Harry Potter Potions Class

Halloween is such a wonderful time when your son is besotted with all-things Hogwarts! I had so much fun setting up this potions class on the first day of October half term but let's face it, potions are fun any time of the year.

You could do a much simpler version of this tray if you don't have the halloween/hogwarts supplies or if your children are younger and wouldn't follow the instructions - the only item you would have to watch really little ones with are the mentos for the choking risk factor.

   

I found free printable potion labels online and picked up a cauldron, goblets, plastic milk bottles, led flickering candlesticks, spiders and horn of unicorn (bath bomb) in Home Bargains for a few pounds (plus some chocolate eyeballs as an after-class snack!). 

I left some potion instructions so that they carried out a few science experiments initially - bicarbonate of soda & vinegar plus mentos & diet coke to make fizzing potions, red cabbage water to mix with lemon juice, vinegar & washing up liquid to see the colour changing effect - and then also laid out some coloured waters & pipettes so they could play about after following the instructions. The mentos and Diet Coke didn't work very well - I think it may need the pressure of being in the coke bottle rather than being in an open cup but the vinegar and bicarbonate of soda worked very well, lots of fizzy fun.

The Harry Potter theme playing and the darkened room with flickering candles got quite a reaction when they walked in and they spent a very long time mixing, pouring and stirring!

The Science & Prep Behind the Potions
Fizzing Potions
Bicarbonate of soda is an alkaline whilst vinegar is an acid. When they are mixed together they produce a chemical reaction which produces carbon dioxide gas. This gas forms bubbles in the liquid, hence the fizzing!

Colour changing Potions
Chop up some red cabbage and boil it in some water for five minutes. Leave it to cool for half an hour and then sieve out the lovely (if somewhat stinky!) purple water for your experiment.
Cabbage water acts as a pH indicator and can be used to see how acidic another liquid is. If it's pH is less than 7 it's an acid and will turn the cabbage water red. If it's pH is over 7 it is an alkaline or base and will turn the cabbage water blue or green.