Bubbling Pumpkin Experiment

This post may contain affiliate links meaning I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Read my disclosure policy here.

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 make this Bubbling Pumpkin Experiment more exciting.

>> See more Pumpkin Activities for Kids

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). It’s a fun science experiment that will have the kids interested and engaged, and ready for more!

If you’re looking for a fun and simple STEM activity that will look a little bit like magic, this pumpkin experiment is so much fun to do!

Bubbling Pumpkin Experiment

This fun bubbling pumpkin experiment is so much fun for the kids. This is a great way to show them an experiment that is all about messy play. The best part about doing this pumpkin experiment is that it’s a ton of fun for fall. You can easily use this during the fall when you’re wanting a fun experiment for the kids.

Recommended Science Experiment Books

Pair up some of these fun science books with this pumpkin experiment! It’s always a good idea to combine learning and science.

The best part about these books is that you can have fun with so many different types of experiments. When you can change up the learning methods for the kids, this will keep them active and wanting to do so much more hands-on learning.

Here are just a few of our books that we love to use! You’ll get some great ideas here that are perfect for the kids to learn from and use. If you’re looking for some great ideas on how to add cool experiments to your learning, check out these fun options!

The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments: Awesome Things To Do With Your Parents, Babysitters and Other Adults The Curious Kid’s Science Book: 100+ Creative Hands-On Activities for Ages 4-8 Kitchen Science Lab for Kids: 52 Family Friendly Experiments from Around the House Awesome Engineering Activities for Kids: 50+ Exciting STEAM Projects to Design and Build

Bubbling Pumpkin Experiment

There’s just something about this bubbling science experiment that reminds me of Halloween. Even though it’s not a bubbling cauldron, it still has that same effect.

The kids love this activity because it’s something new and different and I love it because it gives me something to do with those little pumpkins that I’ve had sitting around as decorations for quite some time.

If you’re ready to look like a cool magician in front of the kids, get ready to show them how much fun you can be!

Bubbling Pumpkins Supplies

All you need are the simple supplies below to get started! You might even have these already in your house!

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

Heinz Distilled White Vinegar, 1 gallon Arm & Hammer Baking Soda – 16 oz Wilton Gel Food Color Set, Primary Dawn Dish Soap, Ultra Dishwashing Liquid, Original Scent, Blue, 21.6 Ounce, Pack of 2

Directions for this STEM pumpkin experiment

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.
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.
Add ½ cup of baking soda to the inside of your pumpkin.
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.
Add dish soap to the vinegar.

Have your child slowly pour the 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.

The bubbles are the best part of this experiment that the kids will have a blast with! The more that you add the ingredients, the more bubbles that you are going to get! If you have more than one pumpkin, the kids will have a blast adding in more ingredients and watching it foam and bubble! Let each kid do this experiment all on their own!

To get more out of the activity you can ask your child some questions and have them research the answers…This is a fun way to keep them involved and curious throughout the entire process. Vary up the questions that you want to ask so that the kids stay focused on learning.

Some simple questions to ask about this pumpkin experiment could be:

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 vinegar, etc…

Ask them their thoughts and let them communicate what they saw. You can even have them write down their hypothesis BEFORE you get started to see if they’re right in their thoughts.

The great part about doing these types of experiments is that the kids will be able to answer the questions and have open communication which leads to a larger curiosity of learning. Having a great plan for the kids to want to learn is all about experiments and using their hands and minds.