Chemistry isn’t all test tubes and laboratories. It’s the study of how things interact, change, and react, making it an essential part of understanding the world.
The fizz in a drink, the way soap cleans our hands, and the way metal rusts in the rain all have scientific explanations that can open doors of understanding for growing minds.
Understanding these everyday moments can help children see science in action, making it more exciting, relevant, and accessible and in their lives. There are also questions to spark curiosity, helping children think more deeply about the world around them.
After all, chemistry, and science as a whole, is not just something found in a school lesson – it is happening all the time, in places we might not expect.
In this post:
Key Takeaways
Chemistry is part of everyday life, from the air we breathe to the food we eat
Simple observations, such as rust forming or bubbles appearing in soapy water, are examples of chemistry in action
Understanding chemistry helps children develop curiosity and problem-solving skills
Science isn’t just in a lab; it happens all around us, every single day
Why Engaging With Chemistry Matters
Encouraging curiosity about chemistry helps build problem-solving skills and deepens understanding about the world around us.
Children who ask why a balloon stays up or what makes fizzy drinks bubble are already thinking scientifically, and exploring these questions with simple experiments or observations can make learning feel more like an adventure than a classroom lesson.
Making chemistry relatable can also build confidence towards understanding more advanced elements down the line. When children understand that they already interact with science daily, they may feel more capable of tackling new concepts.
Instead of seeing chemistry as something complicated, they can view it as a tool to understand and explore their surroundings.
On top of this, an early interest in chemistry can lead to a lifelong appreciation for science. Some children might go on to study science further, falling in love with chemical testing and formulation driven by this early curiousity, but even those who do not will benefit from understanding the basics.
Having the fundamentals down helps with everything from making sense of health advice to cooking a meal or reading about climate change.
Everyday Chemistry Observations
The Way Air Works
Although air is invisible, chemistry proves it is full of different gases, each with a role to play. Oxygen allows us to breathe, while carbon dioxide is what plants need for photosynthesis. Even the hydrogen in air, isolated through the Haber-Bosch process, has several uses in nature and in other applications.
The way air behaves also explains why balloons rise or fall. When a balloon is filled with helium, which is lighter than air, it floats. If it is filled with regular air, it sinks because the gases inside are the same weight as the air outside.
Weather also depends on chemistry. The air we breathe changes when temperature and humidity shift, creating everything from morning fog to thunderstorms.
When warm air rises and cools, water droplets form clouds. When these droplets are heavy enough, they become rain. A similar process is used to create lab-safe liquids, such as EP water.
Even breathing is a chemical process. Our bodies take in oxygen, use it for energy, and release carbon dioxide. This constant exchange keeps us alive and shows how essential chemistry is, even when we are not thinking about it.
Some questions to inspire investigative thought in your children could include:
- What do you think is in the air we breathe?
- Why do some balloons float while others do not?
- How do clouds form in the sky?
- Why does it sometimes rain but other times snow?
- What happens when we breathe in and out?
How Chemistry with Cooking Makes Meals Magic
Cooking is full of chemistry, turning raw ingredients into delicious meals. Heat changes the structure of food, making eggs solid, bread rise, and sugar melt into caramel. When heat is applied, molecules move faster and rearrange, creating new textures and flavours.
Raising agents like baking powder and yeast rely on chemistry to work. Baking powder reacts with a liquid like milk or water, releasing bubbles of carbon dioxide that make cakes and pancakes light and fluffy. Yeast in bread dough ferments, creating tiny air pockets that help the loaf expand.
Flavour also depends on chemical reactions. Spices release their essential oils when they are heated, making dishes more fragrant. Browning meat or toasting bread triggers the Maillard reaction, which produces a deep, rich taste.
Even preserving food is about chemistry. Salt draws moisture out of foods, preventing bacteria from growing. Vinegar and lemon juice slow down the spoilage process by making conditions too acidic for microbes.
These everyday kitchen processes show how chemistry makes meals better in ways we rarely stop to consider, and gives space to ask questions such as:
- Why does bread rise when we bake it?
- What makes popcorn pop?
- How does sugar turn into caramel?
- Why do onions make us cry when we chop them?
- How does adding salt help preserve food?
The Chemistry of Staying Clean
Cleaning is all about breaking down dirt and grease, and chemistry makes it possible.
Soap molecules have two parts: one that attracts water and another that repels it. This structure allows soap to lift away the grease and grime that water alone cannot remove, and is a cornerstone in the chemistry of soapmaking.
Toothpaste works in a similar way. It contains mild abrasives that help scrub plaque off teeth while fluoride strengthens enamel. The minty freshness comes from compounds designed to leave a clean feeling after brushing.
Bubbles also rely on chemistry. The soap in bubble mixtures traps air in thin layers of liquid, forming spheres. The reason bubbles pop is because water evaporates, making the layer too thin to hold its shape.
Understanding how bubbles work can make playing with them even more fun, and makes a great way to ask children how they think the world works. If you need some inspiration for questions, here are a few:
- How does soap remove dirt from our hands?
- Why does toothpaste make our mouths feel fresh?
- What makes bubbles round?
- Why do some soaps create more bubbles than others?
- How does hand sanitiser kill germs?
Chemistry in Nature
Nature is full of chemistry, with reactions happening all the time. Rainwater, for example, is not just plain water. It collects gases from the air, which can make it slightly acidic. This is why rain can wear down rocks over time or affect the way plants grow.
Rust is another everyday example of chemistry in action. When metal is exposed to water and oxygen, a chemical reaction occurs, creating rust. While many automotive chemicals are used to prevent this from affecting cars and other vehicles, this oxidation process explains why bikes left out in the rain start to turn reddish-brown.
Plants also rely on chemistry. Photosynthesis, the process that allows plants to make their own food, involves turning sunlight into energy. The leaves absorb carbon dioxide, mix it with water, and use sunlight to produce oxygen and glucose. This essential reaction helps plants grow and provides the oxygen we need to breathe.
With this all in mind, inspiring curious growing minds means asking some good questions. Some examples include:
- What makes plants green?
- Why does metal rust when it gets wet?
- How do trees turn sunlight into food?
- Why does rain sometimes smell different after a storm?
- What happens when leaves change colour in autumn?
Other Tips To Keep In Mind
Helping children see chemistry in everyday life is all about making it interactive and exciting. Simple activities can spark curiosity and turn learning into a natural part of their day. Here are some ways to keep them engaged:
- Use everyday activities – Baking, blowing bubbles, and observing nature all involve chemistry. Pointing out the science behind these moments makes learning effortless.
- Try hands-on experiments – Simple kitchen chemistry, like mixing vinegar and baking soda or baking bread, brings science to life with real reactions.
- Ask open-ended questions – Instead of giving answers straight away, encourage children to think critically by making predictions and testing ideas.
- Connect to real life – Show children how chemistry applies to the world around them, from how medicine works to why fireworks produce different colours.
Explaining how medicine works, why cleaning products remove dirt, or how fireworks create different colours shows that chemistry is not just a school subject.
Conclusion
Chemistry is all around us, shaping the world in ways we often overlook. From the air we breathe to the food we cook and the way things bubble up, science is always at work.
Encouraging children to ask questions about these everyday wonders helps them develop curiosity and problem-solving skills that they’ll find useful in any walk of life. By making chemistry relatable and exciting, we can inspire a love of learning that goes far beyond the classroom.
