Chemistry in our classroom usually consists of mixing things- most often vinegar and baking soda. Today, I put out a few pans of baking soda, a couple of cut up straws, pipettes, turkey basters, and a couple of jars of colored vinegar.
At first, the children played with the straws- mostly dripping the vinegar down onto the baking soda… Then one child figured out how to put the straw into the baking soda….
And then the fizzing climbed right up and out of the straw- GIGGLES, EXCITEMENT…. more straws sticking out of the baking soda- “It’s a birthday cake!”
Then, the attention shifted to using pipettes and turkey basters- more vinegar = more fizzing!
Do you allow children to experiment with vinegar and baking soda? We have provided various opportunities for different types of experiences with these two basic ingredients: