Kid Science: Color Explosions Experiment

Show your kids the magic of science with these fun and easy color explosions using household items.

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As an adult, I forget sometimes how neat the simplest science experiments can be for kids.  So many of these experiments can be done at home with items you already own or are inexpensive to buy.  One such activity is combining baking soda and vinegar and watching the bubbles form.  Add some food coloring and dish soap and you’ve got an even better homemade explosion that will impress your little ones for sure!

While I was pulling out the supplies I needed, my daughter thought we were making some food and scooted her chair on over to see what was going on.  She watched closely and I let her help in the prep as much as I could.  She asked multiple times what I was doing, but I didn’t want to spoil the surprise. 

Materials Needed

• Vinegar
• Baking Soda
• Water
• Dish Soap
• Food Coloring
• Glass or Plastic cups

How to Set Up the Color Explosions Experiment

First, put the baking soda into a small container, such as a cup or bowl.  I used about 1 Tbsp of baking soda per glass.  Then, drop some food coloring into the cups.  You can use more or less depending on how bright you want the color to be.

Put some water in a different container and pour at least 1 Tbsp of dish soap in, stirring slowly to mix it around.

Pour some water into the baking soda and stir it around.  Don’t pour too much in, otherwise the water to vinegar ratio will be off and you won’t get as good of an “explosion”.

Place your cups/container on a baking sheet or in a shallow pan to catch any liquid that overflows when you pour the vinegar in.

Pour the vinegar into a measuring cup and give to your child to pour into the cups.  Watch their faces as the baking soda reacts to the vinegar and creates some fun color explosions!

 

 Because the baking soda and vinegar create bubbles, the dish soap you put in will also help increase the explosion.  You can also give them a spoon to stir the mixture around and see if they can get the reaction going again.  My daughter loved mixing the colors together and stirring them around on the pan.

Color explosions are a great year round activity:  In the summer, you can do it outside and easily rinse it off the sidewalk/driveway.  In the winter, you could also create a snow volcano.  I think the next time we do this, I will try using different sizes and shapes of containers to see which ones give the best explosion!

Find 7 other colorful hands on kid activities HERE!

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