The Carnival of Chemistry

Come one, come all – it’s the Carnival (of Chemistry)! As the first in-person Carnival of Chemistry since 2019, the return of this kid-focused event was nothing short of spectacular. The Carnival is an annual free celebration of science hosted by the Chemistry Department with activities geared toward kids in kindergarten through 8th grade, although all kids (and kids at heart) are welcome.

This year’s Carnival was held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 20th and offered more than 20 unique activities and demonstrations spanning three floors of Gray-Little Hall. The event had a focus on The Chemistry of Fabulous Fibers, but also had a healthy mix of chemistry, physics, engineering and geological science activities. We welcomed more than 600 attendees, most of whom enjoyed the event for 1 to 2 hours,

The Carnival of Chemistry

making their way from station to station. Examples of activities include no-touch putt-putt (electrostatics), cereal flake races (magnetic properties), oobleck (non-Newtonian fluids), slime (just fun!), CO2 bubbles and tie-dye butterflies.

“This Carnival was one of the best I have ever seen. It was very special to have such a success in both activities and attendance after taking a two-year break due to the pandemic. We really brought it back in a grand way, and I hope we inspired some future chemists,” says Chair of the Department, Professor Robert Dunn. The success of this event would not have been possible without our 100+ volunteers. We recruited volunteers from our undergraduate and graduate student population, local high schools, KUMC respiratory therapist undergraduates, faculty, staff, and more.