Halloween Science Experiments for Kids

These Halloween science experiments are something I look forward to every year! The kids do too, especially if I’ve already taught their older siblings. “Aren’t you the teacher who makes the pumpkins sick? That’s what my sister told me.”

Over the years, I’ve simplified the investigations so they’re more manageable for me and more engaging for the children. I’ve also found some coordinating picture books and have easily found ways to incorporate math. I mean it’s pretty easy when kids are shouting, “Hey, let’s see whose pom pom goes the farthest!”

Note to self: measurement and graphing coming right up.

Halloween Science Experiments

We do these five Halloween science experiments every year:

Candy Corn Crushers
Boo Boppers
Sick Pumpkin
Magic Mummies
The Runaway Pumpkin

By far, the fan favorites are Sick Pumpkin and Boo Boppers, but close seconds are Candy Corn Crushers and Magic Mummies because food ranks pretty high with kids.

Each activity gives us a chance to focus on something different, but by the end of the week, we’ve learned or reviewed:

the properties of matter
our five senses
energy, force, and motion
changing states of matter
chemical reactions

1. Sick Pumpkin Experiment

The WOW factor for this investigation never disappoints. It’s one of my students’ favorite halloween science experiments. With a few items you probably already have in your kitchen, you can make one pretty sick pumpkin.

I used to do this activity with one large plastic pumpkin, so the lesson was more of a teacher-led demonstration while the kids observed. They were captivated, but I knew there was probably a way to make it more engaging for them.

Now we use orange paper party cups as our jack-o-lanterns. Because they’re less expensive, we can afford to give each child (or each pair of children) their own cup. The remaining supplies are cheap (especially if I receive them as donations), so we add in some measuring practice and make LOTS of sick pumpkins!

This is a pretty common science experiment, so you’ve probably seen some version of it. To make it more robust and aligned with our standards for reading, writing, and science, I create recording sheets for each lesson. These sheets prompt my students to think ahead, make predictions, follow directions, record their observations, form new ideas, and reason through to possible conclusions.

2. Make Your Own Boo Boppers

I swear, Boo Boppers are worth every single penny and minute you spend on them. In the past, we used sections of pool noodles and duct tape to make our boppers. They worked well, but they were pretty labor intensive to prepare. Now, we use paper cups, balloons, and pom poms. They’re so much easier to construct and the results are even better than before. We even lost one pom pom to the roof … it launched that high!

I like the self-adhesive googly eyes, but it’s cheaper and just as cute if children use black permanent markers to decorate their ghostly Boo Boppers.

To make a Boo Bopper, you need one 12-ounce paper cup, one 12-inch balloon, and one pom pom. Remove the bottom from the cup. Tie the balloon into a knot and then snip off the other end. Pull the balloon over the bottom of the cup until it’s snug. Drop in the pom pom, pull back on the balloon, and POP! Watch the pom pom soar! Of all the Halloween science experiments, this one is probably the most impressive. There are so many directions in which you can take the instruction!

As with the Sick Pumpkin lesson, I created recording sheets for this activity so my students can practice writing informational text. This Halloween science experiment also includes charts showing children how to assemble and use their Boo Boppers. It’s my sneaky way of working in procedural text, but it’s also very helpful for showing kids the steps in the process so they have a better chance of working independently.

One of my favorite features of this Halloween science set are the sheets that explain what happened and why. These are pretty big concepts for pretty small children, so providing kid-friendly explanations is important.

I want them to understand WHY the pom pom travels out of the cup at the crazy speed it does. They’ve got some pretty good ideas, but they always want to know more. For example, they think and wonder: “It reminds me of a trampoline, but the pom pom can’t push down, so how is it going so high?”

Many of their questions are answered by these explanation sheets, which also provide an interactive opportunity for kids to make connections and extend their thinking. I can also use it as a comprehension lesson because it gives us plenty of chances to reread, highlight key vocabulary, and ask additional questions.

If you need a literature recommendation to go with this lesson, The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo! is so sweet. It’s written in rhyme and invites the reader to participate at the end of the story. It also highlights the /oo/ sound throughout the book, so word work would be a natural follow up to this text as well.👇

Option Two: Frankie Poppers

Um, could these be any cuter? I almost like them better than the Boo Boppers. If you’re not into ghosts and Frankenstein is more your speed, plan to make Frankie Poppers instead. Other than a color change, they’re made exactly the same way. Make sure you grab a copy of Creepy Pair of Underwear by Aaron Reynolds to read first. It’s about scary underwear, so of course the children think it’s hilarious.

More Halloween Science Experiments

Read Where’s My Mummy? by Carolyn Crimi and then make Magic Mummies. With a little dough and some hot dogs, kids can make edible mummies and see how heat changes the physical properties of matter.

Or, teach how the size and shape of an object affects the force needed to move it and the direction in which it will travel with The Runaway Pumpkin experiment.

Teaching Resource

These Halloween science experiments can be found HERE and include teacher directions, student recording sheets, science posters, and kid-friendly explanations. They’re best suited for kids in first and second grades, but you could use them in a kindergarten classroom if you provide some extra support and time. (And grab a few parent volunteers! That’s my answer to almost everything.)