• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy + Terms
  • Affiliates

The Chaos and the Clutter

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google Plus
  • RSS
  • Email
  • School at Home
  • Sensory
    • Sensory Processing Disorder
    • Awesome Sensory Play Activities
      • Sensory Bins
      • Sensory Bottles
      • Sensory Bags
  • Family Games
    • Minute to Win It Games
  • Special Needs Parenting
    • Childhood Anxiety
    • Reactive Attachment Disorder
    • Sensory Processing Disorder
  • Store
  • Course Login

10 Jello Science Experiments

By Sharla Kostelyk

(This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure policy.)

  • Total8.9K
  • Facebook67
  • Twitter1
  • Pinterest8.8K
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

This week, we’ve been exploring through jello science. This started as a practical way for me to use all the extra jello I bought when attempting to make fingerpaint that flopped, but it ended with some really fun science experiments and more than a few giggles!

The coolest jello science experiments ever.

Fizzing and Colour Mixing Jello Experiment:

The first science experiment we did was a slightly different take on the usual baking soda and vinegar chemical reactions eruption. This one has a colour mixing sensory twist.

We started with vinegar, baking soda, blue jello, and yellow jello. I set out a clear baking dish and set two smaller dishes inside it. Into each of those dishes, I added baking soda and about half a packet of the jello and stirred them. Then I had Miss Optimism pour vinegar into the dishes and we watched it erupt.

jello science eruption experiment

Since we used two primary colours, we had hypothesized that they would create a third colour once they mixed and sure enough, the blue and yellow created green.

This jello science experiment soon turned into a sensory experience. As Miss Optimism put it, “it’s gooey, like wet sand”. She played for more than half an hour in the sensory goop, playing until the liquid was entirely green.

This hands-on learning activity is great for preschoolers up to elementary schoolers. It also makes a simple science fair project.

jello colour mixing experiment

This science experiment is one of many awesome activities that you can find in The Sensory Science Book Volume 1.  

Enzyme versus Protein Jello Experiment:

The next jello science experiment we did was to see if adding pineapple will always prevent jello from setting. Einstein had read on the box of jello that adding kiwi or pineapple will prevent jello from setting.

Does Adding Pineapple Always Prevent Jello from Setting?We began by adding pieces of fresh pineapple to one row in an ice cube tray. I then roasted pineapple and we added a row of cooked pineapple to the tray. We did this to see if cooking the pineapple would make a difference as opposed to using the fresh fruit. We mixed up jello according to the package directions and poured it in the tray.

In another tray, we set out one row of strawberry pieces to see how the jello would react to that fruit and in the last row, added nothing so that we could use that row as our control. We added jello to that tray as well and put both trays in the fridge to set overnight.

jello setting science experimentIn the morning, we found that all the rows had set except the row with the fresh pineapple which was still green liquid. This activity was kitchen science at its best. The kids ate the results just to be sure they were accurate!

We read about how pineapple has an enzyme that breaks down protein and therefore prevents jello from setting. We deduced that cooking the pineapple had broken down the enzymes or caused them to be inactive which allowed the jello with the cooked pineapple to set.

Strawberries do not contain bromelain and do not affect the structure of jello.

With our one remaining Jello packet, the kids took all of our fun ice cube tray moulds (Titanic, Lego blocks and Lego mini fig) and made themselves some fun shaped jello to eat!

Edible Animal Cell:

This isn’t the first time we’ve explored science with the help of jello. A few years ago, we made this edible cell out of jello for one of the science units we were studying.

edible cell out of jelloOther Cool Jello Science Experiments:

Learn Play Imagine has a super cool Glowing Jello Experiment.

glowing jelloExperiment with changes in matter with frozen jello sensory play from The Imagination Tree.

frozen jello science changes of matterMomma’s Fun World did a fun experiment with jello egg science.

jello egg scienceKids Activities Blog offers a really great idea for teaching kids about turbulence on planes. This would be especially good for kids who either have a fear of flying or who have never been on an airplane. Science to conquer fears!

Turbulence on a Plane taught through jelloTeach Preschool offers a wonderful hands-on science experience with The Wonders of Bright and Colourful Gelatin.

exploring gelatinScience Buddies has a really awesome centripetal force jello experiment. I actually wrote out the steps and considered doing this with the kids but it is a bit advanced for where my kids are at. It may be one we do in the future though.

centripetal force jello experimentThis ice cream jello from Come Together Kids is so cute! I love the way she made the cups!

ice cream jelloIf you are looking for other fun and easy science experiments, check out The Sensory Science Book that will get kids excited about science!

  • Total8.9K
  • Facebook67
  • Twitter1
  • Pinterest8.8K
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

Filed Under: Homeschooling, Simple Science

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Quick Start Homeschool says

    May 8, 2014 at 6:03 am

    This is fantastic! I can’t imagine any child not having fun, and learning, with these Jello ideas! Thanks for bringing them to us!

    Marie-Claire

  2. Paris (My Big Fat Happy Life) says

    May 12, 2014 at 10:32 am

    What fun experiments, I am pinning. #MondayParentingPin-ItParty

  3. Yuliya says

    May 13, 2014 at 3:31 am

    Wow! These look awesome! We don’t typically eat jello, and while I’ve thought about getting some for tot school, I’ve never bothered. I’m definitely regretting that now! Looks like such a blast!! Pinned 🙂

  4. Dianna @ The Kennedy Adventures says

    May 13, 2014 at 6:37 am

    Waving ….. hi Sharla!

    Thanks so much for linking these messy fun ideas up at The Thoughtful Spot. I know my littles would love these!

  5. Laura Schachter says

    May 13, 2014 at 7:58 am

    What fun! Thank you so much for sharing such fantastic ideas!!! I can’t wait to try them 🙂
    Laura

  6. Natalie PlanetSmartyPants says

    May 13, 2014 at 1:58 pm

    This is simply way cool! Great experiments and wonderful pictures. Thanks for sharing with After School Link Up and STEM Tuesday!

  7. Karen Bell says

    May 14, 2014 at 6:07 am

    Great ideas there, I need to do some with my son, he would love them.
    #Pintorials

  8. Mum of One says

    May 14, 2014 at 8:16 am

    What a great experiment with the pineapple. We are a few years away from the yet but am pinning for future use. Thanks for sharing with the #pinitparty.

  9. Kate Williams says

    May 15, 2014 at 1:26 pm

    That looks like great fun, I fancy giving it a try myself! Thanks for linking with Tuesday Tutorials #pintorials

  10. Dianna @ The Kennedy Adventures says

    May 16, 2014 at 1:41 pm

    Yay! You’re being featured on The Thoughtful Spot next week! Congratulations and thanks again for linking up such a wonderful idea!

  11. Anna@The Measured Mom says

    May 17, 2014 at 7:40 pm

    Awesome collection of science activities! These look like SO much fun. I’m sharing it in my features on Monday’s After School Linky.

  12. Forest Rose says

    May 29, 2014 at 7:27 pm

    Looks like fun Science to me and yummy too:-) My girls will love these! Thanks!

  13. Michelle Cannon says

    May 31, 2014 at 11:58 am

    These look like so much fun! My daughter is 11, but she is forever making concoctions in my kitchen and bathroom (good thing we don’t have toxic cleaners in my house!). Although she’s currently creating robotics and testing magnetism theories, I think she’d enjoy doing this Jello stuff with her niece.

    Great post!

  14. Juliar Nur says

    May 24, 2015 at 6:50 pm

    Thanks for the article. Great post and experiment. I’m 23 but it feel like i want to do it too.. BTW, “Miss Optimistim”, cool nickname. Jello science sounds fun. Thanks again Sharla.

  15. Cristina says

    February 15, 2017 at 2:06 pm

    These are amazing ideas! Already pinned it. Thanks for the tips!

Trackbacks

  1. Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop #37 says:
    May 19, 2014 at 5:51 am

    […] shared with all of us. Here are some of our favorite ideas from last week’s hop: 10 Jello Science Experiments by The Chaos and the Clutter 4 Mini Easiest Kitchen Science Activity Trays by Little Bins for Little Hands Kid Made Marbled […]

Primary Sidebar

Categories

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2023 • The Chaos and the Clutter • Site Design by Jeni @ The Blog Maven

Return to top of page

Copyright © 2023 · Chaos and the Clutter 2.0 on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in