We love to experiment with baking soda and vinegar!
It’s such a fun way to bring science to life! We’ve played with baking soda “dough” to make fizzy cupcakes and we’ve explored art and science with ice on the light table, but this was the first time that we tried dying baking soda to make a fizzy rainbow.
And, let me tell you, it was gorgeous!!
When I was a preschooler teacher, I saved any baking soda and vinegar experiment for rainy days. My kids would sit and experiment with the trays for over an hour. Have you ever met a preschooler?? They don’t sit still long! You can imagine why I saved this for when we were stuck inside!!
We first came across dying baking soda on this post over at Where Imagination Grows. And, we were inspired to make a rainbow!
Supplies for Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiment
- Baking Soda
- Vinegar
- Syringes (or eye droppers)
- Food coloring
How to Make Rainbow Colored Baking Soda
The only “hard” part about this baking soda and vinegar experiment is mixing the colors. Here’s exactly how we dyed the baking soda:
- Scoop 4 BIG spoonfuls of baking soda into a bowl
- Add 2-3 drops (or more if you’d like) of food coloring
- Pour a small amount of water into the bowl (like a teaspoon or two)
- MIX
Note: I added a drop of food coloring to the water to help brighten the color of the baking soda!
There will be little clumps of baking soda from the moisture, but the baking soda shouldn’t be wet.
We dyed the baking soda each color in the rainbow and set the colors side by side in a baking pan.
Then, I put out a jar of vinegar with some syringes for my three-year-old to experiment and to play!
Popping the bubbles was my preschooler’s favorite part! But, my favorite part was taking the jar of vinegar and pouring it along the entire rainbow!!
What’s better than a bubbling rainbow?! Well, it might be the sounds of sheer delight when my three-year-old watched this baking soda and vinegar experiment come to life!!
Don’t you think it looks gorgeous??
Come on over to our Facebook page and share your favorite way to explore science with your little one!
whereimaginationgrows3 says
Beautiful!!! <3
crayonboxchronicles says
So fun and colorful! 🙂
happilyevermom says
Thanks, Heather!! You can never go wrong with fun and colorful!
crayonboxchronicles says
right! 😉
mumtaz begum says
I am an Early childhood teacher may I know what is the objectives of this experiment.
Katie Joiner says
Hi there! I was a preschool teacher for years as well! There’s a lot going on in this activity, but I’d say that the main learning objective is to experience and identify cause and effect. For example, when I add vinegar to the baking soda, it causes a reaction. It’s such an easy, hands-on science experiment for preschoolers! Hope that helps, Katie
Natalie AfterschoolForSmartyPants says
Love it – great twist on the classic!
happilyevermom says
Thanks, Natalie! This was so much fun!!
Tiffany H. says
So colorful! We love fizzy play activities!
Kelly at Little Wonders' Days says
Oh, this is a cool project. Thanks for sharing at the After School Link Up
Jeanette Wood says
Hi! I found your site from Google+ I just love this idea, especially this time of year! I also noticed that you had the book, Saving our Sons on your sidebar. Our son’s story is in that book. <3
happilyevermom says
Thanks so much, Jeanette! I’m so glad you stopped by, we REALLY loved this one!!
Natalie PlanetSmartyPants says
So pretty! I am featuring this on Afterschool link up next Monday.
happilyevermom says
Thanks so much, Natalie – it really was gorgeous to watch!
jeannine: waddleeahchaa says
We have another crazy cold day here in South Texas. We have leftover homemade snow. Maybe it’s time to turn it into a rainbow! We need a little bright color in our day. Thanks for the idea.