kids Art

STEM Books for Teaching/Homeschooling Kids at The Jenny Evolution

STEM Activities for Kids in the Kitchen at iGame Mom

PEEPS STEAM Activities at Schooling a Monkey

How to Make a Compass at Parenting Chaos

STEM Challenge: Edible Sedimentary Rocks Model at Preschool Powol Packets

Math Magic: Finding Center of a Circle at Planet Smarty Pants

Tinker Toys STEM Pulley at Sugar Aunts

Easter Science Activities for Kids

March 2, 2018 By Terri Thompson

When I started looking for Easter science activities, I was blown away by all the fun and amazing experiments I found.

There are Easter twists on classic experiments, science with Easter candy, science with eggs, and more fun ideas. I’ve got a whole list of things I want to try at home now.

Where to start? I have no idea! Which one of these Easter science activities do you want to try first?

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

Egg Science Activities

Add a twist to the classic naked egg experiment with this Rainbow Naked Eggs Experiment at Schooling a Monkey.

Create a cool spider web pattern on eggs when you make these Spider Eggs at JDaniel4’s Mom.

Walk on raw eggs without cracking them with this science project from Housing a Forest.

Learn about osmosis and make Shrinking Eggs at Science Sparks.

Use your empty eggshells to make Egg Geodes with Tinkerlab.

Can you dye a brown egg? Find out with this simple experiment from EDventures for Kids.

Try some science while you dye your eggs with this Volcano Egg Dying project from Housing a Forest.

How strong is an eggshell? Find out with this egg science experiment from Science Sparks.

Easter Candy Science Experiments

Use your leftover jelly beans for this fun Jelly Bean Color Experiment at Crafty Morning.

What happens with you add Peeps to different liquids? Find out with this Peeps Science Experiment from Gift of Curiosity.

Try the classic sink or float experiment with your Easter candy with this fun Peeps Sink or Float experiment from Playdough to Plato.

Explore your sense of taste with this simple science Jelly Bean Taste Test from Childhood 101.

Measure, collect data, and microwave your Peeps with these fun Peeps science ideas from Lemon Lime Adventures.

Find out how jelly beans react to different liquids with this simple Jelly Bean Science idea from Fantastic Fun and Learning.

More Fun Easter Science Activities

Grow Easter Egg Crystals with Fantastic Fun and Learning.

Or, you can make a different sort of crystal with these Salt Crystal Easter Eggs from Schooling a Monkey.

Explore physics and ramps with these Plastic Egg Races from Little Bins for Little Hands.

Do some Easter-inspired plant science when you try to grow a carrot top at Laughing Kids Learn.

Use plastic eggs to experiment with magnets with this fun Magnet Science idea from Modern Preschool.

Or, you can experiment with Magnetic Eggs like these from Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls.

Have you made up your mind yet? Which of these Easter science activities are you going to try first?

If you enjoyed these Easter science activities for kids, the above photo is perfect for sharing on Facebook or you can save the photo below on Pinterest.

Awesome Apple Science Experiments

September 4, 2017 By Terri Thompson

Apples, apples, everywhere.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t go anywhere in September without finding fun apple stuff, from apple desserts to apple games, and even fun apple science projects.

That’s right, we’re going to take those apples, have some fun, and do a little apple science.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for more details.

You’ll find fun chemistry experiments and a few physics experiments. Plus, you’ll even try a few kitchen science experiments.

These fun projects are all great ways to have fun and learn at home.

Awesome Apple Science Experiments

Combine science and art when you make this fun Fizzing Apple Art Project at Kids Play Box.

Do a twist on the classic baking soda and vinegar volcano when you experiment with Apple Volcanoes at The Resourceful Mama.

Explore gravity when you try this Apple Races physics project from Little Bins for Little Hands.

How many pennies does it take to get an apple up an inclined plane? Answer the question when you try this fun experiment at Kid Minds.

Find out what happens to an apple under various conditions when you try this simple Apple Rotting Experiment from Gift of Curiosity.

Can you make an apple lose weight? Explore weight with this fun Apple STEM Weight Loss Experiment from JDaniel4’s Mom.

More Fun Apple Science Projects

Can you turn an apple into a boat? Little Bins for Little Hands shows you in this fun STEM challenge.

Use acids and bases from your kitchen to see how they effect apples with this simple science experiment from Coffee Cups and Crayons.

Turn an apple into a shrunken head with this spooky science project from Teach Beside Me.

Can you keep an apple from browning? Test your theories with this fun experiment from Kitchen Counter Chronicles.

