This science experiment with little gourds and chemical reactions will get the kids thinking about what they hope to become in the future!
Materials:
- Two gourds or small pumpkins
- Knife and spoon
- Baking soda
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Light-colored sponge
Instructions:
- Before class, carve the gourds and scoop out the insides so they are empty vessels, each with a hole in the top.
- Put 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda in only one of the gourds.
- When the children are seated around the table, pour the peroxide into the first gourd.
- Then pour it into the second gourd.
- Ask the children to guess what happened (one of the big kids will know there was baking soda in the second gourd). See if they
Explanation:
Baking soda is a type of chemical called a base and hydrogen peroxide is a type called an acid. When acids and bases are mixed a chemical reaction occurs, which converts the liquid peroxide into a gas and causes the bubbles to overflow.
Application
On Halloween, we can imagine ourselves as whoever we want to be. We can use our imaginations and make costumes. It’s important to use our creativity in this way all year long. Instead of dressing up in costumes, however, we should be thinking of who we want to become in real life. Those of us who dare to believe we are capable of bigger and better things are like the little gourd that bubbled up. The hope overflows out of us, creating something beautiful and new.