There’s loads of fun science we can explore with the kids just using stuff we’ve already got in our kitchen cupboards and pantry. One of our favourite science explorations is a potion making activity.
There are no set “ingredients” for a potion making activity. We simply give our kitchen cupboards and pantry a good clean out of anything stale, past its sell by date or stuff that I know I can cheaply spare like a handful of cornflakes.
I lay everything out on the kitchen table with a big mixing bowl and some simple tools like a pestle and mortar, wooden spoons, funnels and sieves.
My kids always have a wonderful time creating concoctions so foul they’d fit happily into any Roald Dahl story.
Inventing Fun Ingredient Names For Your Potion Making Activity
It’s really fun to think of potion like names for all the ingredients…They grind up beetles (pumpkin seeds), stir in butterfly eggs (quinoa), pour in fly poo (poppy seeds), toss in maggots (suet) and chop up dried worms (noodles) to their hearts’ content!
For a really exciting touch to our potion making activity I love to give the kids some bicarbonate soda and vinegar as they adore the way it froths and bubbles!
Potion Making Activity Science
There’s loads of science in this potion making activity that the children can get to experience first hand and explore; floating and sinking, material properties, changing materials, solids, liquids and gases, absorption, solutions and saturation. If you are happy to let them keep their potion for a few days they can even look at evaporation too.
My kids have loved hubble bubbling a happy hour or so on this activity on many occasions, it gives them a great way to learn and experiment and of course is a wonderful imaginative play experience too!
So why not give your cupboards a clear up and let the kids work some magic!
new pyjama mummy says
January 29, 2013 at 10:22 pmonce again, another brilliant idea. thank you.
Emma (My Little 3 and Me) says
January 29, 2013 at 11:07 pmAwww thanks. This is an activity my boys come back to time and time again, they just adore potion making!
trishsmith03 says
January 4, 2013 at 2:10 pmExperimental and creative – wonderful play activity.
I will pass on your idea to students studying children’s learning and development.
Emma (My Little 3 and Me) says
January 4, 2013 at 2:31 pmThanks Trish, there’s so much easy science to find in the kitchen and it’s so important to let children get messy and experiment isn’t it.
murphymusthavehadkids says
January 3, 2013 at 11:06 pmFun! I haven’t made potions yet with my 4 year old but I think that will be on the plan for tomorrow. 🙂
Emma (My Little 3 and Me) says
January 3, 2013 at 11:15 pmI’m sure your little one will love getting super messy. Have fun and a kitchen clear out at the same time! 🙂