How does heat change an apple? Answer this question in the kitchen when you make up a batch of Slow Cooker Applesauce from Creative Family Fun.

Don’t these all sound like fun? Grab some apples, put on your thinking cap, and try one (or all) of these fun apple science experiments.

Fun Night Sky Activities for Kids

June 18, 2017 By Terri Thompson

The night sky is such an endlessly fascinating subject. It’s so much fun to learn about the moon and the stars.

You’ll have so much fun trying out these fun and creative night sky activities for kids. Whether you play with outer space play dough or make a moon phases mobile, your kids (and you) will have tons of fun!

If you’re looking to extend your study of the night sky, or just looking for a great family activity, this list should have you covered. Pick out one, or two, or all of the ideas and have some fun.

Fun Night Sky Activities for Kids

Play and learn with a homemade constellation geoboard from Babble Dabble Doo.

Make a shooting star spinning toy with this fun STEM activity from Teach Beside Me.

Do a simple experiment to learn how and why there are different moon phases with We-Made-That.com.

Learn about the different moon phases and make a moon phase mobile.

Make DIY constellation cards and learn about some of the myths behind them with How Wee Learn.

Shine the constellations on your wall with a homemade constellation projector from Playground Parkbench.

Learn about some of the different constellations with this Constellation Sewing Cards from Kids Activities Blog.

Make your own constellation wall hangings with this simple constellation sewing project.

Create your own moon phase calendar with What Do We Do All Day?

Make your own DIY Puffy Paint Moon with Rainy Day Mum.

Make some constellation art with rocks and sidewalk chalk with Creekside Learning

Learn about the planets with this DIY Planet Board Game from Inspiration Laboratories.

Have fun playing with homemade outer space playdough from NurtureStore

Learn how craters are formed and make your own moon craters with Science Sparks.

Make a cardboard space shuttle and travel to far off galaxies with Mama Smiles.

Make yourself into a constellation with Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational.

Play with a simple constellation sensory bag from Playground Parkbench.

Use watercolors to make beautiful space paintings with this fun technique from Adventure in a Box.

Head out and explore the night sky with these tips for a successful star gazing night and printable night sky journal pages.

Go on a star gazing scavenger hunt with this printable guide from Real Life At Home.

Have a great time crafting and learning with these fun night sky activities for kids. Which ideas do you think you’re going to try?

Jack Be Nimble Science Activity

June 6, 2017 By Terri Thompson

I’ve always had a soft spot for nursery rhymes.

My girls grew up with them. We read tons of nursery rhyme books, did a lot of crafts, and now we’re going to do some nursery rhyme science experiments.

We experimented with candles for this Jack Be Nimble Science activity. It was so much fun!

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links and other affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for more details.

But first, a word of caution

This science experiment uses fire. Please use caution and make sure there is an adult helper every step of the way.

Gather your supplies

You’ll need the following supplies:

2 tealights

2 candle-safe saucers or candle holders (we used the saucers from our dishes set)

Lighter

Drinking glass (choose a clear glass one so you can see the candle underneath)

Timer

Set up your Jack Be Nimble science activity

Set a tea light on each saucer and place them side by side. Make sure there is enough room to put the glass over one of your candles.

Prepare your timer. We used the timer app on my phone.

Finally, light both of your candles.

Everything needs to be set up before you start this experiment.

Make your predictions

What will happen if you put the drinking glass over one of the candles? Which candle is going to stay lit the longest? How much longer do you think it will be?

Take the time to discuss with your kids about what they think will happen during this experiment.

It’s time to experiment

This experiment moves fast, so be ready!

Place your drinking glass over one of your lit candles. Start your time as soon as you set your glass over the candle.

Hint: Use both hands! Hold the glass with one hand and start the time with the other.

Keep a watch on the candles. As soon as one candle goes out, stop the timer.

Which candle stayed lit the longest? How long did it take to go out?

The science behind this experiment

Fire needs two things to burn: oxygen and fuel. If you take one of these away, your fire will burn out. When we placed the drinking glass over our candle, we reduced the amount of oxygen. It didn’t take long for our fire to use up that bit of oxygen. Our candle burned out in under six seconds! Our second candle had a constant supply of oxygen, so it stayed lit until we blew it out.

What was the result of your experiment? How long did your candle underneath the glass stay lit?

If you enjoyed this Jack Be Nimble science activity, the above photo is perfect for sharing on Facebook or you can save the picture below on Pinterest.

Science Activities for Kids

Hot Chocolate Science Experiment