Kids will do stupid things, but you have to instruct them on not doing stupid things, which is going to include negative consequences for doing stupid things. That's part of growing up.
Felony charges are ludicrous, a mindless reaction.
I understand that blowing things up and having fun can be part of a scientific experiment, but that doesn't mean any time that someone makes an explosion that they're participating in a scientific experiment, unless we're using a very loose definition of the word.
If calling a just-for-fun HCl+Al bomb a science experiment helps the world to gain another scientist, or even just a well-rounded, open minded, curious adult, then yes, let's blur the distinction between blowing stuff up for fun and "science".