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Mad Scientist

The idea of making simple materials magical by combining them in different ways has fascinated us humans for centuries. In Medieval times, alchemists tried to transform basic metals into silver or gold. In folklore, our tales are full of cackling witches cooking up powerful, bubbling brews. And in fantasy, wizards like Severus Snape create arcane potions that can do extraordinary things. Today, people around the world still mix up magical new creations, but we use different words to describe them—words like "scientist," "chemist," or even..."chef".

This week at Camp Kinda, it's your turn to let your inner mad scientist loose. By the end of the week, you'll understand what everything in the universe is made of and start to see how different materials and substances interact. Along the way, you'll mix up some potions of your own, meet real-life mad scientists, and explore cool stuff like slime, plasma, and Oobleck. So grab your wands, goggles, aprons, and jars, because we feel some chemical wizardry coming on!

what you’ll need

  • Your Camp Kinda toolkit
  • Water
  • Yeast
  • Food coloring
  • Hydrogen peroxide (3% or 6%)
  • Dish soap
  • An empty plastic bottle
  • A bottle of diet cola
  • A package of Mentos
  • A large clear jar
  • Tape
  • Vegetable oil
  • Salt
  • White glue (like Elmers)
  • Baking soda
  • Shaving cream
  • Food coloring (optional)
  • A funnel (optional)
  • Ice (optional)

weekly family activity

Bring this week's theme to life by making your own chemical reaction—in the form of ice cream! You can find all the ingredients at your local grocery store. We're sure this week's family activity won't disappoint your brain or your taste buds. Here's how to do it. Need another option? Check out the movie Flubber and watch what happens when a quirky chemist allows his creativity to run wild.

this week’s content builder:

Raven Foster

Raven Foster is a proud New Orleanian and former 5th grade science teacher who currently serves as a director at OneGoal, an organization dedicated to closing the degree divide by providing resources and support to increase post-secondary enrollment and completion.

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