Baking Soda and Vinegar Balloon Experiment

Combine quick science and balloon play with this easy to set up science experiment for kids. Find out how to blow up a balloon with just baking soda and vinegar. Grab a few simple ingredients from the kitchen and you have amazing chemistry for kids at your fingertips. Science you can actually play with too!

BAKING SODA VINEGAR BALLOONS 

BALLOON SCIENCE

Do you know this balloon experiment was one of our top 10 experiments of all time? Check out more fun and simple science experiments for kids.

We do love all things science and have been exploring different ways to create fizzing reactions while having fun through play. Science that fizzes, pops, erupts, bangs, and explodes is pretty awesome for kids of all ages!

One of the things that we strive to do here is to create playful science setups that are extremely hands-on, maybe a little messy, and a whole lot of fun. They may be somewhat open-ended, contain an element of play, and definitely a whole lot of repeatability!

We also have a fun Valentine balloon experiment and Halloween balloon experiment for you to try!

All you need are a few common kitchen ingredients to make your own self inflating balloons. Read on for the full supply list and set up.

It’s so easy to inflate balloons with this simple chemical reaction kids can easily do!

HOW DOES THE BLOW UP BALLOON EXPERIMENT WORK?

Let’s keep it basic for our younger or junior scientists! The science behind this baking soda and vinegar balloon experiment is a chemical reaction between the base {baking soda} and the acid {vinegar}. When the two ingredients mix together the balloon baking soda experiment gets it’s lift!

That lift is gas, carbon dioxide or CO2. As the gas tries to leave the plastic container, it goes up into the balloon because of the tight seal you have created. Check out states of matter experiments!

The gas has nowhere to go and is pushing against the balloon it blows it up.  Similar to how we exhale carbon dioxide when we blow up balloons ourselves.

We love exploring simple chemistry you can do at home or in the classroom that isn’t too crazy, but is still lots of fun for kids! You can check out more cool chemistry experiments.

WHAT IS THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD FOR KIDS?

The scientific method is a process or method of research. A problem is identified, information about the problem is gathered, a hypothesis or question is formulated from the information, and the hypothesis is put to test with an experiment to prove or disprove its validity.  Sounds heavy…

What in the world does that mean?!? The scientific method should simply be used as a guide to help lead the process. It’s not set in stone.

You don’t need to try and solve the world’s biggest science questions! The scientific method is all about studying and learning things right around you.

As kids develop practices that involve creating, gathering data evaluating, analyzing, and communicating, they can apply these critical thinking skills to any situation. To learn more about the scientific method and how to use it, click here.

Even though the scientific method feels like it is just for big kids…

This method can be used with kids of all ages! Have a casual conversation with younger kiddos or do a more formal notebook entry with older kiddos!

Click here to get your FREE Science Challenge Calendar

BAKING SODA AND VINEGAR BALLOONS

Don’t have vinegar? Try a citric acid like lemon juice and check out our CITRUS CHEMICAL REACTIONS here.

SUPPLIES:

• Baking Soda
• Vinegar
• Empty Water Bottles
• Balloons
• Measuring Spoons
• Funnel {optional but helpful)

EXPERIMENT SET UP:

 Step 1. Blow up the balloon a bit to stretch it out some and use the funnel and teaspoon to add baking soda to the balloon. We started with 2 teaspoons and added a teaspoon for each balloon.

 Step 2. Fill the container with vinegar half way.

 Step 3. When your balloons are all made up attach to the containers making sure you have a good seal!

 Step 4. Next lift up the balloon to dump the baking soda into the container of vinegar. Watch your balloon blow up!

 To get the most gas out of it, we swirled around the container to get it all going!

Optional Art: Go ahead and use a sharpie to draw emojis, shapes, or fun pictures on your balloons before filling them with baking soda.

Have leftover balloons? Why not explore physics with a balloon rocket, this screaming balloon experiment or make a Lego balloon powered car! Balloons are a great way to explore Newton’s third law of motion.

You could also try our pop rocks and soda balloon experiment or our electric cornstarch experiment.

Make predictions! Ask questions! Share observations!

My son suggested we try different amounts of baking soda in our experiment to see what would happen. Also will the balloon size grow bigger if more vinegar is in the bottle.

Always encourage your kids to ask questions and wonder about what will happen if…

This is also a great way to encourage inquiry, observation skills, and critical thinking skills. You can read more about teaching the scientific method to kids here. Make sure to grab our free printable science worksheet pack above too!

Do be cautious with the amount of baking soda you add, as the reaction will get bigger each time. Safety goggles are always great for young scientists!

You could definitely see the difference in the amount of baking soda we put in the balloons! The red balloon with the least baking soda inflated the least. The blue balloon with the most inflated the most.

What else can you do with baking soda? Check out these unique baking soda experiments!

COOL BALLOON BAKING SODA AND VINEGAR BALLOON SCIENCE!

Click on the image below or on the link for more easy chemistry experiments.

 

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