Elephant toothpaste

Back in hurricane season I wracked my brain for activities we could do inside without the need of electricity. Elephant toothpaste, while messy was one of those science projects. But given, our non-eventful event, I didn’t have to pull it out.

Cut to 6-months later….it’s a beautiful extra weekend day and I want to be outside. So we grab the ingredients and our safety goggles and get to work.

I honesty think I was more excited than Dylan. This is definitely a more adult hands on activity than not because the chemical reaction does heat up and could burn (hence the goggles and latex gloves).

The instructions below will work for 10, 20, and 40 volume peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide typically bought at the drug store is 10 volume. It will work but much less dramatically. We used the 20 volume and ordered it on Amazon (shocking I know). Just be sure to get the CLEAR kind

You need:

• ½ cup (4 oz) Hydrogen Peroxide

• Food Coloring

• Very Warm Water

• Yeast Use 1 packet per experiment or ½ Tbsp if measuring from a  jar

• Dishsoap

• Recycled Plastic Water Bottle 

• Funnel

• Tray

• Measuring Cups and Spoons

• Safety Goggles

• Plastic Gloves

Wear gloves for the entire process when using 20 or 40 Volume Hydrogen Peroxide! If it gets on your skin it will sting. Wash it off immediately with soap and water.

• Place your bottle in the center of a tray with sides. There will be a lot of foam and this will contain the mess. Place a funnel in the bottle neck.

• Add a few squirts of dishsoap to the bottle

• Add ½ cup (4 oz.) of hydrogen peroxide to bottle. Gently swirl to mix.

• Add in a squeeze of food coloring. Gently swirl to mix. 

• In a separate container Mix 1 packet or 1 Tbsp of yeast  with 1/2 cup (4oz.) of very warm water. Stir to dissolve. It may be pasty. 

• Pour the yeast mixture through the funnel into the bottle. Give it a quick swirl then step back.
  

Check the video on my Instagram. We told Dylan to “step back” and she stepped waaayyyy back.