This is my kids’ all-time favorite experiment to do. I originally got the idea from Jacksonville Moms Blog. I love it because the ingredients required are what most households would have and it keeps little hands and minds busy (for at least 20 minutes!).
Supplies:
Baking soda
Food coloring
Clear glass bowls or baby food jars
Distilled vinegar
Medicine syringes
Old dish towels (for splashes and spills)
Artist smock or old shirt to protect clothes
Instructions:
– Use 4-5 droplets of each food color and arrange it around the bowl. Or let your kids use their creative license to add the colors.
– Sprinkle a layer of baking soda over the food coloring so that you cannot see the color coming through.
– Fill syringes with vinegar and slowly squirt into the bowl. The reaction between the vinegar and baking soda creates a bubbling effect that reveals the vibrant colors beneath!
– Once the bowl is filled with vinegar and the bubbling stops, it’s time to rinse the bowl out and repeat! I like to challenge my kids to create a rainbow by dropping the colors in the bowl in ROYGBIV order. (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo & violet).
Safety
I think it goes without saying that parental supervision is required. Although baking soda and vinegar are safe to touch it should not get near their eyes.
Science
Baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid. When combined, they react to form water, a salt, and carbon dioxide gas. The bubbles produced by the reaction are the carbon dioxide gas escaping the water.
I would love to hear how your children like this one! Even our 9-year-old neighbor enjoys doing this project when she comes over. This would also make a great homemade birthday gift idea for any child!
1 comment
You could toss the played out creations down the drain too and unclog and clean those along the way! (only if using natural food coloring though I suppose)