One of the take-home activities at Ilsley Library’s curbside pick-up last week was “elephant toothpaste” — and hoo boy was it a hit at my house. It’s basically a big foamy chemical reaction created using easy-to-find ingredients. So I thought I’d share the recipe here, in case you missed the Ilsley kit.
I found instructions here, and have summarized them below.
What you need:
1 Tbsp dry yeast
liquid dish soap
1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide
food coloring
a glass or bottle
safety glasses (mostly for fun; the foam is impressive, but it’s not going to knock your socks off.)
Directions:
Set up your materials somewhere you don’t mind making a mess. (We did this outside. If you do it inside, put a tray or bowl under your bottle or cup to catch the foam.)
Pour the hydrogen peroxide into your bottle or glass.
Add a big squirt of dish soap and mix it up.
Squeeze in some food coloring and mix it up.
In a measuring cup, mix together the yeast with 3 Tbsp warm water. Let it sit for a minute to proof.
Pour the yeast mixture into the hydrogen peroxide-soap mixture and stand back to see what happens!
Enjoy! Oh, and please don’t eat the “toothpaste.” Or get it in your eyes. Hydrogen peroxide can irritate your eyes.