ChemistFella

For parents and teachers

ChemistFella is a free virtual chemistry lab where children mix real elements from the periodic table and see what happens. Fizzy, our cartoon kid scientist, explains every result in simple words. It is written for children of about 7 to 12, and older students use it as a quick reference.

Using the lab at home

Children love asking "what happens if...?" The lab lets them find out safely. Sit with your child, let them pick two substances, and ask them to guess what will happen before they press Mix. Then listen to Fizzy's explanation together. Asking "were you right?" and "why do you think that happened?" turns play into real scientific thinking. Every element has its own page with simple facts, and the famous reactions have longer articles with a short quiz.

Lesson ideas for the classroom

The lab works well on an interactive whiteboard or on tablets in small groups. Each idea below takes 15 to 30 minutes and needs no equipment beyond a screen.

  • Mixture or new substance? (about 20 minutes)Learning goal: Children can explain the difference between a mixture, where things just sit together, and a chemical reaction, which makes something new.Mix iron with sulfur in the lab and read why the result is no longer magnetic. Then mix copper with zinc to make brass, which is a mixture of metals called an alloy. Ask the class to decide which one made a brand-new substance, and how they could tell. Mix iron and sulfur in the lab. Mix copper and zinc in the lab.
  • The reactivity race (about 25 minutes)Learning goal: Children can predict and then test which metals react with water or acid, and put metals in order from most to least reactive.Hand out the Fizz or No Fizz worksheet. Children predict first, then test each pair in the lab and record what happened. Finish by lining up the metals from the wildest reaction to no reaction at all. Print the Fizz or No Fizz? worksheet.
  • Patterns in the periodic table (about 30 minutes)Learning goal: Children can describe how the alkali metals change going down the group, and use the pattern to make a prediction.Use the Alkali Metals in Water worksheet to compare lithium, sodium and potassium. Ask children to predict what rubidium would do before showing them its place in the table. Print the Alkali Metals in Water worksheet.
  • Safety detectives (about 15 minutes)Learning goal: Children can explain why some chemicals are only handled by trained scientists, and name three lab safety rules.In small groups, children browse the famous reactions and write down every safety note they find. Each group then designs a lab safety poster with their three most important rules, such as wearing goggles and never tasting chemicals.

Free printable worksheets

Each worksheet prints on a single A4 or Letter page in black and white. Use the Print button on the worksheet page, or choose "Save as PDF" in your browser's print window to keep a copy. Answer keys are on a separate page.

Why the reactions are virtual

Many of the reactions in the lab, such as potassium in water or sodium in chlorine, are genuinely dangerous, and some involve poisonous or radioactive substances. Showing them virtually lets children see what really happens without any risk. Every dangerous reaction carries a safety note, and our "try this at home" ideas only use everyday kitchen materials with an adult. Please remind children that real chemicals are only handled by trained adults with proper equipment.

Privacy and advertising

There are no accounts, sign-ups, chats or forms, and we do not collect personal information from children. The only thing stored is the "Read to me" setting, kept in the browser on your own device. To keep the lab free we may show ads from Google, and every ad request is tagged for child-directed treatment, so no personalised or remarketing ads are shown. Read our privacy policy for details.

Who makes ChemistFella

ChemistFella is a project of Navigta Ltd. We would love to hear how you use it and what would help your children or class. Email [email protected] or visit our contact page. You can also read more about us.