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Elephant Toothpaste Science Experiment

Elephant Toothpaste anyone? Although elephants might not be too excited about the idea, your kids will be thrilled with the fun chemical reaction of this super simple science experiment.

With only a few common items that you probably already have at home, kids can see the quick and impressive results of the chemical reaction, feel the heat released from the process, and even play with the “elephant toothpaste” foam afterward.

Below you’ll find detailed and printable instructions, a materials list, a demonstration video, and an easy to understand explanation of why it works!

JUMP TO SECTION: Instructions | Video Tutorial | How it Works

Supplies Needed

• 2 Tablespoons Warm Water
• 1 Teaspoon Yeast
• Food Coloring
• Hydrogen Peroxide – Either 3% or 6%
• Empty Plastic Bottle

Helpful Tip: You can find the 3% at most stores, but you will need to either go to a Beauty Supply Store or order the 6% online. In the video I perform the experiment two ways. Once using the 3% peroxide and once using the 6%. It is often recommended to use 6% peroxide, but we actually preferred the reaction that happened with the 3% better.

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Elephant Toothpaste Experiment Instructions

Step 1 –  Combine two tablespoons of warm water with one teaspoon of yeast and mix until the yeast is completely dissolved in the water. 

Step 2 –  Pour 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide into the empty bottle. You’ll see here that we have two bottles. The bottle pictured on the left is being filled with 3% hydrogen peroxide while the bottle pictured on the right is filled with 6% hydrogen peroxide.

Step 3 –  Add a few drops of food coloring into the bottle. Take a moment to make a few observations. What happened when you added the drops of food coloring?

Note: This step is optional, but adding the color adds a fun element to the experiment. You’ll see that we used a different color of food coloring for each bottle. 

Step 4 – Next, add a squirt of dish soap into the bottle. Again, take a moment observe what happened. Did adding the dish soap appear to have any effect on the liquid already in the bottle?

Step 5 – Finally, pour the mixture of water and yeast into the bottle. Watch carefully and observe what happens. 

Helpful Tip: You may need to gently swirl the bottle in order to get the items to completely combine. We had to do that for the 6% hydrogen peroxide.

Sit back and watch what happens. Write down your observations as you watch the experiment. Can you describe what happens when you add the water and yeast mixture to the bottle. If you are using both the 3% and the 6% hydrogen peroxide like we are, is there a difference between what happens? 

Wondering what caused the liquid to react that way? Find out the answer in the how does this experiment work section below.

Video Tutorial

Watch the Elephant Toothpaste Science Experiment Step by Step Instructions Video

How Does the Elephant Toothpaste Science Experiment Work

This experiment shows a very impressive and fast chemical reaction! Hydrogen peroxide is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O2). In this experiment, yeast is a catalyst that helps release oxygen molecules from the hydrogen peroxide solution.

A catalyst is a material that increases the rate of a reaction without itself being consumed

The release of oxygen molecules in this experiment happens FAST! The foam created in this chemical reaction is made up of very tiny oxygen bubbles. These bubbles result when hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is broken down by the yeast into water (H2O) and oxygen (O2).

During the reaction, feel the bottle. It will feel warm to the touch because it is an exothermic reaction .

An exothermic reaction is a chemical reaction that releases energy through light or heat (in this case, heat).

The reaction will continue and foam will be produced until all of the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been broken down into water (H2O) and oxygen (O2).

**Have fun playing with the foam after the experiment is over! It is safe to touch because all that foam is just soap, water and oxygen. Let your kids have some fun with the foam too. Just be sure to have a towel handy!

Other Ideas to Try

Try adding more or less yeast when doing the experiment again. How does this affect the amount of foam produced?

Try the experiment again, but change the size of the bottle. How does this affect the amount of foam produced?

