Bubbling Pumpkin Experiment

Fall, of course,  is the best time to dive into pumpkin crafts and activities. They also add a fun seasonal touch to basic science activities. My kids never tire of the old vinegar and baking soda reaction so we gave it a fall twist and a little bit of color to create Bubbling Pumpkins. This wonderful scientific mess can be recreated again and again (and trust me even if they have done it before your kids will want to).

Bubbling Pumpkins Supplies

• A small pie pumpkin
• ½ cup Baking soda
• ¾ to 1 cup Vinegar
• 1 tsp. Blue dish soap
• Food coloring
• Something to cut into pumpkin
• A spoon for cleaning out the insides

Heinz Distilled White Vinegar, 1 gallonArm & Hammer Baking Soda – 16 ozWilton Gel Food Color Set, PrimaryDawn Dish Soap, Ultra Dishwashing Liquid, Original Scent, Blue, 21.6 Ounce, Pack of 2

Directions

1. Cut the top off of your pumpkin, my pie pumpkin was unusually hard and my kitchen knives weren’t doing the trick  so I wound up having hubby take it outside and brute force his way into it with a saw.
2. Have some eager little hands dig into it to clean out the seeds and pulp, it doesn’t have to be perfect it’s just going to be the vessel for our experiment.
3. Add ½ cup of baking soda to the inside of your pumpkin.
4. You can add food coloring or not, it’s up to you and you can put it under the baking soda for a surprise color or add it to your vinegar.
5. Add dish soap to the vinegar.

Have you child slowly pour vinegar mixture  into the pumpkin until it creates a frothy bubbling mixture that overflows. Some of the baking soda may not get wet underneath and you can give it a little stir, add more vinegar and get more bubbles.

To get more out of the activity you can ask your child some questions and have them research the answers…

Why do you think the vinegar and baking soda have this reaction?

Would water and baking soda do the same thing?

Will different types of vinegar produce the same results? Try rice wine vinegar, apple cider vineger, etc…

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Monique

I share educational printables and activities to help teachers make learning about math and science fun!