The tarantallegra curse causes a target to dance uncontrollably. In The Chamber of Secrets, Draco uses this on Harry during dueling club.

In our activity, we are going to use a chemical reaction to make gummy worms move or dance around.  We’ll soak the gummy worms in a baking soda solution and then transfer them to a cup of vinegar. The baking soda that soaked into the gummy worms and the vinegar will react, forming carbon dioxide gas bubbles. The gummy worm will appear to dance around as the bubbles form, lifting parts of the worm up and dropping it back down when the bubbles come off of the worm. 

Here is what we’ll do.

  1. Gather supplies
    • Gummy worms
    • Water
    • Baking soda
    • Vinegar
    • Glass, spoon, and tongs 
  2. In a glass or beaker, mix about 2 Tbs of baking soda into 1 cup of water. This doesn’t have to be exact – just add enough that there is still some baking soda sitting in the bottom of the glass after stirring.
  3. Slice the gummy worms so they are long and narrow. It will depend on the size of your gummy worm, but I cut each one in half and then into 6 pieces each. (If they are too big/heavy, the bubbles won’t be able to lift them up very much.)
  4. Soak the gummy worms in the baking soda/water mixture for 15-20 minutes.
  5. Add vinegar to a second glass. 
  6. Transfer the gummy worms from the baking soda/water mixture to the vinegar.

Watch here: