Valentine's Fizzy Fun
WRITTEN BY: AUDREY CHANEY
Valentine's Day is the perfect holiday to mix LOVE and LEARNING! My 5 year old, Peter, and I had a blast doing a sensory STEM activity we are calling 'Valentine's Fizzy Fun'. With just a few kitchen ingredients, we made colorful Valentine molds that fizzed and bubbled when touched with vinegar. It was hands-on, exciting, and full of LOVE! 💗
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
1. GATHER INGREDIENTS
Baking Soda
Water
Food coloring
Vinegar
Valentine-Themed Molds
Eye Droppers
3. MIX AND MOLD
Combine 1/2 cup baking soda, 2 tbsp water, fun fillers, and as much food coloring as you'd like (we used a good bit!) until it forms a thick paste. 🥣
Spoon the mixture into your Valentine molds. 🌹
2. BAKE TO DRY
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. 👨🏻🍳
Place your silicone molds on a baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes. *We checked ours every 10 minutes to make sure they weren't drying out. ⏲️
We set up a Valentine-themed Glo Pals sensory bin while we waited! It was a fun addition to this activity. 💦
4. FIZZ TIME!
Once cooled, carefully pop your baking soda molds out of their trays. We put our sensory tray on top and flipped them. We gently pulled the molds to reveal our Valentine shapes! ❤️
Use an eye dropper to add vinegar to the molds and prepare to be amazed. 👀
Watch the fizzy reaction bubble up in bright colors! 🫧
Peter absolutely loved watching the fizzing shapes come to life. The moving glitter added an even more fun sensory sensation. It was super simple to set up, not too bad to clean, and gave us a really fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day while sneaking in some science. He even told me he would BE MY VALENTINE! 🥹
EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS
Introduces chemistry concepts: Kids are able to see firsthand how baking soda and vinegar react when paired together, sparking curiosity about chemical reactions.
Encourages Fine Motor Skills: Using an eye dropper helps children practice control and coordination.
Promotes Creative Exploration: Choosing which colors to put in which shapes lets kids express themselves while learning.
As always, let us know if you did this activity with your kiddo, and tag us on socials @glopals so we can see all your fun! Happy Valentine's, Pal! We're thankful for YOU!
