Kitchen Science Experiments for Kids
By Forge Learning · Updated October 2026
The kitchen is the easiest science lab you have: milk, baking soda, vinegar, raisins and lemons. Below are the six experiments in our own Kitchen Chemistry packet, described from the product itself, plus hands-on science resources from our directory. We don't give step-by-step instructions here; the packet and the sites below do, with the safety notes that go with them.
Kitchen Chemistry from our Forge Learning shop
From our shopForge Learning is our own Etsy shop, so yes, we're a little biased! Each description tells you exactly what's in the pack.
Kitchen Chemistry: 6 Easy Science Experiments
22 pages · ages 5-8 · printable PDF on Etsy
A low-ink science packet with six kitchen experiments: Rainbow Milk, Fizzing Potion (baking soda and vinegar), Walking Water, Dancing Raisins, Secret Lemon Ink and Sink or Float.
- Grown-up guide with science explanations for all six experiments
- Kitchen lab safety rules, supply checklist and lab sheets
- "I think / I notice / I wonder" prediction and observation prompts
- Word hunt, science journal page and certificate
Gingerbread Unit Study (5-day, K-1)
34 pages · ages K-1 · printable PDF on Etsy
A 5-day open-and-go unit built around the gingerbread folk tale, with a one-page plan for each day.
- Story sequencing and retelling
- Math: adding within 10 and 20, measuring with cookies, a graphing game
- Shapes and building, and a no-bake cinnamon dough science lab (not for eating)
Christmas Around the World Unit Study (K-1)
50 pages · ages 5-7 (K-1) · printable PDF on Etsy
A 10-day printable unit study that visits 8 countries on 5 continents: Mexico, Ethiopia, the Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, the Philippines, Australia and the United Kingdom.
- Parent guide with a 10-day plan and a read-aloud book list
- Passport, stamps to color and cut, and a world map
- A read-aloud page and an activity page for each country
- 6 crafts and 4 recipes (with grown-up help)
- Math to 20, a graph, a Venn diagram, a 10-page mini-book, answer key and certificate
- Secular-friendly: religious customs appear only as facts about each country
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The 6 experiments in Kitchen Chemistry
Rainbow Milk
Explore what happens when dish soap touches colored milk.
Fizzing Potion
Observe the reaction between baking soda and vinegar.
Walking Water
Watch colored water travel through paper towels (this one needs extra waiting time).
Dancing Raisins
Investigate why raisins rise and fall in bubbly soda.
Secret Lemon Ink
Write an invisible message that heat reveals. A grown-up handles the heat source.
Sink or Float
Make predictions and investigate density with familiar kitchen objects.
From the product: most activities take about 10-25 minutes and are meant to be done with a grown-up nearby. The packet includes kitchen lab safety rules covering heat, glass, spills, food coloring, vinegar and cleanup.
More hands-on science from our directory
Science lessons, videos and kits from our directory, for when you want more experiments.
Mystery Science
Hands-on, video-led science lessons for elementary grades; some free lessons.
SciShow Kids
Short, kid-friendly science explainers and experiments.
KiwiCo
Subscription boxes and STEM, STEAM, science and art kits for kids of all ages.
MEL Science
Science kit subscriptions with hands-on experiments for kids.
Pandia Press (REAL Science Odyssey)
Publisher of REAL Science Odyssey science and the History Quest series.
Apologia
Christian K-12 curriculum publisher, including elementary science.
Frequently asked questions
- What ages are these kitchen experiments for?
- Kitchen Chemistry is written for ages 5-8, with a grown-up guide so the adult facilitates while the child predicts, observes and records.
- What supplies do I need?
- Everyday kitchen supplies such as milk, dish soap, baking soda, vinegar, paper towels, raisins, soda and lemons. The packet includes a kitchen supply checklist.
- Are kitchen science experiments safe for kindergarten?
- Kitchen Chemistry is meant to be done with a grown-up nearby and includes safety rules for heat, glass, spills, food coloring, vinegar and cleanup. The Secret Lemon Ink experiment needs an adult to handle the heat source.
- How do kids record what they see?
- Kitchen Chemistry uses lab sheets with a repeating "I think / I notice / I wonder" structure, plus a science journal page, which keeps writing manageable for early learners.
- Where can I find more free science experiments?
- Mystery Science has hands-on, video-led science lessons for elementary grades with some free lessons, and SciShow Kids has short, free kid-friendly science explainers and experiments.
Related pages
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