Hands-on science experiments and projects are always a hit with kids, in the classroom and at home. Want to make them even better? Make them delicious, too! There are plenty of food and kitchen science projects out there, but not all of them are exactly tasty. That’s what sets this list apart from the rest: These edible science projects are actually good enough to eat!
Of course, you’ll want to use common sense about safety and good food hygiene along the way. And don’t be afraid to substitute healthier ingredients for the candy and cookies, if you like. No matter what, you’re going to whet kids’ appetites for learning with this menu of edible science experiments. Bon appétit!
1. Candy DNA Model
What kids learn: The structure and purpose of DNA
What to do: Use toothpicks and candy (or fruit, for a healthier option) to build a DNA model. Color code the candies to represent the four chemicals that make up DNA code and snack on them as you discuss the purpose of each.
Source: WikiHow
2. Starburst Rock Science
What kids learn: How metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous rocks are formed
What to do: Use Starburst candies to explore the ways pressure and heat form different types of rock. (A heat source, like a toaster oven, is required.) Who knew geology could be so sweet?
Source: Lemon Lime Adventures
3. Oreo Moon Phases
What kids learn: The phases of the moon
What to do: Use the chart (click below for the full image) to create and discuss the different moon phases using Oreo cookies.
Source: Optics Central
4. Edible Water Bottle
What kids learn: Spherification, conservation
What to do: You’ll need some special chemicals, which are readily available online, for this edible science experiment. Follow the directions at the link below to create waste-free water “bottles.”
Source: Inhabit
5. Butter in a Jar
What kids learn: Emulsification
What to do: Shake heavy cream in a mason jar until the butter fats separate from the liquids. It’s really that easy—and yummy!
Source: Science Buddies
6. Baked Potato Science
What kids learn: The scientific method
What to do: This edible science project is a nutritious way to explore the scientific method in action. Experiment with a variety of methods for baking potatoes—microwaving, using a traditional oven, wrapping them in foil, using baking pins, etc.—testing hypotheses to discover which works best.
Source: Left Brain Craft Brain
7. Edible Soil Layers
What kids learn: Soil layers
What to do: Layer a variety of foods to represent the soil layers, from bedrock on up. If candy doesn’t fit your school’s nutritional guidelines, use fruits, yogurt, granola, and other healthy options. Either way, the results are scrumptious!
Source: Super Teacher Blog
8. Jell-O and Enzymes
What kids learn: Enzymes and proteins
What to do: Make Jell-O using raw pineapple, cooked pineapple, and strawberries to see whether the Jell-O sets properly. (You’ll need a heat source and a refrigerator for this edible science experiment.) Students can eat the results as you talk about the ways different enzymes affect chemical reactions.
Source: The Chaos and the Clutter
9. Taste vs. Smell
What kids learn: The relationship between taste and smell
What to do: Have students a slice of apple alone and again while sniffing a cotton ball soaked in vanilla. Did the smell of vanilla overpower the other? Students can finish their apples as you discuss how taste and smell work together.
Source: Education.com
10. Fibonacci Lemonade
What kids learn: Fibonacci sequence, golden ratio, density
What to do: Layer different proportions of simple syrup and lemon juice (tinted with food coloring) to create a rainbow-colored drink. The different densities of the solutions create the layers. Don’t forget to drink the delectable results!
Source: Andrea Hawksley
11. Edible Cell Model
What kids learn: Cell structure
What to do: Use candies or other edible items to represent the different parts of a cell. Kids can nibble each part as you discuss items’ purpose and functions.
Source: Lessons With Laughter
12. Solar Oven S’mores
What kids learn: Solar energy
What to do: This edible science project is a science fair classic! Follow the instructions at the link below to turn a pizza box, aluminum foil, and other basic supplies into a solar-powered oven to cook s’mores or other yummy treats.
Source: Desert Chica
13. Sink or Swim Oranges
What kids learn: Buoyancy
What to do: Place peeled and unpeeled oranges in a container of water to see which ones float and which ones sink. After you discuss the principles of buoyancy, have a healthy snack with your students!
Source: Playdough to Plato
14. Jell-O Turbulence
What kids learn: Air turbulence
What to do: Suspend a (well-cleaned) toy plane in Jell-O (instructions at the link below), then poke and jiggle it to simulate turbulence. Discuss how layers of air can support a plane, even though you can’t see them.
