More Chemical Reactions: Let them explore!

There’s nothing greater than seeing your child discover something for themselves, & sometimes it’s great to just give them some supplies & see what happens!   We all know what baking soda &  vinegar will do when combined.     Let your child discover this magical chemical reaction for themselves.   Make sure you’re somewhere that messes are easy to clean up (I prefer the cul-de-sac in front of our house!).   Choose a small plastic soda bottle, grab a box of baking soda, a jug of vinegar, & a funnel.  Put a few drops of dish soap in the bottle ahead of time to  make the  result more visible.   Then throw out the rule book.   No measuring.   No input from Mom.   Just let the kids explore & see  what happens!   If they’ve never use a funnel in a functional way before, show them that when you put the funnel into the neck of the bottle, it is easier to pour your powder & liquid into the bottle without spilling.

 You can talk together about what is happening.   The acid (vinegar) and the base (baking soda) are having a chemical reaction, releasing carbon dioxide gas.   The bubbles are visible because the dish soap captured the carbon dioxide.   I like to purchase a 5lb bag of baking soda from Sam’s Club.   It’s not too expensive & allows for plenty of experiments.   A gallon jug of vinegar is also  relatively  cheap & then you’ve got plenty of liquid to add to your baking soda for many more repititions!   Because….your child will not be satisfied with one go-round of this!   I guarantee they will want to do it again & again!