Goodness, did June ever go by quickly or what?! It's almost July which means Canada Day is just a few days away. So in celebration, I put together this simple baking soda and vinegar science experiment for the boys. It ended up turning into some messy sensory play, but it also worked on fine motor skills.
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.
First, I created a rough (very rough!) Canada Day flag in a shallow glass dish using baking soda. To make evenly colored baking soda, I mixed a few drops of red food coloring with a teaspoon or two of water. I then mixed the baking soda into the colored water. I then attempted to make a maple leaf in the middle. If you have a maple leaf cookie cutter, I would highly suggest using that to make it look prettier. Regardless, my boys both instantly recognized it as the Canadian flag.
I knew that this activity could get messy quickly, so I used an old shower curtain as a splat mat and set the glass tray on top. I gave each of my boys a spray bottle filled with white vinegar. Then it was time for the spraying to commence!
K couldn't resist touching the baking soda as it fizzed.
J, on the other hand, used the spray bottle to "trace" the lines of the Canadian flag.
Soon the flag was beyond recognizable. Oh dear!
The colors swirled and mixed together as they sprayed more vinegar into the dish. Using a spray bottle is so good for fine motor development! Check out K's tattooed arms in action here.
Once all the colored baking soda was thoroughly mixed, things got a little messy. J also spent some time drawing and writing in the gooey mixture, but both boys preferred to drag and swirl their hands around in it. Soon it was everywhere...but thankfully I had my splat mat, remember? It's always best to be prepared!
Looking for more Canada Day activities for kids? Check out some of our other Canada Day crafts and activities or browse my Canada Day board on Pinterest.
