The Amazing Baking Soda: DIY Experiments

• 25 August 2025
• By: Esraa Ali
• Do It Yourself (DIY) - Vacation - Activity - Experiment - Game - SciKids

Baking soda; a science superstar that can create awesome experiments!
Let us explore the world of this amazing ingridient! 

Baking soda is not just for yummy desserts; it is a science superstar that can create awesome experiments, which you can do with your kids using items you already have around the house or classroom. Let us explore the world of this amazing and versatile ingredient!

Fizzy Facts

Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda is a pure and simple, yet an astoundingly versatile, product. Comprising a sole component, sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃), aka baking soda, is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder.

A special ingredient and base, baking soda loves to react with other ingredients, especially acids such as vinegar. When baking soda mixes with an acid, they fizz and bubble like a mini-volcano! Together, they create carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the form of bubbles; the same stuff that makes soda drinks bubbly!

When making baked goods, this process is called “chemical leavening,” because the trapped CO₂ gas makes the dough or batter rise. Some recipes that lack baking soda could need a more leavening base, so they add baking powder (a blend of baking soda and chemical leavening acids), which causes a delayed release of CO₂.

DIY#1: Genie in a Bottle

Materials: a plastic bottle, balloon, two funnels, rubber band, baking soda, and vinegar.

1. Use one funnel to fill about 1/3 of the bottle with vinegar, and set aside.
2. Pour baking soda into your balloon, about 1/2 way, using the other dry funnel.
3. Place the open end of the balloon over the top of the bottle; be careful not to spill any baking soda in the bottle.
4. Place the rubber band around the base of the balloon to secure it in place.
5. When ready, lift your balloon, and let the baking soda fall into the vinegar, and watch the magic happens

The mixture fizzes, bubbles, and blows up the balloon; it creates CO₂ gas, which needs room to spread, so it fills the bottle then inflates the balloon. Discuss with your kids the interaction of baking soda and vinegar in the bottle, and how the formed reaction was so visual.

DIY#2: Bottle Blast off

Materials: plastic bottle, funnel, cork, three pencils of the same height, spoon, square piece of paper towel, duct tape, scissors, safety glasses, colored construction paper and/or coloring pens (for decoration), baking soda, and vinegar.

Caution! This activity needs adult supervision; it is better to wear safety glasses and take it outside!

First, create a rocket using the bottle:

1. Use the duct tape to secure the three pencils on the bottle while its opening is facing down, to make the legs.
2. Add extra pieces of duct tape around the bottle and the pencils for extra security.
3. Decorate the bottle using the scissors and construction paper and/or the coloring pens to bring the rocket to life.

Second, make the fuel:

1. Turn the bottle over so that its opening is facing up.
2. Use the funnel to add 2–3 cups of vinegar; the more vinegar, the higher your rocket will launch, and set aside.
3. Add onto the paper towel 2–3 tablespoons of baking soda, then roll it up tightly enough so that it will fit inside bottle opening; you can duct tape one end to keep the baking soda from spilling out.

4. Now, take everything outside at a clear open space to blast off the rocket, and let the kids watch from a safe distance! (Attention: An adult is needed to conduct the following steps)

5. Place the baking soda packet in the bottle, and plug it quickly with the cork.
6. Turn the bottle upside down to place the rocket on its legs, and stand back!

7. The chemical reaction produces enough CO₂ to blast off the rocket high into the sky. This experiment might not succeed from the first launch, so do not give up, and try it again; it is worth it!

DIY#3: Inflate a Pufferfish

Materials: plastic glove, five colored balloons, rubber bands, marker pens, scissors, spoon, baking soda, and vinegar.

1. Inflate the balloons, but do not tie; bring your pufferfish to life by drawing their faces.
2. Fill the balloons with about one tablespoon of baking soda, and set aside.
3. Cut the fingers of the glove and fill each with vinegar, then tie each using a rubber band.
4. Inside each balloon, put a vinegar bag and make sure it is secured enough so it does not mix early with the baking soda.
5. Tie the balloons securely and place all on a table.
6. Here comes the exciting part; ask your kids to hit the balloons hard, and watch what happens!

The force will cause the glove finger to burst inside each balloon, releasing vinegar that mixes with the baking soda. As they react, the CO₂ release inflates the balloons and gives the puffer fish its puffed-up appearance. As you teach kids about chemical reactions in a creative and engaging way, explain too that puffers inflate themselves into a ball shape to evade predators; they fill their stomachs with huge amounts of water or air, some species have spines too, to keep the predators away.

Check the video.

DIY#4: Lava Lamp

Materials: a bottle with cap, cup, pipette, vegetable oil, food coloring, baking soda, and vinegar.

1. Pour four tablespoons of baking soda into the bottle and spread over the bottom.
2. Slowly fill most of the bottle with vegetable oil; avoid disturbing the bottom layer, and set aside.
3. Pour into the cup the vinegar and add three–four drops of food coloring; stir the compound.
4. Now, use the pipette to drop colored vinegar into the bottle. Watch the reaction as the bubbles of CO₂ release float to the surface.

The reason here for using oil is that it contains fatty acids of non-polar molecules, which does not mix with vinegar whose molecules are polar. Polar and non-polar molecules repel each other, which gives a lava lamp display. You can continue activating the lamp whenever it stops, by adding more drops of the colored vinegar—you might be interested to try the “Make the Lava Lamp” experiment published on SCIplanet too.

Now, you have learnt all about baking soda, and had some fun using this amazing ingredient while enjoying a few experiments. If you have any other ideas, or have tried any of our published DIY activities, please use the hashtag #SCIplanet and share with us your thoughts.

References

babbledabbledo.com (lava-lamp)

babbledabbledo.com (rocket)

bibalex.org/SCIplanet

homify.co.uk (puffer-fish)

kids.britannica.com

momto2poshlildivas.com (balloon)