science experiments with salt and baking soda

Top 16 Baking Soda Science Experiments

Are you looking for a fun and educational activity to do with your kids or students? Look no further than baking soda experiments!

Baking soda is a versatile substance that can be used for a variety of scientific experiments. Its ability to react, dissolve, and transform provides a rich ground for understanding fundamental chemical concepts.

From witnessing a homemade volcano erupt to observing the intriguing process of crystallization, baking soda makes science both accessible and exciting.

These hands-on experiments are perfect for both kids and adults and will provide hours of entertainment and learning. So, grab your baking soda, and let’s get started.

Baking Soda Science Experiments with Vinegar

Baking soda and vinegar are two common household items that can be combined in a variety of experiments to create exciting reactions.

1. Baking Soda Volcano

The baking soda volcano experiment is a popular scientific experiment that has long been the pick of kids as well as adults.

This experiment resembles a volcanic eruption while explaining the chemical reaction that takes place when vinegar and baking soda are mixed.

2. Baking Soda and Vinegar-Balloon Experiment

This experiment is perfect for kids of all ages, from preschoolers to middle schoolers, and can be easily modified to suit different age groups and learning levels.

So, if you’re looking for a fun and educational activity that will spark your child’s curiosity in science, give the baking soda and vinegar balloon experiment a try!

3. Lava Lamp

The Lava Lamp Experiment is a fun and engaging activity that allows students to learn about the science of density and buoyancy while also creating a groovy decoration for their room.

This activity encourages creativity, critical thinking, and scientific exploration in a fun and accessible way.

 4. Baking Soda and Vinegar Car

An exclusive experiment that blends science, engineering, and imagination is the Baking Soda and Vinegar Steam Car Experiment.

Students can create their own small steam car using common household items that is powered by the chemical reaction between vinegar and baking soda.

5. Bright as a New Penny

Through this experiment, students will learn about the chemical reactions that occur between the copper in the penny and the substances in the solution, and how these reactions can cause the penny to change color.

6. The Exploding Lunch Bag 

Through this experiment, students will learn about the principles of gas production, pressure, and chemical reactions, while also having fun and engaging in hands-on learning.

7. Hidden Colors 

In this experiment, students will create a solution using baking soda, water, and food coloring, then use vinegar to reveal the hidden colors in the solution.

Learn more: Hidden Colors

8. Rainbow Eruption

Through this experiment, students will learn about the principles of chemical reactions, gas production, and acid-base interactions.

Rainbow Eruption is a simple and exciting experiment that can be enjoyed by students of all ages and can help them develop a love for science and learning.

Learn more: Rainbow Eruption

9. Baking Soda and Vinegar Fireworks

While Baking Soda and Vinegar Fireworks may not create an actual fireworks display, it is still a fascinating and exciting experiment that can help students understand the science behind chemical reactions.

10. Baking Soda & Vinegar Rocket

In this experiment, students will create a simple rocket using a plastic bottle, baking soda, vinegar, and some optional materials such as fins or decorations.

11. Make Fizzy Surprise Dinosaur Eggs

In this experiment, students will create “dinosaur eggs” using baking soda, food coloring, and water, and then hide a small toy or object inside.

They will then cover the eggs with vinegar, causing a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide gas and causes the eggs to fizz and dissolve, revealing the hidden object inside.

12. Fizzy Painting

This activity can be easily adapted to challenge students of different ages and skill levels, from experimenting with different colors and textures to exploring the effects of adding different amounts of baking soda or vinegar.

More Baking Soda Experiments

13. colorful lemon experiment.

By mixing lemon juice and baking soda together, students can observe a bubbling reaction that produces carbon colorful-lemony solution.

14. Honeycomb Chemistry Candy

In this experiment, students will create their honeycomb candy using sugar, honey, and baking soda.

Learn More: Honeycomb Chemistry Candy Recipe

15. Crystal Growing Experiment

The crystal growing experiment using baking soda is an engaging and educational activity that allows students to learn about the science of crystal formation.

16. Super Glue and Baking Soda

Important scientific concepts, such chemical reactions and the characteristics of various materials, can be taught through the use of these experiments.

The baking soda and super glue experiments can be interesting and educational and might even be useful in real life.

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10 AMAZING Baking Soda Experiments

July 18, 2020 By Emma Vanstone 6 Comments

Baking soda experiments or activities are a great, safe and easy way to introduce the concept of a chemical reaction to children. Baking soda is alkaline and reacts with acids such as vinegar, releasing carbon dioxide ( a gas ) and water. The fizz produced is brilliant fun for children to watch, especially if you combine it with washing up liquid ( dish soap ) to make even more bubbles or add a bit of food colouring, ice or a theme.

Note: This is an old post that I have updated, so there are now more than ten ideas!

Baking Soda Reactions

Make honeycomb.

Did you know honeycomb has lots of holes due to the addition of baking soda? Making honeycomb is a delicious way to see the bubbles made when baking soda reacts.

Baking Soda Rocket

This rocket is my favourite baking soda experiment, but it does shoot up with a bang, so take extra special care and stand well back! You’ll need to wrap the baking soda in a small piece of kitchen towel to slow the reaction down for long enough to push the cork securely into place.

Baking Soda Powered Boat

We loved making our baking soda boat , although it was tricky to get the mechanism to work correctly. It’s worth persevering with, though. It’s fun to try making several different size boats and investigate how they move when you add different amounts of baking soda and vinegar.

Monster Tea Party and witchy potions

Our monster tea party was filled with fun fizzy potions and an excellent opportunity to try baking soda as well as bicarbonate of soda. Which do you think worked the best?

If monsters aren’t your thing, how about making witchy or fairy potions?

Baking Soda Volcano

A baking soda volcano is a staple science activity for kids. Try asking children to investigate using different amounts of vinegar but keeping the amount of washing-up liquid and baking soda the same. Can they create the perfect recipe for an eruption?

Volcanos can be made using snow, sand, papier mache, LEGO or anything else you can make a basic volcano shape with.

Baking Soda Popper

My children loved these baking soda poppers . Please be careful and stand back, as these can shoot up with a little warning and a lot of force.

We experimented to discover the best baking soda and vinegar combination for a launch.

What reacts with baking soda?

This fun investigation is great for children to start thinking scientifically. We tested lots of different liquids to discover what reacts with baking soda and what doesn’t.

Remember to keep the amount of baking soda and the test substance the same.

Fizzing rocks with baking soda

Make baking soda rocks and watch them fizz! Can you hide something inside them?

Blow up a balloon with baking soda

Did you know you can blow up a balloon with baking soda and vinegar or another acid?

Baking Soda Ice Cubes

Make some colourful baking soda ice cubes and watch them fizz as you add vinegar.

Frozen Vinegar

Inspiration Laboratories froze the vinegar instead of the baking soda, which also worked brilliantly.

Dancing Raisins

Watch raisins dance around a glass due to bubbles of carbon dioxide.

Fizzy Paint

We did this many years ago but loved our fizzy paint afternoon .

Exploding Sandwich Bag

Exploding sandwich bags are always fun too! Simply pop a bit of vinegar and baking soda in a sealable plastic bag, fasten it quickly and stand back to watch!

Colour Changing Baking Soda Potions

These colour-changing potions made with red cabbage indicator are fantastic fun and easy to make too!

These change colour as the acid and then alkali is added.

Christmas Elf Lab

We very much enjoyed our magical fizzy elf lab for Christmas time too!

Do you have any more baking soda experiments to tell us about?

What is a baking soda and vinegar reaction?

If you combine an acid and an alkali, they react together to neutralise each other. Vinegar is an acid, and bicarbonate of soda is an alkali.

The reaction releases carbon dioxide gas, which is the bubbles you see. If you add washing-up liquid ( dish soap ) to your eruption, mix the bubbles making the washing-up liquid bubble up, giving you an extra bubbly mix.

