Chemical Reaction for Kids

Of all the science experiments that we have done over the last few months, this is one of our favorites.  It produces just the right balance of chemical reaction and silliness.

When you can take two ordinary things and mix them and have something unexpected happen, it is amazing!  This experiment uses common household ingredients:  vinegar and baking soda.  To add a little fun, we are going to see what happens when a glove gets involved.

Today’s experiment is from The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science by Sean Connolly. The experiment is called Frankenstein’s Hand and you will soon see why!

Chemical Reaction Experiment

chemical reaction experiment for kids materials Materials

  • 3 Tablespoons of Vinegar
  • Drinking Glass
  • 2 Teaspoons of baking soda
  • Rubber glove

chemical reaction for kids glove on glass Directions

1.  Pour the 3 Tablespoons of Vinegar into the glass.

2.  Spoon the baking soda into the glove.  Hold the glove by the wrist and shake the powder into the fingers.

3.  Carefully attach the glove to the glass keeping the baking soda in the fingers of the glove.

chemical reaction experiment 4.  Pull the glove upright releasing the baking soda into the vinegar.

5.  Watch the bubbles grow.

chemical reaction experiment final 6.  Admire the results!

Why does this happen?  The chemical reaction happens when vinegar’s acetic acid reacts with the baking soda’s sodium bicarbonate to form carbonic acid.  Carbonic acid falls apart into carbon dioxide and water. The bubbles come from the escaping carbon dioxide.  The CO2 has no where to go except up into the glove causing it to inflate and be super cool.

A free download of printable instructions are available from Workman Publishing.

Holly About Holly

Holly joined Rachel at Quirky Momma in 2011 and is thrilled to be part of all this FUN. She blogs at June Cleaver Nirvana and runs several other sites like She is Dallas, DFW Bloggers and is a founder of Business 2 Blogger. She can be found on Twitter as @QuirkyMommaSite or Texasholly.

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Comments

  1. I really love the glove! The kids would love it too! A must do!

  2. That looks like a fun thing to do right before Halloween!

  3. fun with the glove. I’ve never seen this.

  4. I’m definitely going to do this experiment. Thanks.

  5. http://kreativeactivities.blogspot.com/2012/01/today-we-had-gas.html
    We did this today – thanks for your post – we linked you!

  6. I am at work today when I tried this experiment :) )) and now Am excited to go home to let my daughter try it. Am sure she’ gonna love it though no Halloween :D

  7. Great fun! we did this with a balloon. we have posted a lot of science blog posts recently as my boys are really in to experiments!!! Glad I found your blog!

  8. That’s really cool. Your sons face says it all. Great way to encourage learning.
    -veronica

  9. Jordynn Skipper says:

    I love this experiment and am using it as an AH-HA (awesome hands-on home activity) project. I am a student working on my teaching degree and was wondering if I could get your permission to use your second and third picture in my directions to parents.

    Thank you

  10. this is gay like the lady

  11. this is a really good way to teach kidds about chemicalss

  12. is cool and berygoog

  13. real kooooooooool

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  4. [...] are simple enough that parents can do them with some common sense and supervision at home. The chemical reaction for kids between these ingredients is a fun early introduction to the scientific process. Trends in kids [...]

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