This easy, cheap, and fun baking soda, vinegar, & food coloring experiment is the perfect toddler or preschool activity for kids. It’s best to do this outdoors or over a tray where kids can make a mess and learn as they play – also known as play-based learning. To make this easy kid’s activity, you need food coloring, baking soda, vinegar, a muffin tin, and pipettes.
We made this a couple years ago when my daughter was three years old; she had a blast and didn’t even want us to help her. Seeing the chemical reaction of the baking soda as it touches vinegar is one fascinating thing to watch for kids. The food coloring adds color, which makes this a fun and colorful preschool or kindergarten activity. This activity is perfect at preschool, in elementary school, at homeschool, and at daycare.
Items needed to make a Baking Soda, Vinegar & Food Coloring Experiment
Food coloring. You can use any type of food coloring you like. My favorite food coloring is this Ann Baker set.
Baking soda. Baking soda mixes with vinegar to create a chemical reaction.
Vinegar. White vinegar is needed to mix with the baking soda.
Muffin tin. A mini muffin tin or regular muffin tin will suffice.
Pipettes. Pipettes are needed to drop the vinegar into the muffin tin. We use these pipettes.
How to make the best Baking Soda, Vinegar & Food Coloring Experiment
STEP 1: Pour food coloring in the muffin tins. I like to alternate colors to make it more interesting.
STEP 2: Add a couple sprinkles of baking soda over the food coloring.
STEP 3: Pour the vinegar into a bowl and use a pipette to fill the muffin tin with vinegar. Each time the child drops the vinegar in, they will witness science happening right before their eyes!
STEP 4: If you make this craft, don’t forget to leave a rating and comment!
Teach Kids Science
If you want to teach your kids science, then this is the perfect activity for their curious minds. Let them watch the chemical reaction when baking soda meets vinegar in this easy and safe homemade science experiment. My three-year-old had an absolute blast doing this. Each time the child fills up the pipette with vinegar, they are working on their fine motor skills. Toddlers should be practicing fine motor activities daily and this is one fun way to accomplish that.
Scientifically Speaking
When baking soda is mixed with vinegar, something new is formed. The mixture quickly foams up with carbon dioxide gas. If enough vinegar is used, all of the baking soda can be made to react and disappear into the vinegar solution. According to Primary Connections’ article, the reaction is the sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and acetic acid (vinegar) reacting to carbon dioxide, water, and sodium acetate.
The solid baking soda is placed in liquid vinegar, which produces carbon dioxide gas—which is evident because of the bubbles that formed in the foaming mixture. Eventually, as you will see, all of the solid (baking soda) dissolves into the vinegar, to produce a new solution.
Cheap Activity
This is probably a free activity for most people as most people probably have a muffin tin, baking soda, and vinegar lying around the house. Food coloring may be one thing you may need to get, in addition to pipettes. I bought a large supply of pipettes on Amazon awhile back for another project so we had those going in.
This is a wonderful homeschool, preschool, kindergarten, first, or second grade activity, especially in warmer months, where it can be done outdoors.
Fine Motor Activity
This is a great fine motor activity as the kids will need to use the small muscles in their hands and fingers to squeeze the pipette to fill it up with vinegar each time. My toddler girl was motivated to see a new color explosion, so she continued to fill up the pipette with vinegar repeatedly, which was a terrific fine motor activity for her.
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Final Thoughts
Finally, if you make this Baking Soda, Vinegar, & Food Coloring Experiment, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this activity a rating! I love to hear from everyone who makes this kid’s activity and always try my best to respond to all comments.
If you do make this activity, don’t forget to tag #elisemccollister on Instagram! It makes me so happy to see your recipe photos!
Baking Soda, Vinegar & Food Coloring Experiment
Equipment
Materials
- food coloring
- baking soda
- vinegar
- muffin tin can use a regular or mini muffin tin
- pipettes
Instructions
- Pour food coloring in the muffin tins. I like to alternate colors to make it more interesting.
- Add a couple sprinkles of baking soda over the food coloring.
- Pour vinegar into a bowl and use a pipette to fill the muffin tin with vinegar. Each time the child drops the vinegar in, they will witness science happening right before their eyes!
- If you make this activity, don’t forget to leave a rating and comment!
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