What Happens to Peeps When Soaked in Water?

Can water destroy Peeps, the Easter candy with fervent fans and detractors?

The question was posed by a young scientist who took part when Wood Acres Elementary School in Bethesda hosted its first PTA Science Fair on May 8.

The science fair was the latest development in the parent-led STEM initiative at the school. Although it was suggested by the PTA, the work to organize the science fair was done by Julia Sienkiewicz, a sophomore at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda and a candidate for the Girl Scout Gold Award.

Over 40 students from kindergarten to fifth grade participated in the science fair.

One kindergartner created an experiment to test what kind of sugar would make the best kind of rock candy. She tested white sugar, brown sugar, honey dust and organic Florida crystals. Although she predicted that the Florida crystals would work best, she concluded that the white sugar was best for rock candy.

Another kindergartner wondered what would happen to Marshmallow Peeps in liquid. He immersed the Peeps in both water and vinegar and found that the candy would only dissolve in vinegar.

Other projects included, “How to Make Yogurt?” testing whether heat would aid in the process of making yogurt; “Water is a Conductor of Electricity,” testing whether or not water would be a good conductor for electricity; and “The Way to a Touchdown,” testing what elements are involved in the distance a football travels.

“The school wanted to be very clear that this was about fun and there were no winners or losers,” T. Reid Lewis, a chairman for the PTA STEM Education Committee and Wood Acres parent told Patch.

Every student received a certificate with a blue ribbon.

“Our goal was to make sure that they understood how science worked and how it could be fun and interesting,” Lewis said. “They had to learn and understand and apply the scientific method which is not a common thing for elementary school kids. They learned the scientific method and they had fun. My hope is that they’ll come back next year, that there will not only be more kids, but they’ll have spent the year thinking about science and picking and executing another project.”

The Wood Acres PTA plans to repeat the event next spring and host the 2nd Annual PTA Science Fair.