Don’t forget we’ve got 100s more easy science experiments for you to try at home or school!

Last Updated on April 9, 2024 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

May 03, 2014 at 5:05 pm

We love the baking soda experiments – and there are several here we haven’t tried! These will keep us busy for awhile!

May 05, 2014 at 7:02 am

Loving the baking soda ideas – we’ve tried a volcano before. Will have to try some more.

May 06, 2014 at 12:49 pm

Thanks Erica 🙂

September 08, 2016 at 8:17 pm

this was so helpful in help of finding fun and new experiments thank you to the creators of this.

June 10, 2017 at 5:30 pm

We have done every single one of these experiments before we even looked at this website and they were really cool.

March 05, 2018 at 9:24 pm

i found a science project but it calls for 80% vinegar. where can i find it

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Hands on kids activities for hands on moms. Focusing on kids activities perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

35 Exploding Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiments for Kids of All Ages

Science Toddlers Grade School Kindergartners Preschoolers Experiment Kitchen Resources 3 Comments

Try one of these 35 science experiments that you can do with two simple ingredients you probably already have at home – baking soda and vinegar.

Simple science experiments are great for all ages.

They don’t always go as planned.

But that’s part of experimenting and learning.

Adjust accordingly and try again.

I am more likely to do science experiments that use basic household supplies.

After all, who wants to wait to go shopping before doing a science experiment?

Don’t let the excitement of doing an experiment fizzle away.

Mixing baking soda and vinegar is a blast, so you are sure to enjoy these 35 science experiments for kids.

Before even starting, figure out the best baking soda to vinegar ratio.

We did it and discovered that using 12 parts vinegar to 1 part baking soda resulted in the biggest fizziest explosions.

See the details here: Mega Baking Soda to Vinegar Ratio Experiment

Erupting Volcanoes with Baking Soda and Vinegar

Go with the flow with these erupting baking soda and vinegar volcano experiments.

I hope you lava them as much as I do!

Keep the mess to a minimum by going outside or keeping the volcanoes contained in a baking dish.

• Create an erupting apple volcano as seen on Little Bins for Little Hands. Then check out these 40 easy apple activities for kids to experiment, create, and learn for more apple themed learning.
• Scoop out the insides of a watermelon for a watermelon volcano shown on Natural Beach Living. And then enjoy a yummy snack when done.
• Fill a tray with plastic egg volcanoes found on Little Bins for Little Hands.
• Repurpose a salt shaker for a salt shaker volcano as seen on Science Kiddo. Wrap the baking soda in tissue paper, toss it in the vinegar, and quickly put the lid on to create a geyser of baking soda and vinegar.
• Practice colors with a color changing volcano shown on Preschool Inspirations. A video is available to watch this active volcano.
• Use small containers for a rainbow volcano found on Messy Little Monster. Pair this activity with a frozen rainbow science experiment for kids .
• Be wowed with a colorful volcano as seen on Hello Wonderful. Making a sensory bin with this erupting volcano is a hands-on creative idea.
• Build a homemade volcano shown on Fun With Mama. A plastic or glass bottle and some sand work great.
• Construct a ketchup volcano found on Kindergarten Worksheets and Games. Ketchup has vinegar in it, so technically, this is another vinegar and baking soda experiment. Plus it’s red like lava!

Dancing with Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiments

You put a little boogie in a tissue to make it dance.

But how do you make apple seeds , popcorn seeds, raisins, rice, gummy worms, and candy dance?

Try these baking soda and vinegar experiments! What else can you make dance?

• Use the apple seeds from the erupting apple volcano experiment for dancing apple seeds as seen on J Daniel 4’s Mom.
• Become a magician with dancing popcorn seeds found on Little Bins for Little Hands. Abracadabra!
• Experiment with dancing raisins shown on Science Sparks. Do raisins sink or float?
• Add color to a dancing rice experiment as seen on Green Kid Crafts. Do all kinds of rice dance?
• Cut gummy worms in quarters and soak them in baking soda for this dancing worms experiment as seen on Playdough to Plato. Does it matter how long you soak the worms in baking soda?
• Start a conversation with these dancing candy hearts found on Kindergarten Worksheets and Games. What other candy can you make dance?

FREE Science Experiments Download!

Creating Art with Baking Soda and Vinegar

Don’t draw the line with baking soda and vinegar experiments just yet. Create some fizzy, popping art work!

• Mix together some baking soda paint as seen on Housing a Forest. Spread this thick, goopy paint on to cardboard or thick paper with a spatula.
• Create some fizzy art found on Typically Simple. No pipette, no problem! Try using a medicine syringe or a turkey baster.
• Explore space with fizzy galaxy art shown on The Pinterested Parent. It’s a beautiful out-of-this world creation.
• Play with a fizzy painting as seen on Rainy Day Mum. Messy but fun!
• Make rainbow art found on The Best Ideas for Kids. The colors might all mix together in the process, but that’s okay!
• Build a textured fizzling volcano as seen on The Craft at Home Family. A free template is available.

Experimenting More with Baking Soda and Vinegar

Who knew you could do so many experiments with baking soda and vinegar? Here are even more simple baking soda and vinegar experiments to try at home with kids.

• Assemble a fizzy sensory bin found on Wild Flower Ramblings. Add shells, little rocks, and toy underwater creatures for an ocean theme.
• Experiment with color reaction using baking soda and vinegar! What color does blue and yellow make? Green!
• Learn what ratio of vinegar and baking soda creates the best chemical reaction with a ratio experiment . Chart your results.
• Become a mad scientist in a fizzy potion lab found on Little Passports. Any cup should work.
• Blow up a balloon without using your mouth. Will the filled balloons fall to the ground or rise in the air once they are tied shut?
• Uncover a magic treasure rock shown on Growing a Jeweled Rose. What treasure will you find?
• Compare frozen vinegar with frozen baking soda as seen on Play of the Wild. This is a great hands-on chemistry experiment.
• Build a chemical reaction car found on Left Brain Craft Brain. Does the amount of baking soda and vinegar affect the speed?
• Blast off with a launching rocket as seen on Babble Dabble Do. Does the weight of the rocket affect the distance it travels?
• Play in water with a STEAM boat shown on Tiny Beans. Anchors away!
• Decorate a STEAM sailboat found on 123 Homeschool 4 Me. Does the design of the boat matter?
• Investigate clean and green pennies as seen on Mom Brite. Make pennies sparkle and turn them green with this experiment.
• See a disappearing egg shell shown on Premeditated Leftovers. Simply put an egg in a jar of vinegar and wait a couple of days.
• Watch all of the bubbles form with this disappearing sea shells activity found on Little Bins for Little Hands. A shell in vinegar for a little bit is a clean shell. But left in vinegar for too long, it may disappear!

What is your favorite baking soda and vinegar activity?

About Brigitte Brulz

Brigitte Brulz is a homeschooling mom of two daughters, wife of her high school sweetheart, and author of Jobs of a Preschooler and Pickles, Pickles, I Like Pickles. She offers free coloring pages and activity ideas on her website at BrigitteBrulz.com .

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Science Experiments with Baking Soda

Looking for interesting science experiments for their kids? These Science Experiments with Baking Soda offer a great opportunity to explore chemistry. Baking soda is not only an inexpensive pantry staple, but its properties make it perfect for simple and safe science experiments that your kids can do inside the home.

If your kids love these science activities, check out more Fun STEM Activities for Kids !

Your kids will love seeing the reactions made by doing these activities. This list of experiments made with baking soda will have your homeschoolers seeing the chemical world in action in no time!

This post may contain affiliate links meaning I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Read my disclosure policy here.

See a list of my favorite Amazon Deals for your home and homeschool.

What happens when baking soda mixes with acids?

Baking soda is a really versatile ingredient and it can be used for all kinds of science experiments at home – especially for kids! When you combine baking soda with an acid, it produces a chemical reaction that releases gas, making bubbles and even inflating balloons.

