Elephant Toothpaste Experiment
Little ones will erupt with excitement as they do this fun elephant toothpaste experiment. Your little scientists will love it!
What is Elephant Toothpaste?
Toothpaste fit for an elephant because of how big and bubbly it is, elephant toothpaste is an excellent introduction to scientific thinking and reasoning.
Although elephant toothpaste isn’t actually used for elephants, its name is given because, because of its size and foaminess, it sure seems like it could be.
How Does It Work?
Yeast are little helpers that quickly break down hydrogen peroxide. Because of this rapid reaction, lots of bubbles and foam are created.
The yeast makes bubbles, and the soap helps the bubbles stay together, making the foam.
The elephant toothpaste experiment exploded because of how quickly the yeast broke down the hydrogen peroxide.
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A Few Notes…
*This elephant toothpaste experiment is an exothermic reaction, meaning it WILL get hot. After the experiment, the bottle and the foam will be warm.
*As with most science experiments, using safety equipment (gloves and goggles) may be beneficial to keep your little one’s hands and eyes safe.
*The concentration of hydrogen peroxide can change the explosiveness of the elephant toothpaste experiment. We used the 3% found at the grocery store, which worked!
Items Needed
*hydrogen peroxide (1/2 cup)
*warm water (1/2 cup)
*active dry yeast packet (or 1 Tablespoon)
*dish soap (about 1 Tablespoon)
*small cup (to mix water and yeast)
*bottle with a small opening
*pan to contain the mess (or do it outside)
*funnel
*food coloring; optional
*safety glasses and gloves
Elephant Toothpaste Experiment: How To
1. Set up the elephant toothpaste experiment area. This will be a bit messy, so it’s easiest to experiment with a baking pan or outside.
If experimenting inside, a towel or picnic blanket under the baking pan can help contain the mess.
2. Place the plastic bottle inside the baking pan.
3. Use a small cup to mix the warm water (1/2 cup) and the yeast packet together. Let it sit while you prepare the rest of the elephant toothpaste experiment.
4. In the plastic bottle, add about 1 Tablespoon of dish soap and 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide. A funnel is an easy way to add hydrogen peroxide to the bottle.
*Be careful not to get the hydrogen peroxide on your skin. You may want to wear gloves
5. Drip food coloring down the sides of the plastic bottle, if desired.
It isn’t needed to make the experiment work, but it makes it a bit more visually pleasing (plus, it’s a great way to let little ones predict how the food coloring will change the color of the elephant toothpaste experiment).
6. Using the funnel, quickly pour in the water and yeast mixture and pull the funnel out.
7. Watch as the elephant toothpaste experiment reacts. It will be warm/hot, so wait a few minutes before letting little ones touch it.
Preschool Elephant Toothpaste Experiment
Introduce preschoolers to the fantastic world through science! This elephant toothpaste experiment is the perfect way to get them critically thinking and experimenting.
