Easy, Fun Fizzing Ice Science Experiment

There’s something about science experiments for kindergarteners and preschoolers that really feels magical. Maybe it’s the excitement of the students, or the true surprise and fascination when they witness baking soda and vinegar reacting for the first time. Kindergarten science activities are loaded with opportunities to gain important observation and problem-solving skills.

You can use the science experiment with baking soda to teach kids about endothermic reactions, acids and bases, chemical reactions, and how when acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate mix, they create carbonic acid, which quickly dissolves into carbon dioxide and water. But don’t worry about all the acids in this experiment, it’s a completely safe science experiment for 1st graders and below.

Looking for a science fair project? Use the experiment with ice to explore other concepts, like hot ice, freezing point, or melting ice.

To begin the science activity for preschoolers, fill a container with ice.

Cover the top of the ice with baking soda, food coloring, and dish soap. The dish soap doesn’t help the reaction, but it does help preserve the carbon dioxide and keeps the reaction going longer in this science experiment for kids.

Kindergarten science experiments that use droppers are typically a hit with students. Use pipettes to cover the ice with vinegar. Because the ice makes everything colder, the baking soda and vinegar reaction slows, and it can take some extra time to get the reaction going. Eventually your ice cube science experiment will look like this:

What Kids Learn in the Fizzing Ice Science Experiment

This hands-on preschool science experiment introduces children to chemical reactions in a fun, visual, and developmentally appropriate way.

Vinegar is a liquid made of acetic acid and water. Baking soda is a powder called sodium bicarbonate. When these two materials are combined, they react with each other and create something new.

During this reaction, a gas called carbon dioxide is produced. This gas forms bubbles inside the liquid and pushes its way out, which is what causes the fizzing and bubbling children see and hear. Even though carbon dioxide is heavier than air, it still rises through the liquid as it escapes, creating the exciting fizzing effect.

As the reaction finishes, the bubbling slows and eventually stops. At that point, the chemical reaction is complete, and what remains in the container is mostly water and a substance called sodium acetate. Adding more vinegar after the reaction is finished will not create more fizz because all of the baking soda has already been used.

While the chemistry behind this experiment is complex, children don’t need to understand the technical details to benefit from it. Through observation and play, they are building early science skills by watching cause and effect, noticing changes, and learning that when certain materials are mixed together, something new can happen.

Printable Science Activities for Kids

Fun Winter Printables:

• Winter Skip Counting Puzzles
• Winter I Spy Game
• Winter Scavenger Hunt

More Chemical Reaction Activities:

More of our Favorite Science Experiments:

• Rising Water Science Experiment
• Tornado in a Jar Experiment
• Color Changing Flowers Experiment