Elephant Toothpaste Science Experiment

Supplies

Empty plastic bottle

Dish soap

1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide

1 tsp. yeast

2 tbsp warm water

Food coloring

Pan or bowl to contain the foam

Safety goggles (safety first, of course!)

Instructions

1. The first thing you’re going to want to do is mix the teaspoon of yeast and a few tablespoons of warm water together in a separate small cup or a small bowl. This will need to be set aside for a few minutes until it foams so it’s best to get that going so that you can set up the rest of your experiment while you wait.

  • Helpful Tip: You do not want the water that you use to be super hot, but you do need it to be rather warm. Adding water that it too hot to the yeast will either damage or kill it and it will no longer work for this experiment.

2. Next, you’re going to set your empty bottle into your pan and have an adult carefully pour in the cup of hydrogen peroxide solution, a tablespoon of dish soap, and a few drops of food coloring.

  • The more food coloring you add, the more vibrant your foam will be when it erupts from the bottle.

  • If you’re not using an aluminum pan to catch the foam, make sure that you are conducting your experiment on a washable surface.

3. When those ingredients have been added, give your bottle a little swirl to mix everything together and grab your yeast.

4. When adding the final ingredient, the yeast, you may want to use a small funnel as this will help you get it all into the bottle without spilling.

  • Before adding the yeast, however, you want to make sure that the yeast has been activated. It should have a decent amount of foam on the top of the mixture, if there’s foam, you’re good to go!

  • Carefully pour the entire yeast mixture into the top of the bottle and then stand back and watch the giant foaming reaction!

4. As soon as the reaction starts, the thick foam comes out and snakes its way all around the side of the bottle.

As with any experiment though, you should have your children wear protective gear like safety glasses while working with these ingredients, even if an adult is the one to pour them.

  • Another helpful safety tip: This foam should not be touched as it comes out of the bottle. The reaction between the yeast and the peroxide can be quite hot, so make sure they know not to touch until after the reaction ahs stopped and the foam has had a chance to cool down.