As kids explore this reaction, they get to understand what happens when the two substances mix. This is not only fun to observe but helps them learn about basic chemistry concepts in a hands-on manner.

A great experiment for young scientists is mixing baking soda with vinegar in sealed jars or balloons – the pressure created releases a gas that causes the balloon to expand just like when you blow it up!

Try other acids like lemon juice or orange juice too and watch how your children’s faces light up as they explore these fascinating reactions. It will be an experience they won’t forget soon!

Recommended Science Experiment Books for Kids

Reading is one of the foundational skills that kids need to build in order to become successful adults. Luckily, reading can be exciting and fun, as well as educational!

Use these science experiment books to have a better understanding of science and what amazing experiments they can do!

Recommended Science Experiment Books

Looking to add more ‘wow’ to your science explorations? Well, look no further! I’ve handpicked a whole library of the most amazing Science Experiment Books that are perfect for inquisitive kiddos like yours!

Recommended Science Experiment Kits

With all the time kids are spending in front of screens nowadays, it is more important than ever to introduce them to fun learning activities to get their creative juices flowing. 

These science kits will get the kids to love learning science while still having fun!

One of the best things you can do for your kids is to introduce them to science experiments early on in their lives. Baking soda is a cheap and harmless fun way to show your children the wonders of science.

Fizzy Rainbow Science

This awesome activity will surely get your kids to love science experiments and learning how it happens!

Fizzy Baking Soda Christmas Tree Experiment

Learning during the holidays can be the best kind of learning. This Fizzy Baking Soda Christmas Tree Experiment is a great activity during this Christmas season!

Dancing Worms Activity

Take a look at this fun Science experiment and activity that kids will really enjoy. This Dancing Worms Activity will integrate both Science and hands-on activities!

Fizzy Pumpkin Science Experiment

This Fizzy Pumpkin Science Experiment is great for the entire season from fall to Halloween to Thanksgiving.

Easy 4-Ingredient Dancing Hearts Experiment

The Dancing Hearts experiment is a long-standing project favorite for kids. Not only is it completed with one of the sweetest Valentine’s Day treats of the season, but it’s also a hands-on experiment that makes learning fun.

Fizzy Heart Science Experiment

The kids are certain to love this Fizzy Heart Science Experiment! It’s a great way to get them excited and engaged in the learning process!

Fizzy St. Patrick’s Day Science

The kids are going to love this Fizzy St. Patrick’s Day Science activity! It’s a fun sensory activity with a little bit of messy play, too! 

Fun Fizzy Apple Volcano Science Experiment

You can talk about apples, chemistry, colors, and sensory explorations all in one simple yet enormously educational activity. 

Fizzy Snowman Science Experiment

This Fizzy Snowman Science Experiment is the perfect way to kick off the winter season! Bundle it, it’s going to be a long and educational winter!

Fizzy Frozen Hearts Experiment

During the season of love, it is a great opportunity to make this fun Fizzy Frozen Hearts Experiment with your kids!

Fizzy Bat Experiment Your Kids Will Love

If you are searching for a fun way to introduce bats to your child, give this  fizzy bat experiment  a try!

Fizzy Treasure Rocks

This Fizzy Treasure Rocks activity will make your kids love celebrating St. Patrick's Day so try it out now!

Bubbling Pumpkin Experiment

This Bubbling Pumpkin Experiment is a fun science experiment that will have the kids interested and engaged, and ready for more! 

How to Make a Baking Soda Vinegar Powered Steam Boat

If your kids love playing with water, they'll love this Baking Soda Vinegar Powered Steam Boat to play with!

Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiment with Color Fun

This simple Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiment is a great way to teach your kids about colors in a fun way!

Fizzy Frozen Stars

Your kids will love doing science experiments with this Fizzy Frozen Stars activity!

Salt Shaker Volcano | Exciting Kitchen Science for Kids

Searching for a simple activity to do with your kids? This salt-shaker volcano is just for you! You can teach them all about chemistry with a simple activity.

Easy Outdoor Color Changing Volcano with Baking Soda and Vinegar

Do this Color Changing Volcano with your kids now! They will be amazed by how it changes color.

Ketchup Volcano Science Experiment

Teach your kids more about volcanoes and chemistry with this Ketchup Volcano Science Experiment!

How to Clean Pennies with Vinegar

If you are looking for an amazing science activity to teach your kids, this is the activity just for them! Your pennies will be dirty no more!

Balloon Science Experiment

Make this fun Balloon Science Experiment with your kids now and teach them how this balloon inflates itself!

Science for Kids: Magic Dancing Rice Experiment

Your little kids will love this Magic Dancing Rice Experiment! You can make it with just the simple materials you have at home.

Baking Soda And Vinegar Rainbow Easter Eggs

If your kids love the rainbow, they'll love this Baking Soda And Vinegar Rainbow Easter Eggs!

How To Make Baking Soda Rockets

Kids love rockets! This science experiment will teach them how to make their own Baking Soda Rocket.

How To Make Baking Soda Paint

This is a unique way for the kids to make their beautiful masterpieces and show off their art skills!

Not only can your kids get a hands-on experience with chemical reactions, but they’ll also find it incredibly enjoyable to watch what happens when you mix baking soda with other household ingredients.

There are countless experiments you can do with baking soda, from creating rainbows and volcanoes to exploding balloons and investigating food coloring.

So why not look up an easy list of science experiments with baking soda for kids and make a fun afternoon out of it?

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25 FANTASTIC BAKING SODA EXPERIMENTS

By: Author Agnes Hsu

Posted on Last updated: February 22, 2018

Categories Latest , Learn

Photo credit: Shutterstock

Have some kitchen science fun with baking soda. Known as sodium bicarbonate, this alkaline compound reacts with acids like vinegar to create some fizzy and safe fun for kids. Engage in colorful entertainment by making paint, rainbow dough or mini volcanoes. Or make erupting chalk, decorative ornaments, and treasure rocks. These are just some of the fantastic uses for creative experiments using a common ingredient you probably already have at home. * Make sure to click on the links below to check out the full tutorial.

Have you tried experimenting with baking soda? What are some of your favorite things to make with it?

1. Sparkly Explosions | Preschool Powol Packets 2. Baking Soda Lava | Kids Activities Blog 3. Erupting Snow | Growing a Jeweled Rose 4. Baking Soda Art | Hometalk 5. Mini Volvanoes | Blog Me Mom

6. Rainbow Dough | Happily Ever Mom 7. Light Panel Experiment | Play at Home Mom 8. Treasure Rocks | Growing a Jeweled Rose 9. Flower Pressed Ornaments | Twig and Toadstool 10. Ice Cream Dough | Bath Activities For Kids

11. Science Lab Toddlers | Meri Cherry 12. Frozen Baking Soda Dough | Learn Play Imagine 13. Erupting Chalk Paint | Learn Play Imagine 14. Baking Soda Painting | Rainy Day Mum 15. Electric Eels | Bitz and Giggles

16. Color Mixing | No Time For Flashcards 17. Baking Soda Gift Tags | Kitchen Counter Chronicle 18. Gluten Free Dough | The Frugal Farm Wife 19. Baking Soda Balloon | Frugal Fun For Boys 20. Fizzing Color Mixing | Blog Me Mom

21. Exploding Baggy | Buggy and Buddy 22. Kitchen Science Projects | Babble Dabble Do 23. Homemade Watercolor Paint | All Parenting 24. Homemade Clay | Ehow 25. Magic Fizzy Sand | Pink Stripey Socks

Take a look here for tons more creative projects for kids.

Agnes Hsu is a mom of three and has been inspiring parents and kids to get creative with easy activities and family friendly recipes for over 10 years. She shares her love for creative play and kids food to her 2MM+ followers online. Agnes' commitment to playful learning and kindness has not only raised funds for charity but also earned features in prestigious nationwide publications.

