It has rained a lot here lately, and on one of those grey days Emma asked if she could play with vinegar and baking soda. Actually, she said vinegar and flour, but she mean baking soda (she wanted to see the fizz effect of mixing an acid and base). She was pretty excited to show Lily how it works, and all three kids enjoyed this sensory play experience!
Johnny was very methodical, starting off with little bits, and then pouring the entire cup of vinegar on, and admiring the fizz!
I’m not sure why he pulled his arm out of his sleeve and through the top of his shirt…
The girls saw Johnny pour out his entire cup, and decided to follow suit! They noticed that, when baking soda and vinegar mix together, putting your hands in the solution makes them feel kind of slippery!
Cost-benefit analysis:
- Prep: Getting out vinegar, baking soda, and trays – less than one minute
- Initial entertainment: about 10 minutes
- Clean-up: 2 minutes or less. Since we put a thin layer of baking soda on the trays and there is only a little vinegar in a cup, this is not a very messy experiment with my kids. Even if it gets on the floor, both vinegar and baking soda are cleaning agents, and so very easy to clean up!
- Cost: Less than $2
- Lasting value: experiential learning about (safe!) household chemicals, and the reaction between acids and bases
Lorie says
I love this! I would have never thought of putting it on a tray! I’ll have to try this (maybe today!) Thanks so much!
Anonymous says
Try it with food coloring in the vinegar.
Maybe use a dropper.
Jill @ A Mom With A Lesson Plan says
I love that you gave them only a little bit of each. I bet that made for a lot less stress on your part.
maryanne says
Exactly! They love seeing so many mini reactions, too!
Ashaln says
I was going crazy stuck in the house on a rainy day with my niece and nephew (4 and 2) so we tried this and they had an absolute blast! They were cracking up every time it fixed! So fun and mess free! Perfect for rainy days!
MaryAnne says
I’m so glad your niece and nephew enjoyed this as much as my kids do!
Janine says
My 2 yr. old granddaughter asks to play with baking soda and binger (vinegar) every single day! She loves the fizzing and color changes she can make.
MaryAnne says
Baking soda and vinegar is one of those activities that never get old!