# Ideas for Kindergarten-age Mythbusters experiments **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 19, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960 "2010-05-19T02:30:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960/21 "2010-05-19T15:50:16Z")
put some baking soda and vinegar into a pop bottle, stretcha a ballon over the opening, the gas resulting (carbon dioxide) will inflate the balloon. This balloon will be a “heavy balloon” it will be filled with gas that’s heavier than air so when you hold it on one hand and another, regular balloon you blew up yourself, then let them go, the regular balloon will float gently to the ground and the heavy one will drop like a stone. But there will be no weight difference that you can feel. It’s too cool for words. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960/22 "2010-05-19T16:24:53Z")
Quick sand in a bucket is really easy to do. Just get a 5 gallon bucket at your local store and put a garden hose and nozzle into the bottom (Home Depot, etc. should have a variety of PVC pieces to piece something together) Fill bucket with sand or probably best to poke holes around the side at a level height, turn on garden hose lightly and you’ve got some quick sand. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960/23 "2010-05-19T16:33:13Z")
All the kids I’ve known also like the 5-20 balloons between two sheets of plywood holding all the kids at the party. ---
**Author:** ![stargazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@stargazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stargazer)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960/24 "2010-05-19T16:44:15Z")
Oh - the cornstarch & water thing would be fun. Mythbusters used that concoction on the “ninja walking on water” episode. I think it’s 2 parts cornstarch to 1 part water - mix gently (add food coloring if you want), and watch the weirdness ensue. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960/25 "2010-05-19T19:53:20Z")
[Soda Bottle Water Rocket](http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/story/111-geekdad_soda_bottle_water_rocket.html) You can do this a lot easier than they do–just stick a rubber stopper in, drill a hole through it and push the needle of the bike pump through the cork into the water inside the bottle. It’s easiest if you make tripod fins so that your bottle can stand on its own, too. When my friend and I did this experiment, we put the fins at an angle so the bottle sort of corkscrew-spun in the air. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960/26 "2010-05-19T20:24:18Z")
Another thought. You can set up a motion sensor alarm (you can pick up a cheap one for under twenty buck) and let the kids try to re-enact this [episode](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8vmd3DkzDg). ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960/27 "2010-05-19T21:04:37Z")
You will, of course, provide your son with either an [Akubra or a beret](http://www.pe.com/imagesdaily/2004/07-26/overlookedtv26c_300.jpg) first thing in the morning on his birthday, right? You can’t have a Mythbuster’s party without at least one of the hats! ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960/28 "2010-05-19T21:11:18Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Question: Can you really jump off the roof holding a bedsheet as a parachute, and land perfectly safely? > > Answer: Um, no. Don’t be silly.. You need an umbrella to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960/29 "2010-05-19T21:51:26Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Ohh, I got one. Take two light birthday candles. Blow one out and immediately hold the wick about an inch over the still lit one…slowly bring it down closer. When it’s about a half inch away from the flame, the flame will jump up and relight it. heh. I think you described the candle one backwards. You’d _expect_ a flame from a lit candle to relight a candle that’s _above_ it. I believe you meant that you should hold the wick of the just-blown-out candle _below_ the wick of the lit candle. [Here’s a video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2dCFZ_Oc2A). How it works: apparently, the flame of the lit candle ignites the stream of vaporized paraffin coming from the still-hot wick below, travels down the stream, and relights the candle. How about an egg drop? Come up with suitable materials, and have the kids build something such that you can drop an egg from, say, ladder-height without breaking. Possible materials include toothpicks, popsicle sticks, paper, straws, pantyhose, tape…just give your teams the same stuff so it’s fair. Kids that age love going crazy with scissors and glue and whatnot. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960/30 "2010-05-19T22:10:02Z")
Prove the Bloody Mary in mirror wrong, unless your chicken. For a science trick make rubber chicken bones by soaking in vinegar. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960/31 "2010-05-20T02:58:50Z")
Is there a monster in the basement? (there is if someone rents a monster suit) ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960/32 "2010-05-20T03:04:42Z")
As a parent, do remember that a lot of these experiments are messy sticky things. I’d suggest the kids wear swimsuits and bring a change of clothes. And maybe have a party that goes “science, cake and presents, run through the sprinkler so you aren’t quite so sticky when you get into Mom’s car.” ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960/33 "2010-05-20T05:37:24Z")
At Borders books today I saw actual mythbusters brand science experiments in boxed sets. ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960/34 "2010-05-20T13:37:00Z")
How about: Could the Big Bad Wolf blow down a straw/stick/brick house? Could put two pieces of straw on top of one another and blow, then repeat with sticks and bricks? ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960/35 "2010-08-18T18:03:15Z")
Thread Necro! I wanted to thank everyone who posted suggestions. The party was a big hit, even though only a couple of kids could come. The adults sure had a great time! I also wanted to share some [pictures](http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000146798041#!/album.php?aid=26566&id=100000146798041), if you’re interested. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-for-kindergarten-age-mythbusters-experiments/539960.md?page=1)