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Baking Soda Science Experiments for Kids

The Wonderful World of Baking Soda: A Science Experiment for Kids

Baking soda is a common household ingredient that can be used for more than just baking. It's also a great tool for science experiments! In this blog post, we'll explore some fun and easy baking soda experiments that you can do at home.

What is Baking Soda?

Baking soda is a chemical compound called sodium bicarbonate. It's a white powder that is often used as a leavening agent in baking. When baking soda is mixed with an acid, it releases carbon dioxide gas, which causes the batter to rise.

Experiment 1: The Volcano Eruption

This classic experiment is a fun way to demonstrate the chemical reaction that occurs when baking soda is mixed with vinegar.

• Baking soda
• A small container (like a plastic cup or bottle)
• Modeling clay
• Red food coloring (optional)

Instructions

• Shape the modeling clay into a volcano shape around the container. Make sure there's a small opening at the top of the volcano.
• Pour a few tablespoons of baking soda into the container.
• Add a few drops of red food coloring to the vinegar (optional).
• Carefully pour the vinegar into the container. Watch as the mixture bubbles and foams, creating a volcano eruption!

Experiment 2: The Magic Balloon

This experiment shows how baking soda can be used to inflate a balloon without blowing into it.

• A small bottle or container
• A funnel (optional)
• Pour a few tablespoons of baking soda into the balloon.
• Pour a few tablespoons of vinegar into the bottle or container.
• Carefully stretch the balloon over the mouth of the bottle or container, making sure the baking soda falls into the vinegar.
• Watch as the balloon inflates!

Experiment 3: The Rainbow Density Tower

This experiment demonstrates the concept of density and how different liquids separate based on their weight.

• Vegetable oil
• Red, yellow, and blue food coloring
• A tall, clear glass or jar
• Add a few drops of red food coloring to the water.
• Add a few drops of yellow food coloring to the dish soap.
• Add a few drops of blue food coloring to the vegetable oil.
• Carefully pour the liquids into the glass or jar in this order: vegetable oil, dish soap, water. Make sure to pour each liquid slowly so that it doesn't mix with the others.
• Add a pinch of baking soda to the top of the oil layer. Watch as the baking soda sinks through the layers until it reaches the water, where it will fizz and create a rainbow effect!

Safety Tips

• Always supervise children when they are doing science experiments.
• Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes.
• Use baking soda and vinegar in a well-ventilated area.
• Don't eat or drink anything that has been used in the experiments.

These are just a few examples of fun and educational baking soda experiments that you can do at home. With a little bit of creativity, you can use baking soda to teach children about science in a fun and engaging way.

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7 Fizzy Baking Soda and Vinegar Science Experiments

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There is something about baking soda and vinegar science experiments that just never gets old. Kids of all ages enjoy these activities, but in my experience, little ones love them the most. They get so excited when they watch the baking soda and vinegar reaction!

When my kids were little I got into the habit of buying large containers of baking soda and white vinegar. These supplies are pretty inexpensive, especially when purchased in bulk. You might not want to use them in food prep after a while, but they are always good for science experiments.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (water and acetic acid) form carbon dioxide gas when they are mixed together.

These easy science experiments are sure to be a hit! Creating an acid-base reaction is a fun way to learn about chemical reactions.

Baking Soda and Vinegar Science Experiments

Tip – I recommend doing all of the vinegar and baking soda science experiments on a baking sheet or outside. The fizzy reactions can get messy quickly!

Classic Volcano

Making a volcano is a classic science experiment for kids. This activity can fit in with a science lesson about chemical reactions, but it can also be a great volcano demonstration in a lesson about volcanos.

You will need:

• Container to hold the baking soda
• Baking soda
• Playdough or clay (if you want to form a classic volcano shape)

First, gather all of your materials. You can use pretty much any container to make the volcano. I used a beaker from my science cabinet, but you could use a drinking glass, a mason jar, a clean can, etc. I have even seen people make a big baking soda and vinegar volcanos using sand buckets! (Definitely do that outside for easy cleanup.)

I recommend putting the volcano in a glass casserole dish to contain the mess.

If you want to form the classic volcano shape, use playdough or clay to add a slope to your container. You can also paint it if you want. Let this harden and dry before adding baking soda or vinegar.

When your volcano is ready, sprinkle baking soda into your container. Different volcanos will need different amounts of baking soda. If you have a small container you will just need a little. If you use a large container you will need a lot.

When everyone is ready, pour the vinegar onto the baking soda. The fizzy chemical reaction happens pretty much instantly.

Fizzy Dinosaur Eggs

This fizzy dinosaur eggs activity from Kim at TheBestIdeasForKids.com is going to be a hit with any young children who love dinosaurs. Kids can help prepare the baking soda eggs and then use the vinegar to make them ‘hatch’ or an adult can prepare the eggs ahead of time.

• Food coloring
• Small plastic dinosaurs (or whatever you want inside of the eggs)
• Squirt bottle or dropper

Get the full fizzy dinosaur egg directions .

Drop Painting

I loved setting my kids up with this activity when they were toddlers – early elementary. It was my go-to activity when I needed them to be engaged at the kitchen table so I could supervise them while cooking. They had a great time and I was able to cook without little hands helping.

• Baking tray or dish
• Cups – one for each color
• Different colors of food coloring
• Dropper or pipette – one for each color

To set up this activity, add a layer of baking soda to a baking dish. Then add vinegar to small cups. I used an assortment of recycled glass jars. Add a few drops of food coloring to each cup. Kids can help mix primary colors to create secondary colors. Put a pipette or dropper in each cup.

Now kids can use the pipettes to drop colored vinegar onto the baking soda. Everywhere that a drop of vinegar hits the baking soda kids will see bubbles in the color of the vinegar.

Some kids like to make a picture using the baking soda as a temporary canvas. Other kids just enjoy the process. Either way, they are having fun experimenting with baking soda and vinegar. This sort of activity when kids are young lays a foundation for understanding chemical reactions when they are older.

Hot ice seems like an oxymoron, but it is actually a really cool science experiment using baking soda and vinegar. This activity has a few more steps than some of the other ideas, but kids will be delighted with the result.

• Baking Soda
• Glass measuring cup
• Glass pie plate
• Refrigerator

Get the full directions for hot ice from PlaydoughtoPlato.com .

Hidden Colors

This hidden colors activity is similar to the vinegar drop painting activity. It uses the same basic supplies, but the order is different.

• Mini-muffin tin
• Vinegar in a cup
• Dropper or pipette

Put a few drops of food coloring in each mini-muffin tin well. Cover it with a thin layer of baking soda. You want enough baking soda to cover the food coloring, but not enough to fill up the muffin tin. When it is ready, kids shouldn’t be able to tell what color is in which spot.

Pour vinegar into a cup and give your child a dropper or pipette.

Kids can slowly add drops of vinegar to each well of baking soda until they can see the color mix in with the carbon dioxide bubbles.

Exploding Bag

I think most kids go through a phase where they like to watch things explode. In my house that happened in the late elementary and early middle school years.

This baking soda and vinegar activity will make kids who love explosions happy.

I think it is a good idea to do this activity outside because it can get messy! The aftermath of a baking soda and vinegar explosion can feel gritty so it is helpful if it is done on a driveway so it can be hosed off.

• Plastic bag with a zip seal
• Permanent markers (optional)

Get the full directions for making an exploding bag at MomBrite.com .

Inflate a Balloon

Watching fizzy bubbles and explosions can be fun, but this baking soda and vinegar experiment helps kids understand that chemical reactions can be useful. They will attempt to inflate a balloon using baking soda and vinegar. Now, this certainly isn’t the most efficient way to blow up a balloon, but it gets kids thinking about science as useful.

• Plastic bottle

Get the full directions at HappyBrownHouse.com .