Source: Kids Activities Blog
15. Apple Science
What kids learn: Chemical reactions
What to do: Slice an apple and note how it turns brown over time. Experiment with a variety of liquid solutions, including lemon juice, to see which, if any, slow the process. Discuss why or why not. Be sure to have students taste the apple to see if browning affects the flavor.
Source: Teach Beside Me
16. The Biology of Bread
What kids learn: Fermentation, gluten formation
What to do: Bake a simple loaf of bread from scratch, using yeast. Watch the reaction of the yeast with water and sugar, then knead the dough to create the gluten the bread needs to support the rise. (You’ll need an oven to bake the bread to finish this edible science experiment.)
Source: Left Brain Craft Brain
17. Sourdough Science
What kids learn: Wild yeast
What to do: Yeast makes bread rise, but you don’t have to buy it at the store. Make a sourdough starter using flour and water and watch yeast grow and multiply before your eyes. After a week or so, use the sourdough starter to make a savory loaf of bread.
Source: King Arthur Flour
18. Sugar Glass
What kids learn: Amorphous solids
What to do: Simulate the way silicon dioxide (sand) is turned into glass but at much more manageable temperatures. Heat sugar until it melts, then cool it to form “glass.” Students can snack on the creation while discussing how amorphous solids are formed.
Source: Go Science Girls
19. Candy Crystals
What kids learn: Crystallization
What to do: This is the classic edible science candy experiment! Make a supersaturated sugar solution and then allow it to crystallize around wooden sticks preseeded with granulated sugar. The process takes about a week.
Source: The Kitchen Pantry Scientist
20. Fizzy Lemonade
What kids learn: Acids and bases
What you do: Mix acidic lemon juice with basic baking soda and watch the chemical reaction, which produces carbonation. Add a little sugar and students can drink the chemical reaction!
Source: Learn with Play at Home
21. Edible Atoms
What kids learn: The structure of an atom
What to do: Get the free printable worksheet at the link below, then use two colors of mini marshmallows to represent protons and neutrons and chocolate chips for electrons.
Source: Preschool Powol Packets
22. Experiments With Cake
What kids learn: Endothermic reactions
What to do: Discover the purpose of various baking ingredients by leaving them out of each recipe. Have students predict what might happen and taste the results! (You’ll need an oven for this edible science experiment.)
Source: Teach Beside Me
23. Centripetal Force Jell-O
What kids learn: Centripetal force
What to do: Create test force chambers using a plastic cup, Jell-O, and marbles (get full instructions at the link below). Spin the cup to see how centripetal force moves the marble inside the Jell-O.
Source: Science Buddies
24. Make Raisins
What kids learn: Food dehydration
What to do: Have students dry grapes in the sun over a period of days to see them turn into raisins! Talk about the process of dehydration as a method of preserving food.
Source: Learn~Play~Imagine
25. Gumdrop Bridges
What kids learn: Engineering
What to do: Use toothpicks and gumdrops to construct a bridge. Test it to see if it will bear weight, then challenge students to build the strongest bridge with the fewest materials. (Let them eat the gumdrops they don’t use!)
Source: Little Bins for Little Hands
26. Edible Mars Rover
What kids learn: Engineering
What to do: Learn about the conditions on Mars and the tasks the Mars Rover will need to complete. Then, give kids supplies to build their own (add a challenge by making them “buy” the supplies and stick to a budget, just like NASA).
Source: Library Makers
27. The Science of Popcorn
What kids learn: Laws of gases
What to do: Calculate the internal pressure needed for popcorn to pop (see the link below for formulas). Then pop the carefully measured corn, using the procedure at the link, and check your calculations.
Source: Carolina
28. Edible Petri Dishes
What kids learn: Bacteria
What to do: Create models in petri dishes using Jell-O and candies to represent a variety of bacteria, as seen under a microscope. (Get examples at the link below.) Disgustingly delicious!
Source: Schooling a Monkey
Do you have an edible experiment or hands-on project that you use in your classroom? Come share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINEgroup on Facebook.
Plus, check out these inexpensive science experiments.
