Make kombucha
Make kombucha from sweetened tea using a SCOBY, observe fermentation, bottle with adult supervision, and learn about microbes and safe kitchen hygiene.
About this activity
Make kombucha from sweetened tea using a SCOBY, observe fermentation, bottle with adult supervision, and learn about microbes and safe kitchen hygiene.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Wash your hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds.
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Step 2
Clean the glass jar and bottles with hot soapy water and rinse them well.
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Step 3
Heat the measured water in the pot until it boils.
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Step 4
Stir the sugar into the hot water until it is completely dissolved.
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Step 5
Add the tea to the hot sweet water and let it steep for 5 to 10 minutes.
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Step 6
Remove the tea bags or leaves from the pot.
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Step 7
Let the sweet tea cool to room temperature so there is no steam coming off it.
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Step 8
Pour the cooled tea into the clean glass jar using the funnel if you need it.
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Step 9
Add the starter tea from your SCOBY container into the jar.
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Step 10
Gently place the SCOBY on the surface of the tea with clean hands.
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Step 11
Cover the jar with the breathable cloth or coffee filter and secure it with the rubber band.
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Step 12
Put the jar in a warm quiet spot out of direct sunlight and leave it to ferment for 7 to 14 days.
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Step 13
Check the jar once each day for bubbles and a slightly sour smell and if you see fuzzy green or black mold tell an adult and discard the batch.
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Step 14
With adult supervision pour the kombucha into clean bottles leaving about 1–2 inches of headspace and close the lids to store in the fridge.
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Step 15
Share a photo and what you learned about microbes and kitchen hygiene of your finished kombucha on DIY.org.
Fun facts
How do I make kombucha at home with my child?
To make kombucha with your child, an adult should boil water, dissolve sugar, and steep tea, then cool to room temperature. Add starter liquid and a SCOBY to a clean glass jar, cover with breathable cloth and a rubber band, and let ferment at room temperature for 7–14 days. Have your child observe bubbling and taste-test starting day 7. An adult should bottle the kombucha and refrigerate; discard if fuzzy mold appears.
What materials do I need to make kombucha with a child?
You’ll need tea (black or green), granulated sugar, filtered water, a healthy SCOBY, and some starter kombucha in a clean glass jar. Also bring a breathable cloth and rubber band, glass bottles with tight lids, funnel, measuring cups and spoons, and labels. Optional: pH strips, a thermometer, and a clean surface. Always include adult supervision for boiling water and bottling.
What ages is making kombucha suitable for?
Kombucha is great as a supervised learning activity: young children (5–7) can observe and help with stirring and labeling, ages 8–11 can measure and pour with help, and teens (12+) can take on more responsibility under adult oversight. An adult should handle boiling, high-temperature tasks, and final bottling. Very young children should not handle hot liquids or glass.
What are the benefits and safety tips for kids making kombucha?
Making kombucha teaches kids about microbes, fermentation, patience, and kitchen hygiene. Safety tips: always supervise, avoid direct contact with hot liquids, use only clean glass containers, discard batches with fuzzy mold, and don’t use metal utensils for long contact. Teach handwashing and safe handling of bottles. These precautions keep the activity educational and safe.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can we use if we don't have a funnel, coffee filter, or a SCOBY?
If you don't have a funnel use a clean measuring cup with a spout, replace the breathable cloth or coffee filter with a clean tightly woven kitchen towel or cheesecloth secured with the rubber band, and if you don't have a SCOBY you can use 1–2 cups of unpasteurized store-bought kombucha as starter tea and let a SCOBY form.
My SCOBY sank and there's little bubbling—what might have gone wrong and how do we fix it?
If the SCOBY sank and fermentation seems slow check that you followed the step to let the sweet tea cool to room temperature so there is no steam coming off it before adding starter tea and SCOBY, make sure the jar and bottles were cleaned well and hands washed, and move the jar to a warm quiet spot out of direct sunlight to encourage bubbling.
How can we adapt this kombucha activity for younger children or older kids?
For younger children have them help wash the glass jar, stir sugar into the hot water with supervision, and cover the jar with the breathable cloth while adults handle boiling water and placing the SCOBY, whereas older kids can measure ingredients, pour cooled tea into the jar using the funnel, check daily for mold or bubbles, and bottle the kombucha into clean bottles before refrigerating.
How can we make or personalize the kombucha after the first fermentation?
After the 7–14 day fermentation try adding fruit pieces, fresh ginger, or juice to each bottle, leave 1–2 inches of headspace, cap for 1–3 days at room temperature to carbonate, then refrigerate and label the bottles before sharing a photo and what you learned about microbes and kitchen hygiene.