I hope your kids enjoyed these simple science experiments! Once they have tried a few of these simple baking soda and vinegar activities, let them try making changes to see if the results change. Maybe they can try using lemon juice instead of vinegar and see what happens!

Check out these other science activities for kids!

• How to Grow a Germ Farm
• Rock Cycle Activities for Middle School
• Helpful Science Vocabulary Activities

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Welcome! My name is Jennifer. I am a teacher at heart. Before my children were born I was a public school teacher. Now, I am a homeschooling mom of two.

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Babble Dabble Do

5 Easy Baking Soda Science Projects Your Kids Will Love

August 3, 2020 by Ana Dziengel Leave a Comment

I love science experiments that feature simple materials and baking soda science projects are full of surprising, fizzing, bubbling, educational fun!

This post is sponsored by Arm & Hammer. All opinions are my own.

I hope you had a blast in Arm & Hammer Summer Camp ! And if you think that the 5 science projects we did featuring baking soda are all there is, think again…Being science counselor in camp opened my eyes to the endless project possibilities with this humble ingredient and I cannot wait to try more of them with my kids and students.

5 Easy Baking Soda Science Projects

I am gathering up all 5 projects in this post for your convenience. Watch the videos here and click the project title for complete instructions . Also be sure to check out the science section in each post to learn all about the chemical reactions that make these experiments possible!

1. Tie Dyed Slime

Learn about non-Newtonian fluids and color mixing in this summer themed slime activity!

Downloadable directions here

2. diy lava lamps.

Try this mess-free chemical reaction and learn about acid, bases, and polarity.

3. Fizzing Hands

Turn the classic baking soda volcano experiment and turn it on it’s head…I mean hand! This project uses the carbon dioxide produced in a chemical reaction for some hilarious fun!

4. Blast Off Bottle Rockets

These fly HIGH! If you have never made a bottle rocket before, this summer is the perfect time to do it!

5. Fizzing Hatching Dino Eggs

Another variation on the classic acid base reaction with a surprising dinosaur twist!

If you enjoyed these b aking soda science projects project be sure to hop over to Arm & Hammer’s YouTube channel for more ideas!

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Baking Soda and Vinegar Science Experiments

Kids love easy science experiments you can do with baking soda and vinegar. When baking soda and vinegar combine, you get an incredible chemical reaction everyone will want to try. Check out our top baking soda and vinegar science experiments for preschool through middle school.

Take a look at how we give this classic science experiment a twist with the activities below. These are our favorite ways to explore a fizzing reaction. Use this safe experiment as an easy way to introduce a chemical reaction to younger kids.

See our list of preschool science experiments and elementary science experiments .

All you need are a few simple ingredients you may already have in your kitchen! Baking soda, vinegar, and a little food coloring will keep your kids busy for quite a while. We have also included a few other ingredients that react with baking soda to make it fizz. Find unique ways to enjoy this fun experiment any day of the year!

💡 You can easily try this experiment at home or in a classroom, making it easy to do!

Free Printable Fizzy Reactions Guide

If you love mixing baking soda and vinegar, look through the experiments below and grab the free printable baking soda and vinegar fizzy reactions guide !

Apple Volcano

Grab an apple that’s ready to be composted and try this fall theme baking soda and vinegar activity!

Baking Soda and Cranberry Juice

What happens when you add cranberry juice to baking soda? Fizzing cranberries ! What about lemon juice or lime juice like this Lemon Volcano ? Find out with these citric acid experiments.

Baking Soda Fizzy Paint

Try fizzy painting! Make your own cool fizzy art with baking soda and vinegar paint for a fun and easy art meets science activity. Try this fizzy heart !

Baking Soda Moon Rocks

Here we made our own DIY moon rocks for a cool space theme activity for kids.

Balloon Experiment

Can you blow up a balloon using only baking soda and vinegar?

Baking Soda Bottle Rocket

Combine physics and chemistry with this unique baking soda and vinegar science experiment! Kids will love blasting off a bottle rocket .

Bubbling Slime

This is by far one of the  coolest slime recipes we have to date because it combines two things we love: slime making and baking soda and vinegar reactions.

Classic Baking Soda Volcano

Vinegar volcanoes are always a hit, and you can make them in several ways. We are using the classic baking soda volcano to test our science skills! Learn how to make a batch of salt dough and craft a volcano fit for this science experiment.

Cookie Cutter Baking Soda Experiments

Grab your cookie cutters for a fun and easy baking soda project. Try different themes with your holiday cookie cutters. Try these fizzing snowflakes!

Dancing Corn

Dancing corn is usually a favorite baking soda and vinegar experiment around Thanksgiving for us! The alternative to this type of science project is done with a carbonated liquid, such as this dancing raisins science experiment.

Dinosaur Volcano

What’s more fun than combining dinosaur play and a baking soda and vinegar reaction! This dinosaur volcano activity provides an opportunity for younger kids to learn about dinosaurs, volcanoes, and the natural world in a hands-on way.

Fizzing Dinosaur Eggs

The coolest dinosaur activity EVER!! A fun variation on a baking soda and vinegar reaction where kids can hatch out their own dinosaurs.

Fizzing Sidewalk Paint

This is an awesome way to take science outside and turn it into STEAM! Get outdoors, paint pictures, and enjoy a kid-favorite fizzing chemical reaction.

LEGO Volcano

Build your own volcano with basic LEGO bricks and watch it erupt over and over again.

Popping Bags

Another unique way to try a baking soda experiment outside! How to make an exploding plastic bag.

Sandbox Eruption

Take your baking soda project outdoors and build a baking soda and vinegar bottle rocket in your sandbox.

Snow Volcano

This makes for a great winter science experiment! Take the baking soda and vinegar fun outdoors and create your very own erupting snow-cano!

Watermelon-Cano

We love to make anything erupt… Also check out our apple volcano , pumpkin volcano and even a puking pumpkin .

Baking Soda and Vinegar Science Fair Project

Set this up as a Baking Soda and Vinegar Science Fair Project! Learn more about Science Fair Projects here and grab the free pack.

• Try using different baking soda and vinegar ratios to see how they affect the reaction.
• Add food coloring to the vinegar to create a colorful eruption.
• Test other household substances, such as lemon juice , orange juice, or cranberry juice , to compare their reaction with baking soda.
• Add dish soap and compare the eruptions.
• Try using containers with different size openings to observe the pressure the gas exerts, causing the eruption.

💡 Read more about the Scientific Method for Kids here!

What Makes Baking Soda Fizz?

Baking soda is made up of tiny particles called molecules. Each molecule has three different elements: sodium, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen.

Something exciting happens when baking soda comes into contact with an acid, like vinegar! The acid (vinegar) and the base (baking soda) react. The vinegar donates a hydrogen ion to the baking soda during this reaction.

The hydrogen ion combines with the bicarbonate ion in baking soda to form carbonic acid. This is unstable and quickly breaks into water and carbon dioxide gas.

The carbon dioxide gas is why baking soda starts to fizz and bubble. The gas tries to escape from the mixture, creating bubbles that rise to the surface. These bubbles make a fizzing sound and give the impression of a mini volcano eruption!

So, when you mix baking soda with an acid like vinegar, you get a fantastic fizzy reaction due to the production of carbon dioxide gas. It’s truly an exciting and visually appealing demonstration of a chemical reaction!

You might also like: Cool Chemistry Projects for Kids

Endothermic Reaction

Mixing baking soda and vinegar is an endothermic reaction because the carbonic acid needs to take in energy from its surroundings (the mixture of baking soda and vinegar).

This process of taking in energy is what makes the reaction endothermic. And as it takes energy, it produces carbon dioxide gas, which creates all the exciting fizz and bubbles you see! It’s like a bit of science magic happening right before our eyes!