I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here are some printable instructions:

• Hydrogen Peroxide – Either 3% or 6%

Instructions

• Combine two tablespoons of warm water with one teaspoon of yeast and mix until the yeast is completely dissolved in the water.
• Pour 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide into the empty bottle
• Add a few drops of food coloring into the bottle
• Add a squirt of dish soap into the bottle
• Pour the mixture of water & yeast into the bottle
• Sit back and watch what happens

Reader Interactions

February 7, 2016 at 8:13 pm

do it was a cemical reacin

February 8, 2016 at 1:15 pm

Correct! The yeast is mixed with the hydrogen peroxide causes a chemical reaction.

Which version did you like better, the one that reacted fast or the one that reacted slow?

May 17, 2018 at 12:31 pm

Looks amazing! What is the chemical reaction?

March 24, 2019 at 10:40 am

I’m am going to do that science project and this was super helpful thanks so much

March 24, 2019 at 10:46 am

Thank you so much I am doing this science project and I don’t know what to do and now I know what to do j

September 1, 2019 at 8:09 am

Did you try using more yeast or more 3 % hydrogen peroxide?

Found this explanation: “The yeast acted as a catalyst; a catalyst is used to speed up a reaction. It quickly broke apart the oxygen from the hydrogen peroxide. Because it did this very fast, it created lots and lots of bubbles. Did you notice the bottle got warm. Your experiment created a reaction called an Exothermic Reaction – that means it not only created foam, it created heat! The foam produced is just water, soap, and oxygen ” The yeast is not reacting with the hydrogen peroxide. Rather it is acting as a catalyst. A catalyst is a substance that causes a chemical reaction to speed up but is not “used” up during the reaction. Hydrogen Peroxide: H2O2 hydrogen and oxygen Baker’s Yeast: C19H14O2 carbon, hydrogen and oxygen

August 18, 2020 at 2:25 pm

My son did this experiment which was great! The only problem was that he played with the foam afterwards and his hands got super itchy. Can you be allergic to the yeast? Just a warning in case this happens to anyone else.

August 11, 2023 at 8:49 pm

Yeah I did this with potassium iodide and 25% hydrogen peroxide in a lab and my fingers went a little white on the tips (I had gloves on after this happened) they did get itchy and I think it was just the hydrogen peroxide bleaching the skin. This is an exothermic reaction so it can get hot not sure how hot with yeast.

January 25, 2022 at 11:25 am

It did not work for me and i don’t know why maybe caused i used rubbing alcohol insted

December 6, 2023 at 3:55 pm

good helpful and fun

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Elephant Toothpaste Experiment: How-To Plus Free Worksheet

Heat things up with this larger-than-life science lesson.

Who knew toothpaste could be so fun? While no actual toothpaste is produced, this experiment is an exciting and hands-on way to bring several science lessons to life. You’ll want to use some caution when performing it with kids. Some of the chemicals used can be irritating and the substance produced is hot, so you won’t want to actually brush anyone’s teeth with the foam, as tempting as that may be! Read on to see how to do the Elephant Toothpaste Experiment, and  fill out the form on this page  to grab your free recording sheet.

How does the Elephant Toothpaste Experiment work?

This experiment works through a chemical reaction that results from a catalyst (potassium iodide, aka yeast) being introduced into a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and dish soap. The hydrogen peroxide is decomposed into water and oxygen and the catalyst speeds up the reaction, forcing the oxygen into the soap bubbles. The resulting effect is the substance quickly pouring up and out of the container.

What does the Elephant Toothpaste Experiment teach?

This experiment is a crowd-pleaser, but it also serves to teach kids a lot. The concept of a catalyst speeding up a reaction is demonstrated in an obvious and exciting way as the introduction of the yeast forces the foam to explode up and out of the bottle. It also teaches kids about exothermic reactions as the foam coming out of the bottle is hot. Additionally, kids get to see a decomposition reaction as the rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide results in the release of oxygen gas.

Is there an Elephant Toothpaste Experiment video?

This video from teacher Hilary Statum will give you the step-by-step instructions for making your own Elephant Toothpaste.

Materials Needed

To do the experiment, you will need:

• 16-oz. empty plastic soda bottle
• Very warm water
• 3% hydrogen peroxide (6% is better, if available)
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Safety glasses
• Safety gloves
• Funnel or measuring cup with a lip
• Food coloring

Our free recording sheet is also helpful— fill out the form on this page to get it!

Elephant Toothpaste Experiment steps:

1. place the bottle on a large tray and put on your safety goggles and gloves., 2. mix 1 tablespoon of yeast into 3 tablespoons of warm water until you achieve a creamy consistency. place in a small cup and set to the side., 3. use a funnel or measuring cup to pour half a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the bottle., 4. add a bit of food coloring. for a solid color, add directly into the bottle. for stripes, squirt it with the pipettes so it trickles down the sides of the inside of the bottle., 5. add approximately 1 tablespoon of dish soap to the hydrogen peroxide., 6. use a funnel or measuring cup to add the yeast mixture to the bottle., 7. step back and watch the explosion, grab our free elephant toothpaste experiment worksheet.

Fill out the form on this page to get your worksheets. The first worksheet asks kids to make a prediction about what they think will happen. They can use the provided spaces to draw or write their predictions and observations. The second worksheet lists questions for students to answer about the experiment.

Additional Reflection Questions

• Why do we add the yeast to the water?
• What do you think would happen if we added more dish soap?
• What do you think would happen if we added more yeast to the mixture?
• What is the liquid that is left in the bottle?
• Describe the reaction that occurs. How long does it last?

Can this experiment be done for a science fair?

Yes! If you want to do the Elephant Toothpaste Experiment for a science fair, we recommend switching up some of the variables. For example: Does the type or shape of the container matter? Does the type of dish soap matter? Does adding more yeast change the reaction? Form a hypothesis about how changing the variables will impact the experiment. Good luck!

Looking for more experiment ideas? Check out our  big list of experiment ideas here.

Plus, be sure to  subscribe to our newsletters  for more articles like this., you might also like.

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Elephant Toothpaste

Create a giant, foaming reaction that will astound kids with this Elephant Toothpaste Science Experiment. This simple science experiment is a another erupting science that thrills kids of all ages. Students will learn about chemical reactions that are exothermic. Go beyond baking soda and vinegar reactions and try Elephant Toothpaste.

How To Make Elephant Toothpaste

What you will discover in this article!

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This classic science experiment has been wowing kids for generations. At the science centre or on TV you have probably seen spectacular elephant toothpaste experiments that shoot up feet into the air. Here we provide you with a simple version of Elephant Toothpaste using items from your home.

Check out our video set to music demonstrating Elephant Toothpaste in action!

Watch this fun experiment in action. If you can’t see the video, please turn off your adblockers as they also block our video feed. You can also find this video on the STEAM Powered Family YouTube Channel .

What is Elephant Toothpaste?

Elephant toothpaste is a safe, fantastic foamy science experiment using Hydrogen Peroxide and Yeast. When done in a beaker or bottle that narrows at the top, it oozes out like a great big tube of toothpaste. Perfectly sized for an elephant!

Depending on where you are in the world, Elephant’s Toothpaste has also been called Devil’s Toothpaste, Demon’s Toothpaste

It packs huge wow factor with the kids. It also provides a sensory experience while teaching kids important scientific principles such as:

Chemistry Catalyst Surface tension Exothermic reaction Temperature Liquid/Gas (states of matter) Mixture

Is Elephant Toothpaste Safe?

Elephant Toothpaste is safe when using 3% hydrogen peroxide! The foam is composed of soap, oxygen and water. It makes a great sensory science experience.

NOTE: Although we call this toothpaste, it is not toothpaste and should not be tasted. Ensure appropriate supervision is provided at all times.

Elephant Toothpaste Ingredients

250mL Glass Erlenmeyer Flask or an empty plastic bottle Dry yeast Warm water Liquid dish soap 3% hydrogen peroxide * Liquid food colouring Measuring cups Measuring spoons Safety goggles or glasses Large tub or tray (something with a lip) Funnel (optional – can help kids with pouring) Infrared non-contact thermometer (optional, helps with measuring the exothermic reaction)

*Higher percentage concentration hydrogen peroxide are dangerous and can cause skin irritation. Ensure you are using 3% with your kids in this experiment.

