Little C and I love science experiments, and our favorite ones usually involve baking soda and vinegar. What kid doesn’t love the satisfying fizzing sound that occurs when vinegar mixes with baking soda? It is such a satisfying chemical reaction.

You can take your baking soda and vinegar game up a notch by making these homemade baking soda bombs. When you drop these baking soda bombs inside a cup full of vinegar, you will get an immediate overflowing reaction that will have kids of all ages laughing with joy. The best part is this activity is simple enough for even the youngest of helpers to take part every step of the way. Little C has been helping me make these since she was two. 

I’ll break this tutorial down in two parts. 1) How to Make Baking Soda Bombs, and 2) Two Ways to Use Baking Soda Bombs.

How to Make Baking Soda Bombs

1. Add one cup of baking soda into a mixing bowl.
2. Add one tablespoon of water.
3. Mix the baking soda and water together until all of your baking soda is slightly damp.
4. Place your silicone mold on a tray for stability. You will most likely be moving your mold later, and you don’t want to crack your baking soda bombs.
5. Scoop your baking soda mixture into your silicone mold and press down firmly with your fingers. You may have to help your child with this step depending on their age. Alternate between scooping, and pressing down your mixture as firmly as possible until no more baking soda can fit into any of your cavities. It is important to pack as much as possible into each cavity so your baking soda bombs don’t end up crumbling after you unmold them.
6. Let your baking soda mixture sit in the mold for twenty-four hours. Some people freeze their mold for quicker drying time, but I always stick with letting them air dry when we do this activity. They will feel dry to the touch on the outside way before they are dry on the inside, so try to wait the full 24 hours to be on the safe side. You can make these ahead of time and store them in an airtight container. They will stay good for months, and months as long as they don’t get wet. 
7. Gently pop out each baking soda bomb one at a time.

Two Ways to Use Baking Soda Bombs

Drop Them Into Cups of Colored Vinegar

Fill a few small cups halfway full with colored vinegar. If you want to mask the scent of the vinegar you can always color it with Koolaid to add another sensory element to the mix. Coloring vinegar with Koolaid makes it smell fruity, which is perfect for kids who are picky about smells.

Place your cups of vinegar on a tray of some sort, or into a shallow bucket to catch all of the overflowing vinegar. This activity can get a bit messy, so you definitely want to be prepared.

Drop your baking soda bombs into each cup and watch them instantly overflow!

When the reaction stops you can add more vinegar to the cups, and drop another bomb to create another reaction. We love to fill condiment squeeze bottles with vinegar for experiments like this. You can usually find condiment bottles in the baking aisle of any major supermarket, or on Amazon. 

Drip Colored Vinegar on Top of Each Baking Soda Bomb

Place your baking soda bombs on top of a tray, and prepare some colored vinegar. You can use liquid watercolors, food coloring, or Koolaid to color your vinegar. You can place your colored vinegar into small cups, or bowls, but if you have an ice pop mold handy that is hands down the best for activities where you are using pipettes and colored water, or vinegar.

Baking soda “bombs” are such a huge hit in our household that we do this activity with any mold that we can get our hands on. If you try this activity we’d love to see/hear how it goes. You can tag us on Facebook, or Instagram @Createlaughlearn, and feel free to message us on either social media platform if you ever have any questions. We love hearing how much fun your kiddos have with activities we’ve shared!