You might also like: Elephant Toothpaste (Exothermic Reaction)

Helpful Science Resources To Get You Started

Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

• Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
• Science Vocabulary
• All About Scientists
• Free Science Worksheets
• DIY Science Kits
• Science Tools for Kids
• Scientific Method for Kids
• Citizen Science Guide
• Join us in the Club

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

• 90+ classic science activities  with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information.  NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
• Best science practices posters  and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
• Be a Collector activities pack  introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
• Know the Words Science vocabulary pack  includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
• My science journal writing prompts  explore what it means to be a scientist!!
• Bonus STEAM Project Pack:  Art meets science with doable projects!
• Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics

One Comment

I am a regular visitor of your website. Thanks for the great article. By following this article I created youtube video of my son showing step by step tutorial of Magic Balloon Science Experiment for Kids using Baking Soda and Vinegar – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl_OMitc150

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Make Hot Ice From Baking Soda and Vinegar

Hot ice is another name for sodium acetate (CH 3 COONa or NaOAc). It is the sodium salt of acetic acid, which is the key component of vinegar. Hot ice gets its name from the way it solidifies. A solution of sodium acetate supercooled below its melting point suddenly crystallizes. Heat is released and the crystal resemble ice so… “hot ice.” All you need to make sodium acetate and crystallize it into hot ice is baking soda and vinegar. It’s a great chemistry demonstration because it illustrates chemical reactions, supercooling, crystallization, and exothermic processes . From start to finish, the project takes less than an hour. Once you have the sodium acetate, you can melt and crystallize it over and over again.

You only need two ingredients, plus a pan and stove:

• 1 liter Vinegar (weak acetic acid)
• 4 tablespoons Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)

The quantities of baking soda and vinegar are not critical so long as all of the baking soda dissolves. If measuring the ingredients isn’t an option, just dissolve baking soda in vinegar until no more dissolves, filter off the liquid using a coffee filter or paper towel to remove any solids, and proceed from there.

Be sure to use plain white (clear) vinegar and not cider, red wine, or some other colored vinegar. You can substitute sodium carbonate (washing soda) or sodium hydroxide (caustic soda or lye) for the baking soda. If you have access to pure sodium acetate (inexpensive online), you can skip the procedure to make it and go directly to the step for re-using it.

• The first step is reacting the baking soda and vinegar . Stir baking soda into vinegar a little at a time. If you add it all at once, you’ll basically get the classic baking soda and vinegar volcano and could overflow your pan! The reaction between baking soda and vinegar produces sodium acetate, water, and carbon dioxide gas: Na + [HCO 3 ] –  + CH 3 –COOH → CH 3 –COO –  Na +  + H 2 O + CO 2 However, at this point there’s too much water for the sodium acetate to crystallize.
• Next, concentrate the solution by boiling it. It took me about an hour at medium heat to reduce the volume from a liter to about 100-150 milliliters. Don’t use high heat because you may get discoloration (golden or brown). The discoloration doesn’t ruin the sodium acetate, but the hot ice will look a bit like you made it from yellow snow. You’ll know you’ve boiled off enough water when a crystalline skin starts to form on the surface of the liquid.
• Once you see a skin, immediately remove the pan from the heat. Carefully pour the liquid into a clean container and cover the new container with plastic wrap or a lid to prevent further evaporation. You should get crystals in the pan, which you can use as seed crystals for activities, but the liquid in the new container should not contain any crystals. If you do have crystals, stir in a very small volume of water or vinegar to dissolve the crystals. If the entire solution crystallizes, add more water and go back to the stove to boil it down again.
• Place the covered container of sodium acetate solution in the refrigerator to chill it. It’s also fine to let the solution cool to room temperature on its own, but this takes longer. Either way, reducing the temperature produces a supercooled liquid. That is, the sodium acetate remains liquid below its freezing point.

Hot Ice Activities

Solidification of sodium acetate is the basis for one type of hot pack , but it’s also great for crystallization demonstrations. Three popular activities are the “sea urchin,” “flower,” and “tower.”

• Sea Urchin : Pour the cooled liquid into a clear container. Use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to scrape a few sodium acetate crystals from the pan used to make the solution. Dip the toothpick into the liquid so the tip with crystals are in the middle of the container. Needle-like crystals immediately grow out from the center. Also, crystallization releases heat as chemical bonds form to make the solid. The final structure resembles a spiny sea urchin.
• Flower : Pour the cooled sodium acetate liquid into a flat dish (preferably a dark-colored one). Scrape one or more crystals from the pan and drop them onto the liquid. The crystals act as seeds . The hot ice crystals spread out radially and form structures that resemble flowers.
• Tower : Place a few crystals onto a surface. Slowly pour the liquid onto the crystals. The hot ice solidifies as you pour the liquid, forming a tower (or whatever shape you can manage).

Re-Using Hot Ice

Save the solid sodium acetate so you can use it again without going through the whole baking soda-and-vinegar process. Simply dissolve the hot ice in water and boil off the smaller amount of excess water.

Safety Information

Sodium acetate is a safe, non-toxic chemical, so it’s perfect for chemistry demonstrations. It is used as a food additive to enhance flavor and is a key ingredient in some chemical hot packs. The heat released by hot ice crystallization of a refrigerated solution doesn’t present a burn hazard. However, making hot ice from baking soda and vinegar does involve boiling liquid on a stove, so adult supervision is required. If you use sodium hydroxide in place of baking soda, heed the cautions on the product label.

• ChemEd Xchange (2019). “ Crystallization of Supersaturated Sodium Acetate – Demonstration .”
• Clayden, Jonathan; Greeves, Nick; Warren, Stuart; Wothers, Peter (2001). Organic Chemistry (1st ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-850346-0.
• Seidell, Atherton; Linke, William F. (1952). Solubilities of Inorganic and Organic Compounds . Van Nostrand.

Related Posts

11 Fizzy Fun Baking Soda Experiments

Ignite your child’s curiosity. Let them touch, smell, hear, and taste with simple and safe science adventures.

Did you know you can teach your kids simple science with household ingredients? With baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, and food coloring, you can introduce your kids to fizzing fun as they learn about chemical reactions. 

Not only will they learn about how baking soda and vinegar react with each other, but you can introduce new concepts and vocabulary. Aside from the educational benefits, baking soda experiments are messy and fun.

What Makes Baking Soda Fizz?

Most baking soda experiments use vinegar or lemon juice. This is because the sodium bicarbonate in baking soda reacts with the mild acetic acid in vinegar and the citric acid in lemon juice. 

The fizz is actually created by two reactions. The first is an acid-based reaction where the hydrogen ions in the vinegar react with sodium and the bicarbonate ions in the baking soda. This forms carbonic acid and sodium acetate. 

The second part of the fizzing action is decomposing carbonic acid into water and carbon dioxide gas. Like the bubbles in fizzy carbonated drinks, the carbon dioxide bubbles cause fizzing in the baking soda and vinegar experiment. 

Science Experiments with Baking Soda

Baking soda and water don’t produce the same effects as baking soda and vinegar or lemon juice. Luckily, both ingredients can be found in your pantry and are easy to get from the store. 

To add an extra element of fun to your baking soda experiments, use food coloring, toys, scoops, and pipettes.

1. Glitter Explosion

A glitter explosion is a fun take on a classic baking soda science experiment. 

Add two tablespoons of baking soda to a glass jar with a generous amount of glitter and a squirt of dish soap. Mix everything together until well combined. 

Now for the fun part. Your child can use a pipette, spoon, or a small jug to slowly add vinegar to the mixture in the jar. 

The vinegar and baking soda will react, causing a bubbly, fizzy, glittery eruption from the top of the jar. This is similar to the classic volcano science experiment.

• Glass jar 
• Pipette 
• Baking soda 
• Vinegar 
• Glitter 
• Dish soap 

Add-On Activity

Use this glitter explosion activity in small-world play. Create a mixture in jars that you can dot around a sensory bin. Add food coloring to each jar with fun glitter elements. You can use these glitter jars for different themed sensory bins .

