Dancing Corn Thanksgiving Science Activity
Looking for a simple and exciting Thanksgiving-themed science activity? Try this Dancing Corn Experiment with your preschoolers! This bubbly experiment uses just a few ingredients—baking soda, vinegar, water, and popping corn kernels—to create a fizzy reaction that makes the corn “dance” up and down in the jar. It’s a great way to introduce basic science concepts like chemical reactions and buoyancy in a fun, hands-on way. Kids will love watching the bubbles lift the kernels and then drop them back down again. It’s the perfect mix of science and seasonal fun for your Thanksgiving celebrations! And if you’re looking for hands-on worksheets to accompany your science activities, check out our November Science Bundle in our shop!
You will need:
A cup with water
Baking soda
Vinegar
Corn kernels
A plate or baking sheet to catch any overflow
A spoon
Dancing Corn Worksheet from November Science Bundle
Instructions:
Download and print the Dancing Corn worksheet from our November Science Bundle.
Fill the cup a third of the way up with water.
Place the cup on the plate or baking sheet to catch any overflow.
Add the corn kernels to the cup. This is a great time to make a hypothesis and fill out the Dancing Corn Worksheet together!
Carefully add the vinegar. Watch the corn dance! You can keep slowly adding vinegar over the next half hour to keep the kernels moving.
Video
Watch this video to see the experiment!
Shop
Grab the Dancing Corn Worksheet and more fun science activities in our November Science Bundle in our shop!
Check out these other Thanksgiving activities on the blog:
Our Arctic Animal Riddle cards are perfect for winter lessons, circle time, literacy centers, or science activities. These engaging riddle cards encourage children to listen carefully, think critically, and build early literacy skills while learning about fascinating arctic animals.