Turn St. Patrick’s Day into a fizzing science adventure! This pot of gold bubbles over with glittery yellow foam right in front of your kids.
It’s a simple baking soda reaction with a holiday twist, and kids can tweak the recipe to make it fizz even bigger.
How to Make a Fizzing Pot of Gold
Pot of Gold Fizzing Science Experiment
Get the printableBaking soda (about 2 tablespoons per pot)
Citric acid (about ½ teaspoon per pot)
White vinegar (about ½ cup)
Water (about ¼ cup)
A drop of clear dish soap
Yellow food coloring and gold glitter
Small black cauldrons or cups
Droppers and a play tray
Make the dry treasure
In each pot, mix baking soda, a pinch of citric acid and some gold glitter.
Mix the activator
Stir vinegar, water, a drop of dish soap and yellow food coloring in a cup.
Set up
Put the pots on a tray to catch the overflow.
Add the activator
Squeeze or pour the yellow liquid over the dry treasure and watch it fizz.
Watch it bubble over
The soap traps the gas so the foam rises up and spills over.
Experiment
Try more baking soda, more citric acid or a different acid and compare.
Safety note
Keep hands away from eyes and wash up after. Citric acid can sting cuts. Adults should handle the citric acid powder.
The Science Behind the Fizz
Baking soda is a base. Vinegar and citric acid are acids. When they mix, they react and make carbon dioxide gas, which is the fizz.
Dish soap traps the gas in bubbles, so instead of just fizzing, the foam rises up and overflows like a bubbling pot of gold.
Try other acids too, like lemon juice or pickle juice. For kids who don’t like the vinegar smell, use citric acid dissolved in water instead.
More fizzing science
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Keep the St. Patrick’s Day STEM going with our leprechaun trap project.
The experiment includes
- Printable experiment directions
- Prediction and recording pages
- Instant PDF download, nothing is shipped
Perfect for
- St. Patrick’s Day
- Preschool through 2nd grade
- Science centers
Fizzing Pot of Gold FAQ
Mix baking soda, citric acid and gold glitter in a small pot, then pour in yellow vinegar with a drop of dish soap.
The acid and base react and make carbon dioxide gas.
It traps the gas in bubbles so the foam rises and overflows.
Citric acid dissolved in water or lemon juice.
More Science Experiments
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From families like yours
Did you try it? Tell us how it went!
We love seeing these activities out in the wild: the lumpy letters, the snack breaks, the proud “I made a B!” moments. Leave a star rating, tell other parents what worked (and what totally didn’t), and add a photo of your setup if you’d like.
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