What do you do when you are running out of ideas for science experiments? You get creative. Science is everywhere and in so many things that we do on a daily basis. I have a friend that is always telling me how much she hates teaching science. She doesn’t feel that she has adequate knowledge to teach the prinicples appropriately and with passion. That is so not true, because she loves baking, and does it frequently with her children. When I told her that she is actually teaching science with every muffin and cookie she makes, she laughed. She had never thought of science in that form before. The truth is that you are more than capable of teaching science than you think, you just have to find out what part you like and adapt your lessons to it. If you like cooking, or just want to change things up, you can come up with a great lesson in chemistry in your kitchen. From the act of measuring solids and liquids to chemical reactions, it is all there.
One of our favorite chemical reactions happens when we make gummy bears. Gummy bears are made by a mixture of sugar, glucose syrup, starch, flavouring, food coloring, citric acid, and gelatin. Chemistry plays a role in creating this tasty treat by putting it all together to make it look and taste a certain way. In order for all the components to come together and make it work, it takes chemistry. The combining of these elements and the reactions that happen when heat is added and cooling down again is an excellent way to demonstrate chemical reactions.
Lets get to it. First you will need some supplies. A silicon mold is essential for these to turn out the best. You can order one from Amazon, or I have seen them at bigger chain stores. You will need to order gummy bear mix. Again, this is readily found online, or sometimes at the grocery store. You will need a box of plain gelatin. There are also many ways to flavor your bears, but you can get a flavored mix to make it easier. That is the route that we went with a cherry flavor. Believe it or not, that is everything you need beside a mixing bowl and water.
First thing you will want to do is spray your gummy bear mold with cooking spray. This will allow them to pop out easily and not stick to the mold.
In a mixing bowl put equal amounts of gelatin, gummy bear mix, and water. Mix those ingredients all together to blend them. Then, put your mixture into the microwave for thirty seconds. You may do this on the stove if you prefer. You want to get the mixture hot enough to dissolve the powders into the water without burning it. The amount you choose is entirely up to you. It depends on how many bears you going to be making. We used two tablespoon of each and it was plenty to fill our molds with some left over.
Once the mixture is heated up, be sure to stir it once again to ensure that is entirely blended. You want to make sure that all elements are dissolved. If it is not all dissolved and smooth, it will make some lumpy bears. It will also not set up right and the consistency will be off. When you have it all blended it is time to fill the molds. Make sure to not overfill the bears as it will run and create a gummy mess. Also, keep an eye on your time. The gelatin will start to set up rather quickly making t filling the molds difficult. Moving quickly fill up your pipette with the mixture and fill those bears.
When all the bears are full, put them into the refridgerator for twenty minutes. After that they are ready to enjoy. Pop them out of the mold and taste your creation. It really couldn’t be simpler. This makes for such a fun project for many age ranges. Older kids can do most of it by themselves, and younger kids will learn just as much by watching. All will love to eat the bears! Give this a try when you are stumped on science lessons, and your kids will think that you are a genious!!
-Nicole
