Halloween Chemistry

A little chemistry can add a lot of ghastly, ghostly effect to your Halloween celebration. Here's a look at some of the top Halloween projects you can do that apply your command of chemistry.

Take your Halloween jack o lantern or pumpkin to the next level with this simple science-based special effects.

Here are some science costume ideas for Halloween or costume parties.

Make your own fake blood or stage blood. Here are recipes for realistic fake blood; blue, green or yellow fake blood, fake blood that glows in the dark, and even fake blood with guts.

A mad scientist party is a fun and educational party theme, ideal for birthdays and Halloween. Get ideas for invitations, decorations, costumes, food and drink, cakes, mad scientist experiments and games, as well as party favors for guests to take home.

Have you ever wondered how smoke machines work or wanted to make your own smoke or fog? Here's your chance to find out how it works. There are separate sections for each type of non-toxic smoke generator, together with important safety tips.

Turn a clear liquid into a red liquid, then back to clear again. This demonstration is commonly called turning water into wine or blood, and can be used to demonstrate acid-base indicators. It's a great idea for a Halloween activity.

It's easy to put together a great mad scientist costume for Halloween or a costume party!

A scientist Halloween costume is not only very cool, but also easy to make and either free or else inexpensive.

Looking evil is easy. Looking like a genius takes some planning. Here's how you can put together a quick Evil Genius costume for Halloween or a costume party.

It's easy to make a chemist costume. Here's how to make a chemist costume for Halloween or any costume party.

The giant bubble you can make using dry ice and bubble solution sort of resembles a crystal ball. This is an easy and spectacular science project.

Making a simulant is a form of chemistry, right? Here are instructions for making your own edible fake barf. Ick!

Bake and decorate a creepy eyeball cake for Halloween, birthday or fun science parties. It's very easy!

This results in a non-toxic, realistic stage blood.

This is a recipe for an edible fake blood which you can color blue or green for insects, spiders, and other arthropods, or perhaps for aliens.

Use common kitchen ingredients to make non-toxic fake flesh or organs for Halloween or theater performances.

Do you love the look of neon signs, but want an inexpensive alternative that you can customize to say whatever you want? You can make a fake neon sign using fluorescence to make inexpensive common materials glow.

Let's combine chemicals (ingredients) to make fake wounds suitable for Halloween or other special events.

This is a gooey, gross variation of the traditional slime recipe, great for Halloween and other occasions requiring snot.

These instructions will result in either clear or amber glass, depending on the cooking time used.

Make a non-toxic fizzy Mad Scientist potion using ingredients from your kitchen. The potion looks evil, but it is safe enough to drink.

You can make a glow in the dark pumpkin with a jack-o-lantern face using a common non-toxic chemical. The jack-o-lantern doesn't require carving or fire, shines in rain or wind, and lasts as long as your pumpkin. Plus, the glowing pumpkin looks really spooky!

Glowing Hand of Doom punch is a great punch for Halloween parties or mad scientist parties. Here's how to make a glowing hand rise from the punch, which is bubbling and producing fog.

A Halloween jack-o-lantern filled with green fire is much more impressive than one lit with the usual candle. Here's how to produce this easy effect yourself.

It's easy to make brilliant green fire. This cool chemistry project only takes two household chemicals. Imagine a cauldron of green fire or maybe a jack-o-lantern lit with green fire for Halloween.

What is better than regular slime? Slime that glows in the dark, of course! This is an easy and fun project that is suitable for kids.

Your carved pumpkin or Halloween jack o lantern doesn't have to rot or mold before Halloween! Here is how to preserve a jack o lantern so that it will last for weeks instead of days.

The Old Nassau or Halloween reaction is a clock reaction in which the color of a chemical solution changes from orange to black. Here's how you can do this reaction as a chemistry demonstration.

Are you ready for some spooky science? These projects and experiments are just right for Halloween. Make your holiday educational as well as fun!

If you have laundry detergent, you can make a glow-in-the dark skull that you can put on your sidewalk or window that will be invisible during the day but will glow at night. Here's how you do it.

This article lists some of the fluorophors that are used to give light sticks different colors. The oxalate chemiluminescent reactions are introduced.

While renting a smoke machine is a reliable option, here are fog instructions for the do-it-yourself types.

Smoke bombs are cool; so are Halloween jack-o-lanterns. What do you think happens when you combine the two? You get a jack-o-lantern that belches out a ton of smoke!

You can make spooky fog come out of your Halloween jack-o-lantern using a little dry ice. Here's how you do it plus a trick for getting the best effect.

Find out why leaves change color in the fall. Learn about the different pigments found in leaves and how bright autumn foliage is produced.

Have you ever wanted to color fire? Here are simple, nontechnical instructions for making your own colored flames. Add extra interest to your fireplace or campfire!

Why do leaf colors change in the fall? What causes the different colors? It's mostly a matter of photochemistry rather than of temperature. Find out more!

These are instructions for making glow in the dark ink. However, the instructions are presented as a curiosity or for information only, NOT for use.

Mix up some Igor-ade as a drink for a Halloween party or Mad Scientist Party.

Make a cake and decorate it to look like a volcano. This is a great party cake for birthdays or a mad scientist theme party.

Can a pumpkin carve itself into a Halloween jack-o-lantern? It can if you pre-carve the face and use a chemical reaction for force the pieces of pumpkin out! Here's how to perform the self-carving exploding pumpkin demonstration.

Learn how to make your own science Halloween costumes. Be a scientist, mad scientist, evil genius or chemist.

This Halloween jack-o-lantern spews out real water fog for a safe and spooky effect.

Here's a safe version of the self-carving Halloween pumpkin project.