10 fun and engaging ESL games with chemical experiments

Here are 10 fun and engaging ESL games for kids that incorporate simple and safe chemical experiments, ideal for teaching both science and English vocabulary in a hands-on way:

 
1. Color Explosion Word Match
Experiment: Baking soda + vinegar + food coloring
Objective: Match words to meanings

Set up cups with vinegar and different food coloring.
Kids choose a word card and match it to its meaning or picture.
If they’re correct, they drop baking soda into the matching color cup – a fizzy, colorful explosion rewards them!
🧪 Teaches: Vocabulary, word recognition
🎯 Great for: Colors, adjectives, verbs

 
2. Magic Milk Vocabulary Swirl
Experiment: Milk + food coloring + dish soap
Objective: Answer vocabulary or grammar questions

Kids place drops of food coloring on milk.
If they answer a question correctly, they dip a soapy cotton swab to create swirling colors!
🧪 Teaches: Descriptive language, colors
🎯 Great for: Adjectives (e.g., swirling, spinning, bubbling)

 
3. Fizz-Buzz Spelling Bomb
Experiment: Vinegar + baking soda in film canisters
Objective: Spelling practice

Write spelling words on canisters.
Students spell the word correctly to earn the chance to "launch" it by adding vinegar to the baking soda – pop!
🧪 Teaches: Spelling, pronunciation
🎯 Great for: Weekly vocab lists

 
4. Sink or Float Sentence Builder
Experiment: Test objects in water to see if they sink or float
Objective: Build sentences using vocabulary

Students guess if an object will sink or float and say: "I think the [object] will [sink/float] because it is [adjective]."
Test and discuss results.
🧪 Teaches: Predictive language, sentence structure
🎯 Great for: Science vocabulary (materials, weight)

 
5. Invisible Ink Guessing Game
Experiment: Lemon juice invisible ink + heat reveal
Objective: Guess hidden vocabulary or draw then guess

Write or draw ESL vocabulary using lemon juice.
Heat to reveal – students guess the word or meaning.
🧪 Teaches: Critical thinking, vocabulary
🎯 Great for: Reviewing learned words

 
6. Balloon Debate Challenge
Experiment: Baking soda in balloon + vinegar in bottle
Objective: Debate or describe items

Students describe or defend an item (e.g., "Why a cat is a good pet").
If they succeed, they get to "inflate" a balloon with chemical reaction.
🧪 Teaches: Speaking fluency, persuasive language
🎯 Great for: Older ESL kids

 
7. Slime Synonym & Antonym Hunt
Experiment: Make slime (glue + borax solution)
Objective: Find synonyms/antonyms hidden in slime

Hide laminated words in slime.
Kids pull out a word, say a synonym or antonym, then explain.
🧪 Teaches: Vocabulary expansion
🎯 Great for: Emotions, actions, colors

 
8. Oobleck Action Verb Game
Experiment: Cornstarch + water (non-Newtonian fluid)
Objective: Act out or describe verbs

Students draw an action verb card.
If they act it out correctly or use it in a sentence, they get to play with oobleck for 1 minute.
🧪 Teaches: Verbs, sentence construction
🎯 Great for: TPR (Total Physical Response)

 
9. Bubble Sentence Pop
Experiment: Make bubble solution (water + dish soap + glycerin)
Objective: Form grammatically correct sentences

Blow bubbles with vocabulary inside them (written on slips of laminated paper).
Pop a bubble, form a sentence with the word inside.
🧪 Teaches: Grammar, syntax
🎯 Great for: Fun grammar review

 
10. Color-Changing pH Word Sort
Experiment: Red cabbage juice (natural pH indicator)
Objective: Sort words into categories (nouns, verbs, adjectives)

Pour red cabbage indicator into clear cups.
Students sort words into parts of speech.
Each correct answer lets them test a substance (e.g., vinegar, soap) to see the color change.
🧪 Teaches: Parts of speech, categorization
🎯 Great for: Grammar + science integration