Making Butter Science Experiment with FREE Worksheet

Looking for a fun, practical kitchen science experiment? Your kids are going to love making homemade butter with this making butter science experiment. Try this butter in a jar experiment for preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd graders. Kids will have fun learning about the science behind this science project. Plus don’t forget to grab the free making butter experiment worksheet to add to your learning!

Butter in a jar experiment

Science is everywhere. I say it all the time, because it is true. One of the best places in your home to find science in action is your kitchen. Cooking and baking requires chemistry. Eating and digestion requires biology. It’s all science! This Making Butter Science Experiment is a fun science project and activity for preschoolers, kindergartners, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 students.

Many of the foods we eat are created by using principles of chemistry. Butter is one of them. Butter is created from cream. Cream is basically milk with a high fat content. When cream is agitated with a churn, or shaken in a jar, the fat starts to glob together and separate itself from the liquid. This glob of fat is butter and the liquid is called buttermilk. Let’s learn how to make butter and then we’ll take a closer look at the science behind it.

Making butter experiment worksheet

Start by scrolling to the bottom of the post, under the terms of use, and click on the text link that says >>_____<<. The science worksheet pdf file will open in a new window for you to save your freebie.

Making butter science experiment

To make a small amount of butter, you really only need two things –

• heavy cream
• clean mason jar with a lid.

Fill your jar half full and tightly replace the lid. Now, you are ready to shake!

Making Butter Experiment

Now it’s time to shake and shake and shake!

Butter experiment

And shake some more shaking =)

Butter science experiment

Stop every once in a while to check the progress. You should start to see a little ball forming. When it seems to stop growing and the liquid looks thin, you are done! Note how long this process takes.

How to make butter science experiment

Take the butter out of the jar. The remaining liquid is buttermilk. You can save the buttermilk in the refrigerator for a recipe if you would like.

Making butter lesson plan

You can spread the newly made butter on crackers or bread to have a taste. Does it taste like the butter you buy from the store? Regular butter has added salt. So your butter might taste a little different unless you use unsalted butter in your home. Refrigerate any leftover butter.

How to make butter experiment

As I said before, butter is created when the fat in cream starts to stick together. You might be asking, “What keeps the fat from sticking together all the time?” Small amounts of fat cells in cream and milk are held together by a tight membrane. Under normal conditions, these membranes keep fat cells from grouping together to form large globs.

When the cream is agitated by the shaking of the jar, the fat cells bump against each other and the membranes burst. This frees the fat cells to clump together to form large globs and finally a large clump of butter.

 

Solid liquid Gas examples for kids

Explore states of matter further with these fun projects:

• Cookie Jar Solid Liquid Gas Worksheet – States of Matter Activity
• Pop Rock States of Matter Experiment (liquid to gas)
• Making Homemade Butter – a states of matter experiment (liquid to solid)
• How to Make Ice Cream in a Bag State of Matter Experiment (liquid to solid)
• 2 Fun, Hands-on Water Cycle Activities – State of Matter Experiment for Kids (liquid to gas)
• Explore density further with this Rainbow in a Jar Density Experiment
• Solid Liquid Gas for Kids with Hands-on Density Experiment
• Water Balloon Density Experiment for Kids
• Bowl of Ice Cream left out (solid to liquid)

Food science experiments for kids

Use items commonly in your kitchen to try these food experiments for kids, but note they are NOT all edible!

• Plastic Milk Experiment with free worksheet
• Exploding Watermelon EPIC project to learn about potential energy
• Kids will be so impressed with this super cool Lemon Volcano
• Kool Aid Rock Candy  science experiment you can EAT!
• Learn about the 5 sense for kids with lots of projects including an edible skin model
• This colorful oil and water experiment is super simple, but so FUN
• Volcano Watermelon Experiment – Summer Activity for Preschoolers
• Use jelly beans for this hands-on STEM Easter activity for kids
• Learn how to make frost in a can
• Discover the Archimedes bath tub concept using candy with this simple water displacement experiment
• Try the classic bouncy egg experiment with a twist
• Learn about types of rocks with edible rocks

Kitchen Science

• Learn about density with this Rainbow in a Jar
• Use chemistry to inflate these balloons with with Pop Rocks Experiment
• This silly dancing raisins experiment always makes kids giggle!
• Kids will love this jelly bean taste test experiment
• Use celery for a hands-on pollution experiment for kids
• This Egg Drop Project STEAM activity is all about protecting the egg
• Magic Milk 4th of July Science
• Make an edible Jello Cell Model
• Use eggs to try these air pressure experiments for kids
• You can’t eat them, but these magic melting snowballs experiment is loads of fun!
• Make your own Peep Experiment
• Try making butter science experiment for science you can EAT
• Whip up a fizzy lemonade science experiment for another fun science project you can taste
• You’ve got to try this pretty, colorful candy skittles experiments
• Or check out over 100 Food Science Experiments

 

Making butter worksheet

By using resources from my site you agree to the following:

• You may print as many copies as you ‘d like to use in your classroom, home, or public library.
• Please share by linking to this page. This product may NOT be sold, hosted, reproduced, or stored on any other site (including blog, Facebook, Dropbox, 4sShared, Mediafire, email, etc.)
• All materials provided are copyright protected. Please see Terms of Use.
• I offer free printables to bless my readers AND to provide for my family. Your frequent visits to my blog & support purchasing through affiliates links and ads keep the lights on so to speak. Thanks you!

>> Making Butter Printable Worksheet <<