Halloween is a fantastic time to explore classic chemistry for kids with a twist! Test out this self inflating balloon project with Halloween balloons! It’s a must save science experiment for fizzing Halloween baking soda and vinegar science.
HALLOWEEN BALLOON EXPERIMENT
Baking soda and vinegar are fantastic for Halloween science experiments. Kids love the bubbling and fizzing action. Read more about the science below and try out our bubbling brew. Our original baking soda balloon activity can be repeated on any occasion.
YOU WILL NEED:
- Baking Soda
- Vinegar
- Empty Water Bottles
- Novelty Balloons
- Measuring Spoons
- Funnel (optional but helpful)
Tip: Don’t have novelty Halloween balloons? Draw your own ghost faces with black markers!
HOW TO SET UP THE HALLOWEEN BALLOON EXPERIMENT
STEP 1. Blow up the balloon a bit to stretch it out some. Then use the funnel and teaspoon to add baking soda to the balloon. We started with 2 teaspoons and added an extra teaspoon for each balloon.
Tip: My son suggested we try different amounts of baking soda in our balloon experiment to see what would happen. Always encourage your kids to ask questions and wonder about what will happen if…
This is a great way to encourage inquiry, observation skills, and critical thinking skills. You can read more about teaching the scientific method for kids here.
STEP 2. Fill the containers with vinegar halfway.
STEP 3. When your balloons are all made attach to the containers making sure you have a good seal!
STEP 4. Lift up the balloon to dump the baking soda into the container of vinegar. Watch the balloon fill up!
TIP: To get the most gas out of it, swirl around the container a bit.
Make predictions! Ask questions! Share observations!
WHY DOES THE BALLOON EXPAND?
The science behind this balloon baking soda experiment is the chemical reaction between the base {baking soda} and the acid {vinegar}. When the two ingredients combine, the balloon experiment gets its lift!
That lift is the gas produced, carbon dioxide (CO2). The gas fills the space in the plastic container and then moves up into the balloon because of the tight seal you have created. The balloon inflates because the gas has nowhere else to go!
💡 Try a screaming balloon with your leftover balloons!
BALLOON EXPERIMENT VARIATION
Here’s an additional balloon experiment to try:
- Inflate one balloon using the baking soda and vinegar reaction and tie it off.
- Next, blow up another balloon using your own carbon dioxide to about the same size or as close as possible, and tie it off.
- Hold both balloons at arm’s length from your body. Let go!
What happens? Does one balloon fall at a different speed than the other? Why is this? Although both balloons are filled with the same gas, the one you blew up is not as concentrated with pure CO2 as the one blown up with baking soda and vinegar.
MORE FUN HALLOWEEN ACTIVITIES
- Halloween Science Experiments
- Halloween STEM Activities
- Halloween Art Projects, and Crafts Too!
- Halloween Board Games
Printable Halloween STEM Activities Pack
150+ Pages of Halloween-Themed Materials! This Halloween project pack is suitable for home, school, and group use for kids in grades Kindergarten through elementary but is scaleable for many ages and abilities.
- 25+ Halloween theme science and STEM activities with printable sheets, instructions, and useful information all using easy-to-source materials perfect for limited-time needs. Includes a Halloween engineering pack with fun, problem-based challenges for kids to solve!
- The skeleton activity pack includes building a skeleton challenge and a coding challenge! Try a skeleton bones bridge-building STEM challenge!
- Halloween theme brick printable activities for hands-on learning with math that is perfect for early finishers or home fun and reinforces basic math concepts.
- Bonus fun pack includes games and activities to round out your Halloween theme activities such as I Spy, bingo, matching, Would You Rather cards, scavenger hunt, word search, A-Z Halloween hunt, and a coloring page.
- Halloween STEAM Pack includes artist-inspired projects by Warhol, Lichtenstein, and more!
