Kitchen Science Activities with Food for Kids: Play with your food for Science!

Kitchen Science Activities with Food for Kids

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Armed with some common kitchen ingredients and curiosity, we’ll explore a series of fun and educational kitchen science activities for kids. We do a ton of activities and experiments, and have compiled a list of our favorites centered around the kitchen, baking, cooking, and food.  Get your kids excited about food science with these simple experiments.

DIY Ice Cream

Chill out with some science fun as we turn everyday ingredients into a creamy delight. Discover the cool secrets behind making your own ice cream at home – it’s a sweet experiment your taste buds will thank you for!

Making Butter

Shake up some science! Learn how to transform heavy cream into butter with a few simple ingredients and a bit of muscle power. It’s an edible experiment that’s both fun and delicious. 

Fruit Density Experiment

Floating Fruit STEM Experiment

Kitchen science experiments don’t get any easier than this no prep gem. Explore how different fruits behave in water and unlock the mysteries of density. It’s a colorful, tasty experiment that’s sure to make a splash.

Water Density Egg Experiment

Can an egg float? This simple yet fascinating experiment will show you how water density can be manipulated to make an egg rise or sink. It’s egg-citing science at its best!

Dancing Raisins

Watch raisins boogie in a glass! This fizzy fun science experiment is a great way to learn about gas and buoyancy. Get ready for some raisin’ action that will keep the kids captivated.

Kitchen Scrap Gardening

Plants - Growing Vegetable Scraps

Don’t throw away those scraps – grow them! Learn how to turn kitchen waste into beautiful, living plants. It’s a green and groovy way to understand plant science.

Rotting Pumpkin

Discover the spooky side of science by observing a pumpkin’s transformation over time. It’s a fascinating, if slightly gross, way to learn about decomposition. (You can also learn how to prevent your pumpkins from rotting.)

Rotting Food Experiment

Get ready for a slightly smelly science adventure. Watch different foods as they decay and uncover the mysterious process of rotting. Warning: this experiment is not for the faint of nose!

Moldy Bread Experiment

Gross Science Experiments Moldy Bread

Drop bread on different surfaces and see what mold grows with the classic moldy bread experiment. Learn about fungi and the conditions that encourage mold growth – it’s grossly amazing!

Apple Oxidation Experiment

Why do apples turn brown? Unravel this mystery with a simple and visual experiment that teaches about oxidation. It’s a crisp way to learn some core science concepts

Dissolving Candy

Dissolving Candy Corn
After about 10 minutes, most of the candy corn had dissolved

Watch as candy colors swirl and dissolve before your eyes. This sweet experiment is a delicious way to learn about solubility in different types of liquids.

DIY Rock Candy

Grow your own sparkling sugar crystals and make rock candy at the same time! It’s a delicious geological journey that combines science with a sweet reward. Choose your favorite flavors and food coloring for different holidays and events!

Candy Glass

Transform sugar into stunning edible glass. This experiment is a perfect blend of chemistry and kitchen artistry – a real treat for aspiring young scientists.”

Candy Buildings

Candy chemistry atom construction

Have fun designing and building towers (or a whole city) with candy and toothpicks. You can practice some candy chemistry and use the same idea to construct models of molecules.

Microwave Marshmallow

Ever wonder what happens to a marshmallow in the microwave? Find out in this puffy and fun experiment that’s all about heat and expansion.”

Plasma Grapes

Experience the thrill of creating plasma in your microwave with just a grape. It’s a dazzling display of science that’s sure to light up your kitchen lab

DIY Popsicles

Freeze your way to scientific discovery! Learn about freezing points and solutions as you make your own delicious popsicles. It’s a cool experiment for hot days

Chemical Reactions with Vinegar and Baking Soda

Vinegar and Baking Soda Experiments

Fizz up your day with a classic science experiment. Explore the bubbly reaction between vinegar and baking soda with these projects for kids.  Learn about the chemical reaction with a variety of experiments to try:

Blow up a Balloon with Gas

Fizz up your day with a classic science experiment. Explore the exciting reaction between vinegar and baking soda – it’s a bubbly blast!

Apple Volcano

Fizz up your day with a classic science experiment. Explore the exciting reaction between vinegar and baking soda – it’s a bubbly blast!

Pumpkin Volcano

Transform a pumpkin into a spectacular volcano. This explosive experiment is perfect for fall and combines science with seasonal fun

Puking Pumpkin

Get ready for some ooey-gooey science with a pumpkin that ‘pukes.’ It’s a hilarious variation on the classic experiment with vinegar and baking soda that’s perfect for Halloween.

Invisible Ink with Lemon Juice

Write your own secret messages with the classic Invisible Ink experiment using lemon juice. This simple science activity teaches the basics of acid-base reactions and evokes the intrigue of secret agents and ancient spies.

Rubber Wishbone

Turn a chicken wishbone into rubber with a simple science trick. It’s a fascinating way to learn about the properties of materials

Naked Eggs (Rubber Eggs)

Rubber Egg

Witness the amazing transformation of an eggshell in vinegar. This experiment reveals a squishy surprise – a naked egg!

Plastic Milk

Transform milk into plastic in this surprising kitchen science experiment! By adding vinegar to heated milk, witness the curdling process that creates a moldable substance. This simple yet enlightening activity is a perfect blend of chemistry and historical discovery, showcasing the early forms of biodegradable plastics.

Milk Surface Tension Experiment

Milk Surface Tension

Watch colors swirl in milk that looks like something between an acrylic painting and a lava lamp.

Pumpkin Pie Fractions

If you’re going to be slicing up a pie, you may as well do a quick “real world” math lesson. Have your kids earn their slice of pie by correctly identifying what fraction of the pie they are getting.

Oreo Moon Phases

Oreo Moon Phases STEM Activity

Edible science experiments are the best; especially when you’re learning about the phases of the moon with Oreos! It’s a tasty way to explore astronomy and have a little snack on the side.

Edible Layers of the Earth

Dig into the Earth’s layers with a deliciously educational experiment. Create an edible model of the Earth’s structure and slice into geology in the yummiest way possible.

Make Igneous Rocks you can eat

Get ready to rock with science! Baking some ‘igneous rocks’ is a sweet way to learn about rock formation and the Earth’s fiery processes.

STEM projects with Food

Wrap Up – Simple science experiments for kids using food 

These are just a few simple kitchen science experiments for kids to give you some ideas for fun activities at home, homeschool, science fair projects, or in the classroom.

Kitchen science is an effective and enjoyable way to make science accessible and relevant to everyday life. It turns the kitchen counter into a laboratory, where learning is as close as the nearest pantry or refrigerator.


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One response to “Kitchen Science Activities with Food for Kids: Play with your food for Science!”

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    ESL Lesson Plans

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