Elephant Toothpaste Experiment

Pick a place to do this experiment that is easy to clean up. If you do this in a nice big, high lipped tray that should contain most of foam, but in my experience kids love to play and touch the foam, so things can get messy quickly. Have your child put on safety glasses and clothes they don’t mind splashing.

Start by mixing one packet (about 1 tablespoon) of yeast with 1/4 cup warm water in cup to create the first mixture . Let it sit for about 30 seconds while you prep the beaker.

Into the flask add 150 mL of Hydrogen Peroxide, a tablespoon of dish soap (after a few tries we just used a squirt of dish soap, it doesn’t need to be exact), and about 15 drops of food coloring (if desired).

If you are taking temperatures, take a temperature of each of the liquids now.

Now pour the yeast mixture into the hydrogen peroxide solution.

Watch the reaction!

If you are doing temperatures, make sure you take a temperature read during the reaction too!

Elephant Toothpaste Science

The main reactor in this experiment is 3% Hydrogen Peroxide a liquid made from hydrogen atoms and oxygen atoms (chemical formula H 2 O 2 ), which is used in first aid as an antiseptic. Normally it comes in a dark bottle because H 2 O 2 or hydrogen peroxide breaks down in light, turning into oxygen (O 2 ) and water (H 2 O). Normally this reaction happens very slowly, but we can speed it up with a little science!

Yeast, which we use to make bread , is an organism that contains a special chemical called catalase that can act as a catalyst to help break down hydrogen peroxide. This means that if you mix yeast with hydrogen peroxide, the hydrogen peroxide will rapidly break down into liquid water and oxygen gas . During this process energy is also released in the form of heat, which is known as an exothermic reaction .

Elephant Toothpaste Chemical Formula

Here is the chemical reaction for Elephant Toothpaste: 2 H 2 O 2 (aq) → 2 H 2 O (l) + O 2 (g)

Those gas bubbles would normally pop and disappear, but by adding a bit of dish soap, we can trap lots of bubbles thanks to an increase in surface tension . We explore this scientific concept in our Magic Milk experiment . This means the foam is simply soap, oxygen and water. Perfectly safe to touch and explore!

The result is a spectacular eruption of foam known as Elephant Toothpaste.

Elephant Toothpaste Extension Activities

There are a few things you can do to dig deeper into this reaction:

• Use an infrared no touch thermometer to measure the exothermic reaction.
• Why stop at a single color? Make multi-colored Elephant’s Toothpaste by dropping different colors of liquid food coloring down the inside of the bottle rather than mixing it into the solution. The result will be colored foam stripes.
• Try different shaped containers to see how the reaction changes. Maybe a plastic soda bottle or a mason jar with a wider neck. How does the experiment results change?
• Alter the ratio of yeast to hydrogen peroxide. What if you increase to one cup of hydrogen peroxide? What effect does it have on the reaction?
• What happens if you remove the dish soap?
• Visit your local science center and ask when they will be doing their next Elephant Toothpaste demonstration. They use a different reaction that produces spectacular results with lots of foam!
• Only do this next extension with responsible middle or high school students, and under direct adult supervision – Visit the hair supply store and get 6% or higher hydrogen peroxide. How does the higher concentration hydrogen peroxide change the results? ( Hint … bigger and messier!)

Don’t forget to try our Valentine’s Day Science Experiment Blooming Roses Elephant Toothpaste !

How To Clean Up Elephant Toothpaste

Once you are done with the experiment and playing with the foam, you can wash everything up in the sink . In fact, it cleans up easily thanks to the soap.

Sensory Experience

While doing this experiment ensure you discuss the sensory inputs provided by this fantastic foaming science.

First they will experience the sense of smell from the yeast. Have the kids discuss this smell and what it reminds them of.

Next we have the sensory experience of touch . This is done in two ways. Have them touch the sides of the beaker before and after the experiment starts. This way they can experience the exothermic reaction (the beaker will feel warm, but as long as you are using 3% hydrogen peroxide, it is not hot). You can reinforce this exploration by using a non-contact thermometer. The second touch experience is with the foam. The foam is perfectly safe to touch. As we explored in the science portion, the foam is just soap, water and oxygen.