2. Frozen Baking Soda Dough

For this baking soda experiment, mix a little water with baking soda until it forms a dough. Add the water slowly until you get the right consistency. 

Once you are happy with your dough, add the color and glitter of your choice and press it into one of the containers. Leave the containers in the freezer overnight. 

The frozen dough will have an interesting texture as it begins to thaw, which your kids will enjoy.

• Water 
• Food coloring 
• Different sizes and shapes of containers 

Let them play and explore for a few minutes before giving them pipettes/syringes and a bowl of vinegar. Let them add vinegar to the frozen dough and watch as it bubbles and fizzes. 

3. Electric Eels

Snacking on gummy worms while watching them jump around a glass will amuse your kids.

Cut each gummy worm into 4 pieces and then soak them in a glass of water and baking soda for 10 to 15 minutes. Pour vinegar into another glass and add the worms one at a time. 

The worms should move and wiggle around the glass.

• 4-6 gummy worms
• 3 tablespoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 cup water

Include this activity in a bug sensory bin or put it in a tub with water beads and pond critters.

4. Fizzy Sand

This simple mix of ingredients will keep your kids busy for hours. 

Mix Kool-aid and baking soda and place them in a tray. It is ideal for fine motor skills development as your children use spoons and scoops to play with the sand mix. 

The fact that they can add vinegar with pipettes will only add to the magic of this fizzy sand. 

• Kool-Aid 

Use the “sand” mix as the base for a dinosaur or underwater sensory bin. Let your kids play with the sand first and when they start to lose interest, give them vinegar.

5. Stalagmites and Stalactites

This baking soda experiment takes time and patience but is pretty magical. 

Add warm water to two glass jars and add baking soda until no more will dissolve. Tie wool onto safety pins and place each one in a jar. The wool will soak up the solution, and as the water dissolves, the baking soda creates stalactites.

• Baking Soda
• Safety Pins
• 2 Glass jars

Pair this prehistoric activity with a baking soda dino egg. Simply make baking soda dough and pack it around a dinosaur before freezing it. Then your kids can dissolve the egg in vinegar to reveal the dinosaur.

6. Invisible Ink

This is a fun chemical reaction that will amaze your kids. 

Add 5 tablespoons of baking soda to a glass of water and mix. Next, dip your Q-tip into the solution and write your message or create a picture. Once it has dried, use a paintbrush and the grape concentrate to reveal your message.

• Grape juice concentrate 
• Q-tips 
• Paintbrush 

If you are teaching your child the alphabet , write the letters on index cards and let your child reveal and identify each one.

This chemical reaction looks like magic, and your kids will be amazed as they feel the “ice” that is actually hot. 

By boiling baking soda and vinegar, you create a concentrated substance that allows you to build an ice tower like magic. 

• 4 cups of white vinegar 
• 4 tablespoons of baking soda 
• A heatproof glass measuring cup

Scrape some of the residue from the pot onto a wooden skewer and place it in a glass jar filled with the solution and watch as it grows and solidifies.

8. Melting Apples

Combine the baking soda, water, food coloring, and water to form a dough. Mold the dough into balls and use the pipe cleaner to create stems. 

Once you have made your “apples,” let your kids spray them with vinegar and watch as they dissolve.

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 1 Tablespoon food coloring 
• 3 squirts of liquid soap
• Pipe cleaners

This is a cool activity to use with apple stamping and making apple pies when learning about the letter ”A”.

9. Baking Soda Exploration

This baking soda and vinegar experiment is a great open-ended exploration that allows your kids to get curious about the fizzy reaction. 

Using pipettes also helps them develop fine motor and pre-writing skills. Cover a tray in baking soda and make colored vinegar jars for them to experiment with.

• White vinegar
• Baking soda
• Pipettes (optional)
• Liquid watercolors or food coloring

Only give your children the primary colors and allow them to explore color mixing with this fun, fizzy medium.

10. Baking Soda Bubbles

This baking soda and vinegar experiment is a simple way for your kids to see the effects of carbon dioxide gas released from the chemical reaction. 

Using the funnel, add the baking soda to the bottle. Next, mix the water and dishwashing liquid together and soak the washcloth. Then, wring out the excess liquid and place the cloth over the top of the plastic bottle. 

Lift the cloth and pour vinegar inside before replacing it over the bottle. The carbon dioxide gas will cause bubbles to form on the cloth.

• Plastic bottle 
• 1 Tablespoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons dishwashing liquid
• 1 Cup water
• 1/4 Cup vinegar

Add watercolor paint to the water and soap mix to create colored bubbles. Use a piece of paper to make prints from the bubbles as they form by pressing the paper to the bubbles.

11. Magic Colors

You can create a color surprise for your kids by layering your baking soda. 

Mix some food coloring and baking soda in a muffin tray. Cover the colored baking soda with a layer of white baking soda. 

That way, when your kids add the vinegar, the colors revealed will be a surprise.

• Muffin tin 
• Turkey baster/spoon 
• Food coloring

Use this experiment as an indoor scavenger hunt . Once your kids have revealed a color, they have to try and find something in the house that matches.

Baking Soda Crystals – Saturation

Crystals are made when a substance has atoms or molecules that form in a very organized, repeating, 3D pattern. Usually when we think of crystals we think of some well-known gemstones like diamonds or rubies, but there are some very common crystals too. Sugar, ice, snowflakes, salt…all of these are crystals. You can make your own baking soda crystals grow!

What You Need

• 2 Glasses or Jars
• 2 Paper Clips
• Hot Tap Water
• Piece of Yarn or Cotton String, about 6 inches long
• Baking Soda

Instructions

Fill each glass with water. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to each glass. Stir the mixture. If all of the baking soda  dissolves , add a little more baking soda and stir. Add baking soda until the water can’t  dissolve  it anymore, the mixture is  saturated . That means the water is holding as much of the baking soda as it can. You can add a few drops of food coloring to each glass to make the crystals colorful. Tie a paper clip to each end of the piece of yarn or string. Drop one paperclip into each glass letting the string dangle in a smile shape in between the glasses but not touching the plate. Watch the string over the next few days to see the crystals form along the string.

The picture on the right shows you what the baking soda crystals will look like after a few days. As the days go by and the water in the baking soda solution evaporates, the level of the water will go down. Make sure the end of the string with the paper clip on it stays submerged in the baking soda water in the glass.

Science Experiment Idea

Grow more than one kind of crystal. Use salt, sugar, and baking soda. Keep a chart as you observe how the crystals grow over the next few weeks. Which one do you think will grow the biggest? Which one will form the fastest?

• Try to grow crystals another way:  Borax Crystals – Supersaturation

Websites, Activities & Printables

• San Diego Natural History Museum: All That Glitters
• Exploratorium: The Science of Rock Candy
• Science Bob: Make Your Own Rock Candy
• Scholatic: Homemade Rock Crystal Candy
• Martha Stewart Crafts: Borax Snowflakes
• Baking Soda Stalactites

You can also ask a math and science expert for homework help by calling the  Ask Rose Homework Hotline . They provide FREE math and science homework help to Indiana students in grades 6-12.

e-Books & Audiobooks

Use your indyPL Library Card to check out books about crystals at any of our  locations , or  check out e-books and audiobooks about crystals from OverDrive Kids  right to your device! If you have never used OverDrive before, you can learn how to use e-books  and  learn how to useaudiobooks .

Need more help?  Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations  or  call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian . Additionally, the Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

Explore the Science of Crystals from Minerals to Gems to Snowflakes

Learn about the qualities and identifying characteristics of crystals, the amazing naturally occurring patterns that happen in both minerals and snowflakes. No two are exactly alike, and yet each one has a uniform and repeating pattern. You can study how crystals form by growing some of your own!

