Revisiting Yeast Balloon Blow-Up Activity to Accommodate Latex Allergies

It's back-to school time which means I'm getting a new group of kiddos ready for the kitchen. They are eager to cook (read: eat) but need to understand safety and sanitation first.

In years past I have demonstrated how bacteria multiplies quickly at room temperatures with balloons placed over soda bottles. 

It gives a great visual representation. Recently, however, teachers have been asked to be more aware of students with latex allergies. We have switched our adhesive bandages, gloves, and rubber bands to be latex-free.

I also re-did this activity. Instead of pouring the sugar and yeast mixture into bottles I used quart-sized freezer bags. I squeezed out as much air as possible and continued to follow the same procedure as before.

As you can see, students still have the obvious visual of how much faster bacteria multiplies at room temperature than in a refrigerator. It's just in a more everyone-friendly format.