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Baking soda

Snow Reaction in A Bag Science Experiment

by Ashley Mullen Leave a Comment

Who knew that putting snow in a bag could make for a fun science experiment and give such a snow reaction. This is a great winter only kind of activity you definitely should try this winter.

Snow Reaction in A Bag Science Experiment

Snow Reaction in A Bag Science Experiment

*This post may contain affiliate links, see my  disclosure policy for more information.*

Looking for something to do on a really cold day? How about grabbing a Ziploc bag and some snow for a science experiment. It really simple. All you need is a Ziploc bag, some snow, and an alka seltzer or two. If you bought some to make the lava lamps then you probably still have some on hand.

Click here to save this to Pinterest for later.

What you need:

  • large Ziploc bag
  • alka seltzer
  • snow
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How to Create a Reaction in a Bag of Snow

Now if you are like me, you don’t want to go outside in the freezing -42C windchill, even if it is just to fill a bag with some snow. That’s why we have kids though right? To make them do it.

Snow Reaction in A Bag Science Experiment

I drew a snowman face on our Ziploc bag, just to make it cuter. Fill it up with snow, but don’t pack it in tight, just fill it loosely. Before you seal the bag, add in a few alka seltzer.

I laid a thick towel over my table, just incase it exploded on us. But this is optional.

Snow Reaction in A Bag Science Experiment

We watched it inflate over a period of about an hour. It slowly expanded as the snow melted and caused a reaction with the Alka Seltzer.

Snow Reaction in A Bag Science Experiment

Snow Reaction in a Bag

Yield: 1
Active Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $1

Materials

  • snow
  • alka seltzer

Tools

  • large Ziploc bag
  • large towel - optional

Instructions

  1. I drew a snowman face on our Ziploc bag, just to make it cuter. Fill it up with snow, but don't pack it in tight, just fill it loosely.
  2. Before you seal the bag, add in a few alka seltzer.
  3. I laid a thick towel over my table, just incase it exploded on us. But this is optional.
  4. We watched it inflate over a period of about an hour. It slowly expanded as the snow melted and caused a reaction with the Alka Seltzer.
© Ashley Mullen
Project Type: Science Experiment / Category: Homeschool

Alka-Seltzer is made of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), which is a base. When the tablets are dry, the acid and base powders don’t mix, but as soon as they are immersed in water they mix and react to form carbon dioxide gas.

The same type of reaction is made when you are baking and you mix baking soda and vinegar together.

Snow Reaction in A Bag Science Experiment

You can see just how much it expanded here:

Snow Reaction in A Bag Science Experiment

After an hour, my kids stopped caring so we stopped. There was still one out of four tablets that wasn’t gone, so it would have continued as the snow melted. They gave it a solid hour which is pretty good.

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While we had this going we watched an episode of Magic School Bus – season 1 episode 13 – Kicks Up a Storm. You can also find great science kits that dig deep into the science of weather if your kids are interested.

Similar posts that you may be interested in:

Arctic Animals – Science Experiment

Learning About Circuits in Your Homeschool

10 Science YouTube Channels for Kids

Filed Under: Experiments, Kids Activities Tagged With: Baking soda, experiment, reaction, science, Snow, vinegar, Winter

Wizard’s Brew Fun is Brewing

by Ashley Mullen Leave a Comment

Talk about fun! I’m sure we all have pretended to make witches or wizard’s brew as a child. Now you actually can! I’m always looking for fun things to do with my kids. This is fun to watch no matter how old you are.

wizard's brew

Wizard’s Brew

*This post may contain affiliate links. You can learn more about them in my disclosure policy.*

The weather has been perfect here for this. We can get outside and make a mess! And this outside makes clean up easy as we can just hose everything down. When we did the baking soda bubbles on the kitchen floor, I had a gritty mess to clean. Opps!

This would make a fun Halloween theme science experiment. Use some spooky, Halloween colors for your food color. Orange. Black. Dark green. Red (blood).

