This is a super cool, super easy science experiment. We first saw it featured in an episode of “The Big Bang Theory” in one of the early seasons. Then, our preschool-aged kids did it during our homeschool group this past year. And I knew we needed to try it at home so everyone could see.
“Elephant toothpaste” (this is not edible though) is a really fun exothermic reaction that’s messy and exciting, but which uses just ordinary household ingredients. You probably have them all on hand already!
We did this, along with the standard “baking soda and vinegar” to talk about what an exothermic reaction is. The kids were thrilled.
Elephant Toothpaste
Ingredients:
- 1/2 c. hydrogen peroxide
- 1 tbsp. dishwashing liquid
- 3 tbsp. warm water
- 1 tbsp. yeast
Directions:
Step 1: Mix the peroxide and dishwashing liquid in a small cup. Make sure this is on a washable surface because it’s going to overflow everywhere….
Step 2: In a separate cup, mix the warm water and yeast. Let it sit for a minute until dissolved.
Step 3: Pour the yeast into the peroxide mix. Watch what happens!
Super easy, and super fun! The kids really liked playing with it, too….
My daughter said it looked like “marshmallow” and proceeded to play with it until the foam was completely gone. It’s pretty non-toxic and not too messy (it’ll collapse back into an off-white liquid after a while) so it’s not a bad thing to play with.
