Looking for a Halloween activity that's spooky but not scary? These potions use things you probably already have at home, take about 15 minutes, and work as party decorations afterwards. There are also free printable colouring pages and spider and bat outlines at the end.
Fizzing potions
You'll need:
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Food colouring (a few colours is more fun)
- Small cups, jars or bottles
- A tray or baking dish to catch spills
- A spoon and a small jug for pouring
What to do:
- Put the cups on the tray. Add about 1 tablespoon of baking soda to each cup.
- In the jug, mix about ¼ cup (60 ml) of vinegar with a few drops of food colouring. Make one jug per colour.
- Let your child pour the coloured vinegar into the cup and watch it fizz.
- For more bubbles, add a squirt of washing-up liquid to the baking soda first.
Glitter "magic" potions
You'll need:
- Clear bottles or jars with lids
- Water
- Food colouring
- Glitter (a little goes a long way)
- A funnel, if you have one
What to do:
- Fill each bottle most of the way with water.
- Add a few drops of food colouring and a pinch of glitter.
- Screw the lid on tightly and shake.
These make great decorations. Line them up on a shelf or table at your party.
Using the potions at a party
- A potion station: let each guest make their own fizzing potion and take home a glitter one.
- Guess the ingredient: hide a few ingredients in unlabelled cups and have kids guess what's what.
- Give them spooky names: a label on each bottle makes the potions feel like part of the party.
Looking for more ideas? Take a look at our other holiday activities.