The paper deals with two successful experiences to teach basic chemistry contents at primary school. The first one is an interdisciplinary teaching proposal focused on the chemical process of dissolution and based on the laboratorial approach. It is a long and complex path, composed of several activities, starting from the first year of primary school and concluding at the fifth year. The second activity has a similar objective and the work with children starts in a motivating context: the preparation of pickled olives and fruit in syrup. Both the experiences encourage motivation linking what the teacher proposes to students\u2019 experience and daily live and are focused on an active and participatory role of students