How to Make Different Colors for Halloween:

Orange: red and yellow.
Black: 1 part blue, 2.5 parts green, 3 parts red
Dark Green: Lots of blue, little yellow

What you need:

  • vinegar
  • glass jar
  • food color
  • dish soap
  • baking soda
  • glitter (optional)

How to make a Wizard’s Brew:

You’re going to start with your jar (or in our case an old glass candle jar) half filled with vinegar, with a few drops of color added to it. Squeeze in some dish soap, give it a stir.

wizard's brew - ingredients

Now add a heaping spoonful of baking soda. I put our baking soda into a silicone bowl, mainly just to get it outside without losing it all on the walk out, but it also made it easy to dumping into the jar.

Wizard's Brew

The dish soap makes it bubble rather than the quick fizz. A nice volcano eruption. It is not a quick erupt and done, but last for a few minutes.

Wizard's Brew

Now, anything mess related would not be complete without my children playing in the mess. They’re washable. Let them have fun. This has dish soap in it, meaning your children are going to be stained whatever color you use.

Wizard's Brew

This is fun. Go have fun with your kids.

Wizard's Brew

Wizard's Brew Science Experiment

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $5

A fun, messy activity for kids. This is fun during the Halloween season.

Materials

  • vinegar
  • food color
  • dish soap
  • baking soda
  • glitter (optional)

Tools

  • large jar

Instructions

    1. You're going to start with your jar (or in our case an old glass candle jar) half filled with vinegar, with a few drops of color added to it. 
    2. Squeeze in some dish soap, give it a stir.
    3. Now add a heaping spoonful of baking soda. I put our baking soda into a silicone bowl, mainly just to get it outside without losing it all on the walk out, but it also made it easy to dumping into the jar.
    4. Watch the magic. The dish soap makes it bubble rather than the quick fizz. A nice volcano eruption.
© Ashley Mullen
Category: Experiments

I’m already planning on trying this again. I have some small little jars we’ll be using, the more bubbles and wizard’s brew the better. Plus more colors, and if I can hold off until I get to the store, glitter.

This could be a great addition to a witches Halloween custom/set-up.

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Science Outside Wizard's brew

Recommended Products for Wizard’s Brew

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Lemon and Vinegar Experiment

Filed Under: Experiments, Kids Activities Tagged With: Baking soda, Kids Activities, kitchen science, Messy Fun, science experiment, science for kids

Baking Soda Bubbles

by Ashley Mullen Leave a Comment

All children should know the wonders that can be found in your cupboard. There are so many “magic” ingredients hiding there in plain sight. Like vinegar and baking soda. And food color too, but their optional.

What you need:

  • Take a baking pan, or a bowl, or a pot, something with sides to hold it all in
  • a box of baking soda, the bigger the better
  • vinegar
  • food color
  • a cloth to wipe up spills
  • small bowl(s)
  • droppers or spoons

Cover the bottom of the pan with baking soda, a thick layer.

baking soda & Vinegar [Read more…] about Baking Soda Bubbles

Filed Under: Experiments, Kids Activities, Natural Homeschooling Tagged With: Baking soda, droppers, science, science experiment, vinegar

Messy Friday: Baby It’s Cold Outside!

by Ashley Mullen Leave a Comment

First I saw this article on CBC.ca stating the 5 Places that are Colder than Saskatchewan (where I live). Thursday it was -30, not including the wind chill. COLD!

  • Alert, Nunavut: -41.
  • The North Pole: -39.
  • Dzalinda, Russia (in Siberia): -51.
  • Vostak Station, Antarctica: -36.
  • Mars: -55.

Brrr! [Read more…] about Messy Friday: Baby It’s Cold Outside!

Filed Under: Kids Activities Tagged With: Baking powder, Baking soda, cold, ice, Melting Vinegar, Salt

Science Experiment with Lemon Juice & Vinegar

by Ashley Mullen Leave a Comment

Yesterday at our local dollar store I saw some test tubes (they are suppose to be for doing shots) and I thought of the possibilities for us to have some messy fun. For our first science experiment we started simple. Baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and cream of tarter in the test tubes, and vinegar and lemon juice in squeeze bottles.

 

[Read more…] about Science Experiment with Lemon Juice & Vinegar

Filed Under: Kids Activities Tagged With: Baking powder, Baking soda, Cornstarch, cream of tarter, lemon juice, science, science experiment, vinegar

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A Little About Me

I'm Ashley, a Canadian secular homeschool mom of 3, living in Nova Scotia.

I share our adventures in homeschooling and parenting.

You can usually find us at the library surrounded by books.
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