For this experiment, give the traditional density jar science experiment a Halloween twist by making a Halloween density jar!
Halloween.
It’s a spooky season for witches, skeletons, and, STEM activities?
Halloween can be the BEST time for science and STEM, just because creepy science is so much fun! Halloween STEM activities for middle school are a brilliant way to show kids how science can be cool.
Kids will love dropping spooky objects into liquids and seeing how far they go down into the depths.
It’s also a fun way to teach density in a jar to kids!
Don’t miss the complete list of Halloween science experiments!
How to Set Up the Halloween Density Jar Experiment
A density jar is a fun way to learn about the density of objects, and have fun with science at the same time. You probably already have everything you need to make this density jar right now.
What you need for the Halloween density STEM activity:
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- Water
- Vegetable oil
- Syrup
- Orange food coloring
- Halloween toys of various weights
- Large jar
What is density for kids
A density jar is an easy way to show kids how even though liquids can take up the same amount of volume (or space), they have different levels of mass (or weight).
The denser a liquid is, the more it will sink to the bottom. Denser liquids have molecules that are packed closer together.
You can use this science demonstration to show how different objects can have different levels of density, even if they are different sizes.
How to do the Halloween density experiment for elementary students
Dye the water orange with food coloring. Don’t dye the other ingredients.
Put your syrup in the bottom of the jar first.
Add the water next, and finally, the oil.
Have the kids drop the toys into the jar one at a time.
Let the kids guess where they think the objects will land.
The densest objects will descend all the way to the bottom of the jar.
The least dense objects will be floating at the top.
Our favorite object was the spider, that was heavier than the oil but floated on top of the water. It made our Halloween density jar quite creepy!
Use this time to talk about the density of liquids and objects with kids. What makes one liquid denser than another?
What happens if you mix up the jar? Will the ingredients separate again?
What makes the eyeball float on the top of the jar?
More Halloween Science Experiments
If you love Halloween science and this Halloween density jar experiment, then you’ll love trying out these Halloween science experiments!
We also have Halloween STEM activities for kindergarten, Halloween STEM for first grade, Halloween STEM for 2nd grade, Halloween STEM for 3rd grade, Halloween STEM for 4th grade, Halloween STEM ideas for 5th grade, and middle school Halloween STEM activities!
Find more amazing Halloween STEAM activities in the Spooky Science e-book!
