If you are in for some super fun and easy science experiments for kids, look no further! Dry Ice experiments are a cool way (literally!) to explore science and have a blast with kids.
You do need to supervise kids and follow simple safety guidelines for these fun science activities with dry ice, but we can assure you that nothing beats these amazing, cool experiments!
But before we get on with experimenting with dry ice, let’s first dive into simple science of dry ice.
What is Dry Ice?
Dry ice is a solid, frozen form of carbon dioxide gas. It is super cold and changes from solid form into gaseous form directly (i.e. it sublimates), without turning into liquid. Thus, aptly earning the name ‘Dry Ice’.
Safety Guidelines
We highly recommend following the below safety guidelines for all the dry ice activities and experiments. Dry ice is relatively safe but needs to be handled with care. Please follow the below guidelines to assure safety:
- Use tongs or wear gloves to pick dry ice. Do not touch it with bare hands as it may lead to frostbite.
- Use an ice box to store dry ice. Do not store dry ice in refrigerator’s freezer.
- Choose a well-ventilated area for dry ice experiments to keep the air circulating so as to get rid off the extra carbon dioxide produced by dry ice.
- Line up your table or countertops with towels to place dry ice on. Never put dry ice directly on tables or countertops as it may damage them.
- Adult supervision is highly recommended.
Just follow the above instructions for all the below demonstrations with dry ice for safety.
Cool Dry Ice Experiments
Now that you know what is dry ice and how it gets its name, without further ado lets explore the fun, cool dry ice activities that can be done at home as well as classroom.
These demonstrations with dry ice are perfect for large group, birthday parties as well as fun science projects.
Note: Please follow the safety guidelines for all the below dry ice activities and experiments.
1. Make a Potion
This is the simplest dry ice experiment for kids. It delights everyone – right from preschoolers, kindergarteners, older children to even grown-ups!
What you will need:
- Dry ice
- Hot Water
- Flask
- Tongs
How to do it:
1. Add hot water to a flask, halfway thorough.
2. Using tongs, drop a piece of dry ice into the water.
That’s it! As you drop the dry ice into hot water, the water starts bubbling and thick fog emerges from the mouth of the flask.
Related: Also check out Magical Harry Potter Experiments for more awe-inspiring fun!.
Science Behind it:
This is because as the dry ice sublimates in water, the carbon dioxide gas is released in the water making it bubble! The reason for the fog is again simple science.
As the cold gaseous form of carbon dioxide escapes the flask, it comes in contact with the water vapour present in the air. This water vapour then condenses, resulting into fog!
This same trick is often used in movies and halloween parties to create fog! It is fun dry ice experiment at home and a fun halloween activity for kids.
2. Screaming Spoon
If you have been using metal tongs to pick your dry ice, you might have been wondering what’s that strange sound! Well! This is what with dry ice activity all about.
To make a screaming spoon, simply put a piece of dry ice on a spoon and hear it scream (or screech!).
This eerie metallic sound is produced by the sublimating dry ice. As it turns into gaseous form, it causes the metal to vibrate very fast. Thus, make this screeching sound.
Related: Explore more Fun Sound Activities to understand the science of sound!
3. Dry Ice Bubbles
Nothing can get more exciting than making bubbles! However, smoking bubbles do sound all the more fun.
What you will need:
- Bowl
- Hot Water
- Dry Ice
- Dish Soap
- Tongs
How to Make Dry Ice Smoking Bubbles
1. Pour water into the bowl, nearly halfway through.
2. Add few drop of dish soap to the water and stir to dissolve it.
3. Using tongs, drop a chunk of dry ice into the soapy water.
As the dry ice sublimates, the CO2 gas gets trapped in the soapy water. This forms bubbles that are filled with the dry ice fog. Burst them and see the fog escape the smoking bubbles.
Simply wonderful and magical!
Related: Love this bubbling experiment? Check out Bubbling Baking Soda Experiments for more fun.
4. Dry Ice Crystal Ball
This is one of the coolest dry ice experiments you’ll ever see! It appears straight out of Harry Potter movies and is simply splendid.
Perfect for a Harry Potter themed classroom party or dry ice science projects, crystal ball is easy and fun!
What you will need:
- Bowl – 2
- Hot Water
- Dry Ice
- Dish Soap
- Tongs
- Cotton handkerchief or a long strip of a soft cloth
How To Make Crystal Ball
1. In one bowl, make soapy solution by mixing water at room temperature with a few drops of dish soap. Let it sit.
2. Pour water into the other bowl, nearly halfway through. This is the bowl on which we will make the crystal ball
3. Dip your finger in the soapy water and run it along the rim of the crystal ball bowl.
4. Take a soft handkerchief and dip it in the soapy water. Take it out and gently squeeze the excess soapy water.
5. Now, place the handkerchief on the mouth of the ball and with gentle hands slide it across the mouth of the bowl. As you slide the soapy hanky, you will notice a film of bubble forming on the bowl’s mouth.
This is the trickiest part of the this fun dry ice experiment and might require a few trials before you manage to pull the handkerchief off the bowl without breaking the bubble.
Quick Tip: Use gentle, firm hands and glide the handkerchief smoothly.
Once the bubble film is set, wait and watch! The trapped carbon dioxide will inflate the bubble to form a stunning (almost magical!) crystal ball! Let the bubble grow undisturbed till it finally burst!
Quick Tip: Add in a few Funny Science Jokes to make it more fun!
5. Exploding Can
Looking for a crazy thing to do with dry ice? Here is one but this is an outdoor science experiment and should not be done indoors.
All you need to do is place some dry ice with little water in an air tight can, seal its top, place it outdoors and move away. After a while, the can will explode sending its top flying across!
Quick Tip: Throw in Science Riddles With Answers to get kids thinking!
6. Inflate a Balloon
This is fun dry ice experiment for kids – especially younger ones. Simple use a narrow mouthed bottle to put your dry ice and water in. Cover the mouth of the bottle with a balloon.
As the dry ice sublimates, it will inflate the balloon. Simple and fun!
Quick Tip: You can replace the balloon with a plastic glove for silly fun!
7. Make a Comet Model
This is awesome dry ice experiment for high school and space geeks. It takes almost 20 minutes to make and is a great STEM project idea.
8. Make Instant Ice Cream
What could be a better dry ice experiment than making instant ice cream. Follow our simple, easy to make ice cream in a bag at home recipe and replace the regular ice and salt mixture with dry ice for instant homemade ice cream.
FAQs
The surface temperature of dry ice -109.3 degrees Fahrenheit (-78.5 degrees Celsius). For better perspective, the surface temperature to ordinary ice is 32° F. Now, that’s way cooler!
Well! Dry ice does not really burns the skin but it surely super cools the skin, when touched with bare hands long enough, way beyond human endurance! What really happens is that dry ice freezes our skin causing it to hurt.
1. Make a potion
2. Screaming spoon
3. Dry ice bubbles
4. Crystal ball
5. Comet model
