.png)
Sign up for emails and get 55% off 1st month subscription
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Copyright © 2019-2022. Big Bang Academy Hong Kong. All rights reserved.
.png)
Every parent should have heard about the subject, Chemistry. Do you think Chemistry is all about pouring chemicals from one test tube to another? Is conducting Chemistry experiments dangerous for your kids? Do you believe Chemistry is only a theoretical subject that has no correlation with daily lives? If your answers to these questions are ‘Yes’, you may not truly understand Chemistry and its importance to your kids. Big Bang Academy is here to explain everything to you!
Even if you do understand Chemistry, you may struggle to find suitable experiments for your kids to enjoy at home, right? No worries, you will find what you desperately need in this article!
By definition, Chemistry is one of the branches of science which studies the properties of matter and how it interacts with energy. Basically, Chemistry can be found everywhere! The objects you get everyday, such as food, air-conditioners, elevators, are all related to Chemistry. This is also why Chemistry is called the ‘central science’ since it connects with everything including other science fields.
You may ask now, so what? Why is learning Chemistry beneficial for your kids? We will show you 6 benefits of studying Chemistry and doing Chemistry experiments now!
1. Satisfying the curiosity of your kids
Kids are always eager to know more about their surroundings, and every parent should know this well, encountering countless questions raised by the kids: Why do stones sink in water? Why does water evaporate when it is getting boiled? Kids can figure out the answers to all these questions by themselves, through studying Chemistry and conducting Chemistry experiments!
2. Allowing kids to make well-informed decisions
You are always uncertain about whether the content mentioned in the advertisement is true, aren’t you? Your kids will never be confused by the exaggerating product advertisement if they have studied Chemistry before as they will have reasonable expectations on the effectiveness of different products.
3. Keeping your kids safe from household accidents
It is always worrying to put your kids alone at home when they are unaware of different potential dangers. Nonetheless, if your kid is a Chemistry student, he or she will know perfectly how to handle different household chemicals and appliances safely to avoid undesired reactions from taking place.
4. Fostering your kids’ problem-solving skills
Doing chemistry experiments is a key and probably the most fun element of Chemistry. In an experimental setting, students will learn to ask questions, make hypotheses, try experimenting, be objective etc.. All these skills are helpful to your kids in solving real-life problems.
5. Equipping your kids with social readiness
The coverage of Chemistry is so broad that everything happening in society is related to it. Kids will start understanding news regarding topics like pollution, petroleum and technological development after studying Chemistry. Hence, a global mindedness can be etched in kids’ minds at such early ages.
Even though you now learn what benefits will your kids enjoy by studying Chemistry, you may still be concerned about how you can let your kids learn Chemistry. It sounds like Chemistry experiments have to be conducted at laboratories, right? Instead, with your kids just staying at homes, lots of Chemistry experiments are already accessible! Below are 5 interesting Chemistry experiments your kids can conduct at home!
This is an extremely easy Chemistry experiment which is suitable for kids of all ages! First, you will have to mould a volcano from the clay. Then, you will have to prepare for the ‘erupting’ lava! Mix the baking soda, water and dishwashing soap together in the container, and pour the mixture into the opening of the volcano. When you are ready for the ‘eruption’, add the ketchup into the mixture! You will then be able to witness a volcano with a long-lasting eruption!
You and your kids may now wonder: how does it work? To make it simple, the ‘eruption’ is the result of a chemical reaction between the dilute acetic acid in ketchup and the baking soda. The chemical reaction produces carbon dioxide gas which bubbles out the ketchup, making the volcano look like it is erupting.
Everyone should have heard of this Chemistry experiment before, but not many have mastered how to conduct it! The first step is obviously to produce the ‘invisible ink’. Mix the water and baking soda in a 1:1 ratio and the mixture will be our ink. Use the paintbrush you have prepared to write whatever messages on the paper, with your invisible ink. Be patient and allow the ink to dry — now, to read the message, hold the paper in front of the light bulb which serves as a source of heat and you will find the message is no longer invisible!
Marvellous! What’s behind this trick is that the baking soda solution will damage the surface of the paper by disrupting the cellulose fibres when the message is written. After that, when the heat is applied, the short ends of the fibres will burn and darken before the undamaged sections of the paper. This is why you can see the secret message!
Have you ever wondered how clouds form? You can’t miss out on this Chemistry experiment if you have so! Start by pouring the hot water into the jar and swirl it to ensure the jar is heated up. What’s next is to turn the lid upside down and put some ice cubes on it. Wait for about half a minute — then, spray the hairspray into the jar and close it with the lid back with the ice cubes. You can then observe a cloud being formulated in the little jar!
This experiment is all about condensation. When you add the hot water and swirl it, water vapour is generated and starts rising to the top of the jar due to lower density. After the ice cubes are placed on the lib, the water vapour then contacts with some cold air, thus condensing when cooling down. Moreover, the cloud forms only with the hairspray, since it requires something to condense onto. Chemistry allows kids to learn how huge clouds form with a single little jar, absolutely fascinating!
‘Simple but engaging’ will be the second to none way to describe this Chemistry experiment. During your preparation, pour the same amount of water into the two glasses but make sure one is cold and the other one is hot. The next and also the final step is to place one drop of food colouring into the two glasses synchronously with the help of the eyedroppers. The rest is to pay attention to the beautiful but different movement of food colouring in the two glasses.
Such an amazing experiment, but why, you may ask. Heating up water increases the speed of the molecules while cooling down water does the opposite. Also, with a higher speed, molecules tend to move further apart from each other as the attraction between them is being competed, vice versa.
Another classic chemistry experiment for you and your kids! For the first step, add some food colouring into the water and mix them. Next, add 2 tablespoons of coloured water and cooking oil respectively into the bottle. Now, it is time for the kids to shake the bottle real hard (make sure the lid is screwed on tight!) and watch how the oil-water separates over time.
They can never be truly mixed! This phenomenon can be explained by the concept of density. Since oil is less dense than the coloured water, it will always float above the water. Even if you try very hard to mix them, they will still find their ways to get separate from each other due to the difference in their densities!
Learning Chemistry by doing experiments is fun, isn’t it? I am sure only 5 experiments won’t be enough to satisfy your kids’ desire to explore the world, so what should you look for to equip your kids with Chemistry knowledge and provide them with chances to conduct hands-on experiments? Big Bang Academy will undoubtedly be your answer!
We offer curriculums for kids aged between 3 and 9, and Chemistry is exactly one of the six science elements included in the curriculums. Topics including the status of matter will be covered and interesting Chemistry experiments like Walking Water Rainbow will be taught, sounds really fun right?
By subscribing to the curriculum kit, you will receive two experiment boxes every month. Together with our online learning platform, Big Bang Lab, your children will be guided to learn Science and conduct hands-on STEAM experiments without your assistance. Furthermore, a science workbook and English vocabulary glossary will be included in the box as well to consolidate what kids have learnt from our videos and experiments.
Sign up for our STEAM curriculum now with 55% off and allow your child to explore the Chemistry world!
.png){kind=logo}
Written By
Big Bang Academy
Big Bang Academy is an accredited science EdTech startup. Founded in early 2020, we started with a workshop of 15 students and a dream. Ever since, we have grown to serve 3,000+ students in both a lesson setting and our very own online education platform, Big Bang Lab.