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Elephant Toothpaste

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Elephant Toothpaste

Elephant toothpaste erupts a foam that children can create in this experiment that resembles toothpaste being squeezed from a tube.

Materials Required

  • Dry active yeast
  • Warm water
  • 6% hydrogen peroxide
  • Dish soap
  • Narrow necked bottle
  • Liquid watercolours
  • Funnel
  • Tray or container

What To Do

  • Take 1 teaspoon of yeast and dissolve it in 2 teaspoons of very warm water. You need to mix them well so that there are no yeast lumps in the mixture.
  • Now place the bottle on the work table. Add ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide to the bottle.
  • You could also add the liquid watercolour now.
  • Now place the funnel into the bottle and add the yeast mixture into the bottle through it.
  • Quickly remove the funnel and see your elephant toothpaste erupting.

Hints And Tips

  • 6% hydrogen peroxide will work best for this experiment. Lesser than this would not give the desired result. Of course, you can try more than 6%. But be prepared for the tremendous eruption.
  • While using the dish soap, make sure they are not antibacterial ones as they are not apt for this activity.
  • Make sure you place the bottle in a large tray or container to collect all the foam.
  • As soon as you start adding yeast, the reaction starts in the bottle with bubbles starting to come up. So, you need to be very quick while doing this step.
  • Keep the kids at a distance while you do this experiment.
  • You can even make the kids wear safety goggles if they involve themselves in adding of the ingredients. But still, they need to be under your constant supervision and stay a few feet away.
  • Kids could help you out by dissolving the yeast in water. This is a nice fine motor activity for tiny hands.
  • The foam which comes out is a perfect sensory play for the kids. They are absolutely safe to touch. They are soft and fluffy too. Let your kids enjoy themselves and have a fun time.

Reference
Funathomewithkids.com

Created On July 19, 2023 Last modified on Wednesday, July 19, 2023
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