Spangler Halloween Experience Labs

Kesler Science and Steve Spangler have teamed up again to bring you 12 mesmerizing, differentiated, hands-on experiments that use the CER process and come with a teacher answer key. 1:1 digital format included (for classroom/hands-on use – not distance learning).

Take advantage of this spooky time of year to teach your students some science!

To be as easy and successful as possible, these experiments often refer to materials sold in kits. However, there are many ways to replace these materials on your own. There is a list of kit materials - and their DIY recipes - at the bottom of this description and in each experiment. Please check this out before purchasing!

NOTE: Some of the experiments have been previously published by Steve Spangler under the names “Ultimate Halloween Science Party” and “Spooky Science.” These resources have brand-new student response pages (modified version included) and have been redesigned for self-printing.

Activities Include:

Dracula Paper

Frozen Shadow

Ghost Barf

Ghost Detector

Ghost Eggs

Ghost Poop

Ghoul Goo

Glow in the Dark Slime

Glowing Boogers

Glowing Concoctions

Goblin Guts

Screaming Balloon

These Halloween science activities are teacher-created, kid-tested, and guaranteed to give you amazing Halloween science experiences. One word of warning... kids who do these activities have been known to have fun and learn some very cool science! Happy Halloween!

List of Materials and DIY Recipes

To give you the easiest and fastest prep, some of the experiments refer to prepackaged kits. Kesler Science does not get any benefit from the sale of these kits, and there are many ways to replace these materials on your own.

Dracula Paper

• Goldenrod paper (DIY: boil four tablespoons of turmeric for every two cups of water; soak white paper and allow to dry.)
• Ammonia solution (commonly sold as Windex)
• Cotton balls

Frozen Shadow

• Mini black light
• Glow-in-the-dark copy paper (No DIY option; sold in stores and online)

Ghost Barf

• Clear Slime Goo (DIY: 4% PVA solution)
• Shaker cups with lids
• Cross linker solution (DIY: 1 cup of warm water + 1 tablespoon sodium tetraborate, AKA Borax)
• Jelly Marbles (DIY: polyacrylamide orbs sold as toys and for floral arranging)

Ghost Detector

• Energy Stick/Energy Rod (No DIY option; sold in stores and online)

Ghost Eggs

• Clear Jelly Marbles (DIY: polyacrylamide orbs sold as toys and for floral arranging)

Ghost Poop

• Starch packing peanuts

Ghoul Goo

• Gravi-Goo Powder (DIY: polyethylene oxide, AKA PolyOx)

Glow-in-the-Dark Slime

• Slime Goo (DIY: 4% PVA)
• Cross-linker solution (DIY: 1 cup of warm water + 1 tablespoon sodium tetraborate, AKA Borax)

Glowing Boogers

• Worm Solution (DIY: 2g sodium alginate + 100 mL distilled water)
• Worm Activator (DIY: 5g calcium chloride + 100 mL distilled water)
• Atomic Goo (DIY: while it may not be as consistent as the purchased kit, you can replace the fluorescence of this material with fluorescein or by soaking the core of a neon yellow highlighter in the liquid ingredients of a recipe in advance.)

Glowing Concoctions

• Baby soda bottle (unblown, unformed soda bottle)
• Vegetable oil
• Glow Powder (DIY: zinc sulfide)
• Mini black light

Goblin Guts

• Worm Solution (DIY: 2g sodium alginate + 100 mL distilled water)
• Worm Activator (DIY: 5g calcium chloride + 100 mL distilled water)

Screaming Balloon

• Latex Balloons
• Hex Nuts

File Formats: PowerPoint and PDF; can be uploaded to Google Slides.