Halloween Balloon Experiment

Use science to "magically" form a jack-o-lantern.  Rosie and Jewel had so much fun with this simple Halloween experiment!  Give it a try, and I bet that you will, too!

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"MAGIC JACK" EXPERIMENT FOR KIDS

Materials

• An empty bottle
• Orange balloons
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• A funnel
• A black marker
• A blacklight (optional)

Method

• Begin by drawing jack-o-lantern faces onto orange balloons with black marker.  Use varying balloon colors to make other spooky faces, if desired.

• We used a neon balloon so that our magic jack-o-lantern would glow under a blacklight.  This is optional.
• Use a funnel to carefully fill the balloon with 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda.  

• Fill the plastic bottle roughly 1/3 of the way with vinegar.  Then, carefully secure the balloon to the bottle.  Use caution to ensure that you do not mix the baking soda into the vinegar while attaching the balloon.
• When ready, have kids lift the balloon and quickly dump the contents into the bottle.  As the baking soda and vinegar combine they will react, causing the balloon to "magically" expand!

So cool!  Rosie and Jewel loved this experiment and asked to make "Jack" come to life again and again!

If you are using a neon balloon this is what your magic jack-o-lantern will look like under blacklight.

If you do not have neon balloons on hand that is ok!   Still give this experiment a try!  "Magic" Jack is just as fun without the glowing effect.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE FUN

• Why do the baking soda and vinegar react?
• What causes the balloon to expand?

To answer these questions and more read about balloon-gas chemical reactions in detail.

Extend the Fun

• Make pumpkin slime.
• Make erupting pumpkins.
• Play with pumpkin cloud dough.
• Craft with pumpkin puffy paint.
• Make your own neon pumpkin seeds.
• Make pumpkin play dough.
• Surprise kids with a Halloween clementine in their lunch.
• Wow kids of all ages with pumpkin moon sand.
• Give these genius pumpkin hacks a try.
• Craft fall trees using dyed pumpkin seeds.
• Turn empty jars into pumpkin lanterns.
• Give these pumpkin decorating ideas for kids a try!

Want more ideas? 
Check out this collection of pumpkin activities for kids.

MORE SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS

• Ghost Eggs Experiment
• Walking Water Experiment
  
• Solar Oven Science
  
• Rock Candy Experiment
  
• Jar Experiments for Kids
  
• Kool-aid Candy Experiment
  
• Skittles Rainbow Experiment
  
• Turkey Balloon Rockets
• Rainbow Cabbage Experiment
  
• Ghost Rockets
  
• Oil & Water Experiments
  
• Egg Experiments for Kids
  
• Exploding Soap Experiment
  
• Tornado in-a-Jar
  
• Make a Lava Lamp
  
• Snow Storm Experiment
  
• Fireworks in-a-Jar
• Flower Experiment for Kids
  
• Rain Clouds in-a-Jar
  
• Frozen Bubbles
  
• Sand Volcano Science
  
• Rainbow Rain Experiment
  
• Snow Volcano
  
• Apple Volcano
  
• Erupting Pumpkins

MORE

FOR 

KIDS:

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