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Fun & Easy Baking Soda and Vinegar Science Experiments

Published: July 5, 2022

Contributor: Jeannette Tuionetoa

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

If you have baking soda and vinegar at home, it is all you need for super science fun. These baking soda and vinegar science experiments are easy to do and your kids will love them!

Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiments

What is the best thing about vinegar and baking soda science experiments? You have everything you need right in your pantry! These fun and cheap science experiments may be super easy, yet they will still add excitement to your science lessons.

Basic Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiments

If you are looking for a simple baking soda and vinegar experiment, try this classic.

Classic Vinegar and Baking Soda Science Experiment

Here are the materials needed for this classic science experiment:

• Baking soda
• Tall and narrow plastic container
• Rimmed tray to make sure it captures any overflows
• Food coloring

Vinegar and Baking Soda Experiment Directions

• Pour baking soda into the plastic container and add a few drops of the food coloring.
• Pour vinegar over the baking soda and drops of food coloring with a medicine dropper.
• Watch in awe as the reaction bubbles up and fizzles over the edge of the container. Add props like Legos or toys to make a whole scene of bubbly, fizzy fun.

Homemade Fizzy Sidewalk Paint

Here are the materials needed for the Homemade Fizzy Sidewalk Chalk Paint science experiment:

• 2 cups of baking soda
• 1 cup of cornstarch

Fizzy Sidewalk Paint Directions

• Grab a squirt or squeeze bottle, muffin tins, and paint brushes.
• Mix the ingredients all together and pour them into the muffin tins. Of course, do this a few times with different colors.
• Grab paint brushes, get outdoors and start your creations.

Baking Soda Vinegar Volcano

I am sure you have seen a baking and soda and vinegar volcano, right? This easy baking soda and vinegar volcano eruption is fun and your kids can do it independently.

This experiment only takes about three minutes to prep . Here are the materials needed for easy baking soda and vinegar volcano eruption for kids:

• Plastic cup
• 4 tbs of baking soda
• 1 tsp of dish soap
• ½ oz to 2 oz of washable paint
• 1 cup  of vinegar (8 oz of vinegar that will start your eruption)

How to Make Your Volcano Erupt

• Have your young children make a mound of gravel and place the cup on top of it with gravel developing it into a mountain shape.
• Combine all the ingredients together.
• Pour the mixture into the cup and then the vinegar when you are ready for eruption.

Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiment for Kids

This is a fun take on a simple experiment. Check out this baking soda and vinegar powered boat .

Baking Soda and Vinegar Powered Boat

Here are the materials needed for Baking Soda and Vinegar Powered Boat experiment:

• Small empty plastic water bottle
• Kitchen paper roll
• Straw vinegar
• Bath or large tub/container

Directions for Baking Soda and Vinegar Powered Boat Experiment

• Pierce a hole in the water bottle for the star to go through it. Tape up the gap to prevent any air from escaping the water bottle.
• Pour vinegar into the plastic bottle and then replace the lid.
• Tap some baking soda on a small piece of kitchen roll.
• Stuff the tissue-wrapped baking soda in the bottle and swiftly cover it with the lid.
• Place the plastic bottle in the water and just watch it zoom away.

Baking Soda and Vinegar Reaction

So, what exactly happens with a baking soda and vinegar reaction? Mixing vinegar (acetic acid) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) together cause a chemical reaction that makes salt (sodium acetate), water, and carbon dioxide gas. These experiments are exciting for students to do.

There are two separate reactions when baking soda and vinegar mix. There is an acid base reaction and a decomposition reaction.

Acid-based reaction – Hydrogen ions and vinegar react with the sodium and bicarbonate ions that are in baking soda. The result is two chemicals called carbonic acid and sodium acetate.

Decomposition reaction – The carbonic acid and sodium acetate from the acid-based reaction decompose into water (H2O) and carbon dioxide gas.

Baking Soda And Vinegar Science Experiments FAQ

Here are some common questions people ask when mixing baking soda and vinegar.

What happens when you mix baking soda and vinegar and water?

Mixing baking soda and vinegar and water produces carbon dioxide gas which forms bubbles in the foaming mixture. It forms a fizzing reaction of carbon dioxide that consequently is awesome for cleaning and freshening sinks and drains.

What happens if you mix baking soda vinegar and food coloring?

It is important to listen in when mixing the baking soda vinegar and food coloring to hear the fizz. Mixing these three items develops a fizzy foam full of food coloring colors. Make a rainbow or use your young scientist’s favorite colors for a super cool colourful chemical reaction science experiment.

What science experiments can you do with baking soda?

Here is a list of experiments that can be done with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate).

• Baking soda paint
• Blow-up balloon science
• Fizzing Dinosaur Eggs
• Fizzing Sidewalk Paint
• Sandbox Eruption
• Slime Volcano

What science experiments can I do with vinegar?

Here is a list of experiments that can be done with vinegar (acetic acid).

• Vinegar and Milk Shapes
• Color Mixing Science Activity
• Vinegar Penny Magic
• Nails, Wire, and Vinegar
• Gas, bubbles, eruption!
• Fizzing Rubber Band Snap Art

In Conclusion

Big kids and even a busy toddler will have a great time enjoying these exciting experiments that are super easy, but loads of learning fun. 

You might also enjoy mason jar science experiments , and easy science experiments for kids.

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Jeannette Tuionetoa

Jeannette is a wife, mother and homeschooling mom. She has been mightily, saved by grace and is grateful for God’s sovereignty throughout her life’s journey. She has a Bachelor in English Education and her MBA. Jeannette is bi-lingual and currently lives in the Tongan Islands of the South Pacific. She posts daily freebies for homeschoolers!

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Science Fair Experiments With Baking Soda & Water

Chemistry Projects With Oxidation

Baking soda and water are easy to find around the house or at the grocery store and give you a great variety of science experiment options. Baking soda is a base, so it will form a chemical reaction when combined with an acid such as vinegar or orange juice. This chemical reaction produces carbon dioxide, which causes bubbles to form. So chose your favorite science fair experiment using baking soda and water and observe the reaction for yourself.

The Exploding Lunchbag

To conduct the Exploding Lunchbag experiment, go outside or somewhere where you can make a mess. Fill a plastic sandwich bag with 1/4 cup warm water and 1/2 cup vinegar. Put 3 teaspoons of baking soda in the middle of a tissue and fold it to form a little packet. Quickly slip the baking soda packet into the bag and close it. Step back and watch the explosion. Conduct the experiment again but vary one element, such as the size of the bag, to answer a question such as, "Which size bag creates the biggest pop?" or "How long do different bag sizes take to pop?"

Swimming Spaghetti

To make your spaghetti swim, fill a clear glass or bowl with one cup of water and two teaspoons of baking soda. Mix them together. Break spaghetti into 1 inch pieces and drop it into the water and baking soda solution. Pour in 5 teaspoons of vinegar and observe how the spaghetti reacts. Perform the experiment again using only water and vinegar to answer the question, "What is the effect of baking soda combined with vinegar on spaghetti?"

Invisable Ink

To make invisible ink, combine 1 tablespoon water with 1 tablespoon baking soda. Mix it together, then use a toothpick dipped in the solution to write a message. Let it dry, then paint over the message with a paintbrush dipped in grape juice concentrate. The acid in the grape juice will react with the base in the baking soda and reveal the message. Perform the same experiment, but paint the message with only water to answer the question, "What is the effect of acidic grape concentrate on baking soda compared to water?"

Salt vs. Baking Soda Dissolving

Fill two test tubes with water. Add 2 tablespoons salt to one test tube and 2 tablespoons baking soda to the other. Mix both solutions thoroughly, then wait two hours. Compare the test tubes to see which element dissolves better to answer the question, "What dissolves better in water, baking soda or salt?"

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About the Author

Art Corvelay is a freelance writer for demand studios who has been writing and editing for five years. He holds a Ph.D. in technical communication and teaches courses in writing and editing at the university level.

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