From Frankenstein to ghost hunting, science has long been referenced in Halloween stories. Although the science behind the spooky stories is sometimes flawed, we can’t help but admire the creative efforts of storytellers. Therefore, in the spirit of Halloween, we have put together some of the spookiest science experiment ideas that are perfect for teaching science while still  having scary fun.

Glowing Magnetic Silly Putty

We have magnetic putty that is available for purchase, but you can also create your own with these instructions. Now, for the Halloween version of magnetic putty, make it also glow in the dark. Here’s how:

Supplies

  • Magnetic putty
  • Glow in the dark craft paint
  • Magnets
  • Gloves (optional for handling putty)

Steps

  1. Put magnetic putty in a disposable container and mix in the craft paint. You can do this with a disposable but sturdy stirring utensil.
  2. Once it is completely mixed, place the putty on a disposable cloth or surface to avoid any staining.
  3. Turn off the lights, grab your magnet and watch it move around in the dark!

Note: Magnetic putty is very dark, so you may need more paint than if you just use regular putty. If you still want to create glow-in-the-dark putty but without the magnetism, here is one DIY way from Paging Fun Mums.

Ghostly Magnetic Levitation

There are two ways that you can do this spooky experiment. The simple but not really levitation version is to create a ghost magnet. You can do this with some white and black felt, glue and a magnet. Once you have your ghost magnet, place it on a thin surface like paper and place another magnet or metal object beneath the paper. As you move the magnet around, it will look as if it is moving on its own! For the second version using actual magnetic levitation, here is what you will need and how to do it:

Supplies

The experiment stand allows for the slight adjustments needed to achieve magnetic levitation. You can make a stand out of wood or another non-magnetic material. For instructions on how you can make your own stand you can follow this link.

Steps

  1. Cut out your ghost character from the piece of white paper and add some black eyes to it with the marker.
  2. Roll a piece of tape so that it is sticky on both sides. Put one side on the ghost and the other on your cube magnet.
  3. Then follow the instructions in our Diamagnetic Levitation experiment here.

As the magnet is magnetically lifted, the ghost will move too with no strings or other connection! These are just a few examples of fun, Halloween science experiments that you can do, but there are several other creative ideas. Here are some of our favorites:

If you have your own spooky science project ideas or questions about these experiments, feel free to share them with us in the comments!

Photo by Sagichnich