Explore chemical reactions in this Hatching Fizzy Dinosaur Eggs Sensory Science Bin!
My kids love everything fizzy! It doesn’t matter how many times we do a fizzy science experiment or make bath bombs, they find it absolutely magical! In the past we have made exploding dinosaur mud which was a lot of fun, but for today I wanted to share a recipe that is a little bit more versatile. This Hatching Fizzy Dinosaurs Sensory Science Experiment can be used as a lesson on chemical reactions or be adapted to make bath bombs!
Sensory Science Experiment: Hatching Fizzy Dino Eggs!
Supplies:
- Baking Soda
- Cornstarch
- Food Coloring (we prefer gel or natural dyes)
- Water
- Sandwich Bags
- Gloves
- Pipettes
- Miniature Dinosaur Toys (we used these ones)
- Activity Tray
- Vinegar
Note: Turn these into bath bombs by using citric acid to create the chemical reaction instead of vinegar! To create bath bombs you will use 1 Tablespoon of citric acid per 3 Tablespoons of baking soda when making your dinosaur eggs.
Directions:
1. Add 3 heaping tablespoons of baking soda and 1 heaping teaspoon of cornstarch to a sandwich bag. If making bath bombs, add your citric acid in this step.
2. Add a few tablespoons of water and a couple drops of food coloring to the bag. If you are making bath bombs you can substitute the water for coconut oil – make sure the coconut oil is melted before adding it in to prevent using too much.
3. Close the bag. On a covered surface, gently knead the bad to mix the ingredients. You will want a your mixture to be a mold-able consistency. Add in more baking soda or water as needed.
4. Repeat the steps above until you have a couple different colors.
5. Wear gloves for this next step, otherwise you’ll have colorful hands for days!
6. Remove the mixture from the bags onto a cookie sheet or activity tray.
7. Pat together one half of an egg shape, add a mini plastic dinosaur and pat more of the baking soda mixture on top of the dinosaur. Gently shape the baking soda mixture into an egg shape.
8. Add the shaped eggs into a small container that you can place into your freezer. Allow the eggs to harden for 2-3 hours.
9. Place the eggs into a plastic activity tray. Give your children a bowl with vinegar in it and plastic medicine droppers. Then play!
Let your kids squeeze vinegar onto the dinosaur eggs and watch the chemical reaction! The eggs will fizz and bubble and reveal the mini plastic dinosaurs inside. If you’d like the mixture to foam even more, add a bit of dish soap to the pan before you place the eggs into it.
I strongly suggest having your children wear play clothes for this experiment to avoid stained clothes.
Explaining the Science Behind Fizzing Dinosaur Eggs
What causes the dinosaur eggs to fizz? You know your kids are gonna ask it!
Baking soda and vinegar (or citric acid if doing bath bombs) react with each other because of an acid-base reaction. Baking soda is a bicarbonate and vinegar is an acid. When these chemicals mix together they create carbon dioxide which produces the bubbles!
More Fizzy Science Fun!
Exploding Lava Science Bottle
Fizzy Fine Motor ABC’s
Exploding Pumpkin
Moon Excavation with Exploding Stars
Not making these Fizzing Dinosaur Eggs right this second? Then pin this post so you can easily find it later!
