Spooky Science: 6 Halloween Lab Activities That Actually Teach Core Concepts for Physics and Chemistry

October is one of the best months to spark curiosity in your science classroom. Seasonal activities give students a fun hook, but the key is making sure they’re also standards-based and meaningful. These Halloween science labs hit that balance: quick setups, strong content connections, and just enough spooky flair to keep high schoolers engaged. This type of fun is not just for the younger students.

Whether you need a five-minute demo, a full class lab, or a quick station activity, these Halloween labs for chemistry and physics are ready to go. Based on your students' needs, you can adapt them or extend them into a more rigorous activity.

1. Pumpkin Fizz Demo: Halloween Volcano

Concepts: Chemical reactions, evidence of change, conservation of mass

Investigation Questions:

• How can you prove a new substance is formed during this reaction?

• What evidence shows that matter is conserved, even though the “fizz” disappears?

• How does changing the amount of vinegar affect the reaction?

Materials:

• Small pumpkin (hollowed out) or clear beaker

• 2–3 tbsp baking soda

• ½ cup vinegar

• A few drops of dish soap

• Optional: food coloring (orange, green, or purple)

Steps:

1. Place your pumpkin/beaker on a tray.

2. Add baking soda inside.

3. Stir in dish soap and food coloring.

4. Slowly pour in vinegar.

5. Watch the bubbling “pumpkin fizz” spill out like a Halloween volcano!

Classroom Connections:

• Chemical Reactions: Acid (vinegar) + base (baking soda) → carbon dioxide gas.

• Evidence of Change: Fizzing, bubbling, new substance formed.

• Conservation of Mass: Even though matter “disappears,” it’s just transformed into gas.

Extension/Challenge:

• Have students measure reaction time with different amounts of vinegar.

• Ask: Does increasing reactants increase the total mass of gas produced?

2. The Levitating Ghost

Concepts: Static electricity, non-contact forces, Coulomb’s law introduction

Investigation Questions:

• Why does rubbing the balloon on your hair or sweater make the ghost move?

• How is this force different from contact forces like pushes or pulls?

• What happens if you try charging the balloon with different materials?

Materials:

• Tissue paper (cut into a ghost)

• Marker

• Scissors

• Balloon

• Tape

Steps:

1. Cut a tissue ghost shape, add a spooky face.

2. Blow up a balloon and rub it on hair or a sweater.

3. Hold the charged balloon near the ghost.

4. Watch your “ghost” rise toward the balloon!

Classroom Connections:

• Static Electricity: Rubbing the balloon transfers electrons.

• Forces & Interactions: Negative charges attract the neutral ghost.

• Field Forces: Ghost moves without touching, showing non-contact forces.

Extension/Challenge:

• Compare how long the charge lasts on different materials.

• Ask: Why does the ghost stop moving after a while?

3. Magic Color-Changing Potion

Concepts: Acids and bases, indicators, chemical reactions

Investigation Questions:

• Why does red cabbage juice change color when vinegar is added?

• How can you design a test to identify unknown “mystery potions”?

• What does this experiment show about the particle level of acids and bases?

Materials:

• Red cabbage juice (natural pH indicator)

• Clear cups or beakers

• Vinegar (acid)

• Baking soda solution (base)

• Optional: lemon juice, soap solution, or other safe household acids/bases

Steps:

1. Pour cabbage juice into cups.

2. Add vinegar → watch it turn pink/red.

3. Add baking soda solution → watch it turn green/blue.

4. Mix them together and watch the shift again!

Classroom Connections:

• Acids & Bases: Cabbage juice acts as a natural pH indicator.

• Chemical Reactions: Visual evidence through color change.

• Conservation of Matter: No mass is lost, just rearranged into new substances.

Extension/Challenge:

• Set up “mystery potions” for students to test and classify.

• Challenge them to predict the pH range for each mystery liquid.

4. Glow Stick Energy Test

Concepts: Energy transfer, reaction rates

Investigation Questions:

• Why do glow sticks in hot water glow brighter but fade faster?

• How does temperature affect the rate of reaction?

• If you wanted a glow stick to last all night, which temperature condition would you choose and why?

Materials: Glow sticks, hot water, ice water, room temperature water

Steps:

1. Place glow sticks in hot, cold, and room temp water.

2. Dim the lights.

3. Observe how brightness changes.

Classroom Connections:

• Reaction Rates: Higher temperature = faster reaction, brighter glow.

• Energy Transfer: Thermal energy affects chemical reaction speed.

Extension/Challenge:

• Graph brightness vs. time for different temperatures.

• Discuss: Why does the hot glow stick burn out faster?

5. Spider Rockets

Concepts: Newton’s Third Law, forces and motion

Investigation Questions:

• How does Newton’s Third Law explain the motion of the spider rocket?

• What variables (balloon size, angle, string length) affect the rocket’s speed or distance?

• How could you design an experiment to test one of those variables?

Materials: Balloons, string, tape, markers (decorate as spiders/bats)

Steps:

1. Thread string through a straw and tape the balloon to the straw.

2. Blow up balloon but don’t tie.

3. Release and watch it zoom!

Classroom Connections:

• Newton’s 3rd Law: Air pushes backward, balloon moves forward.

• Velocity & Acceleration: Measure time and distance to calculate speed.

Extension/Challenge:

• Test variables: balloon size, string angle, string tension.

• Ask: Which factor makes the rocket go farthest?

6. Slime Time: Witch’s Brew Polymers

Concepts: Polymers, states of matter

Investigation Questions:

• Is slime a solid, a liquid, or something in between? Defend your answer.

• How does changing the ratio of glue to activator affect the slime’s properties?

• What real-world materials behave like polymers?

Materials: Glue, contact solution, food coloring, optional glitter/googly eyes

Steps:

1. Mix glue with activator.

2. Add food coloring for spooky effect.

3. Customize with Halloween add-ins.

Classroom Connections:

• Properties of Polymers: Flexible, stretchy, not quite solid or liquid.

• Changes of Matter: Identify physical vs. chemical changes.

Extension/Challenge:

• Ask: Is slime more solid or liquid? Support your claim.

• Measure the viscosity of different slime recipes.

Why These Labs Work

• Seasonal engagement: Halloween themes boost interest without distracting from content.

• Standards-aligned: Each activity ties directly to core chemistry and physics concepts.

• Flexible formats: Use as demos, bellringers, stations, or full investigations.

• Review opportunities: Use these demos/labs to help review for upcoming midterms.

Teacher Tools to Make It Easier

• TpT Fall & Halloween Lab Bundle: Get student-ready worksheets, teacher notes, and extensions for all these labs in one download. Perfect when you don’t have prep time but still want seasonal engagement.

• Free Lab Roles Cards: Classroom management is easier when every student has a job. Grab my free printable set to assign roles like Materials Manager or Data Recorder, especially helpful in large classes.

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Final Thoughts

Adding a little Halloween science fun doesn’t have to derail your pacing guide. With these activities, you’ll keep students hooked, cover key content, and bring some seasonal magic to your chemistry and physics lessons.

Grab the Halloween Lab Bundle to save yourself planning time, and download your free Lab Roles Cards above to keep labs running smoothly. Your October science lessons just got easier and more fun!