Depending on the type of experiment, you will need either bowls or a boiling pot. The process of breaking down starches requires that the starch molecules be separated so that the sugar molecules can be extracted. This happens either at varying temperatures or due to chemical reactions, such as with saliva in the mouth. If you are working with children, it may be advisable not to use a method that requires boiling water.
When working with experiments, it is always safer to test the final product using methods that do not require you consuming it. Using iodine is a safer way to test if the starch has converted to sugar. If the iodine stays the same color, the conversion has happened. If the iodine gets darker, it means that the starches still have not converted. Iodine is toxic, so must be kept away from young children in any experiments.
Mashing is the process that allows starchy grains like wheat to be converted to sugars. This is used in the beer brewing process. The process is simple, but it clearly shows when the starch is converted to sugar. Boil water and increase it to a temperature of 152 degrees. Add wheat to the water and maintain the temperature for 60 to 90 minutes. Put several drops of iodine into the water that was boiled, and the iodine should remain red or yellow. This means that the boiling process has turned the starch to sugar.
This experiment turns salty foods into sugars. Crush some saltines, or any other salty cracker, in a small bowl. Put a few drops of iodine into bowl of crushed crackers. The iodine will turn dark blue or black. Take another cracker and chew on it until it begins to taste sweet. Take a sample of the chewed cracker and place it in a bowl. Put a drop of iodine into the mixture and it will remain the same color. This experiment shows how the saliva in the mouth actually begins the digestion process as it breaks down the complex starches into simple sugars.