Elephant toothpaste is a fantastic sensory science experience.

Elephant Toothpaste Classic Science

Creating Elephant Toothpaste is a quick and easy science experiment that can be easily adjusted to suit the learning needs of upper elementary through middle school. It has great WOW factor, and kids around the world have loved creating these foamy fountains we affectionately call, Elephant Toothpaste.

Enjoy this classic science experiment!

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Elephant’s toothpaste.

Explore the science of this explosive elephant toothpaste experiment, and try your own version at home.

Experiment with some enormous ‘toothpaste’, fit for an elephant.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) decomposes naturally into water (H2O) and oxygen (O2). By adding a few more ingredients we can make a huge, bubbly reaction to visualise this process. In this experiment we add dish soap, to help create bubbles, and a catalyst — which is a special chemical that allows us to fast forward a reaction.

We’ve used two different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide to show how the strength of a chemical can change the size of the reaction, but you can easily try this experiment at home with just a few household ingredients.

IMPORTANT: Please note, if you try this experiment at home you need to use hydrogen peroxide bleach, NOT a chlorine-based bleach.

What you’ll need:

• Empty plastic bottle
• 1/4 cup of dishwashing liquid
• 1/2 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide
• Packet of active yeast

Instructions

• Pour the dishwashing liquid and hydrogen peroxide into your bottle.
• Activate the yeast by stirring in a little warm water, waiting at least 10 minutes for the yeast to “wake up”. The yeast mixture is ready when the yeast has dissolved and the liquid starts bubbling. This will be the catalyst for this reaction.
• When you’re ready to start the experiment, add the yeast and watch how quickly the reaction occurs!

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Elephant Toothpaste Experiment

In this fun, messy, and easy experiment, create a chemical reaction that produces a toothpaste-like foam that is big enough for elephants!

You Will Need:

• 1 clean and empty 16-ounce plastic soda bottle
• ½ cup of 20-volume hydrogen peroxide liquid (20-volume is a 6% solution, so you will need to ask an adult to get this from a beauty store or hair salon)
• 1 tablespoon/1 packet of dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons of warm water
• 1 tablespoon of washing up liquid
• 8 drops of food colouring
• 1 small cup
• 2x safety goggles
• 2x rubber gloves

This can get quite messy with large amounts of foam rapidly overflowing from the bottle, so conduct this experiment on a washable surface, outside, or place the bottle on a tray.

Before starting the experiment, ensure everyone conducting it is wearing their safety goggles and gloves.

The Experiment

• Hydrogen peroxide can harm skin and eyes so put on your safety goggles and rubber gloves and ask an adult to pour the hydrogen peroxide into the bottle.
• Add the food colouring to the bottle.
• Add the washing up liquid to the bottle and swish the bottle around to mix everything together.
• In the small cup, combine the warm water and yeast and mix for 30 seconds.
• Pour the yeast mixture into the bottle and embrace yourself for foam!

The Science

Yeast is a catalyst that speeds up the decomposition and breaking down of hydrogen peroxide molecules, causing it to release oxygen gas molecules and water. These oxygen gas molecules get trapped by the washing up liquid and rapidly grow to create fluffy foam, which is comprised of water, soap, and oxygen (not actually toothpaste). The foam looks for an escape route and erupts out of the top of the bottle.

You will also notice that the bottle gets warmer. This is because the reaction produced is an exothermic reaction, which means that heat is released.

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Elephant's toothpaste experiment

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SUBJECTS:   Science

YEARS:  F–2, 3–4, 5–6

Do you like doing experiments?

Watch this video produced by Sophie and Mimi in collaboration with ABC Education to find out how to do an experiment called "Elephant's toothpaste".

Start by making a list of all the things you'll need. You might need help from an adult to do this experiment!

What is an exothermic reaction? And what is a catalyst? See if you can find out!

Acknowledgements

Video produced in collaboration with Sophie and Mimi from South Australia.

Production Date: 2016

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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