Fizzy Treasure Rocks

Last year, when we played with Baking Soda Letters in the Water Table, I found out that baking soda can be dried and reused even after it has already reacted with vinegar.

After our Fizzy St. Patrick’s Day Science activity a few weeks ago, we once again had a lot of wet baking soda left over, and E and I decided to turn them into Fizzy Treasure Rocks: We took large handfuls of wet baking soda, placed a gold coin in the middle, and formed the baking soda around it.

Are you in need of awesome science activities for St. Patrick’s Day? You’re in luck! Check out this list of St. Patrick’s Science Experiments and try them with your kids.

We used previously used baking soda to make Fizzy Treasure Rocks for a very satisfying baking soda and vinegar reaction. My toddler and my preschooler had a blast!

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Recommended St. Patrick’s Day Activity Kits

St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Bin

If you want a hands-on activity for St. Patrick’s day, you have to get this sensory bin from Etsy. I am sure your kids will enjoy playing while they develop some important skills.

St. Patrick’s Day DIY Cookie kit

If you love baking and you have kids, grab this St. Patrick’s Day cookie decoration kit. You will have a wonderful time together while celebrating the holiday!

Materials for Fizzy Treasure Rocks

Wet baking soda. (If you don’t happen to have any leftovers from another activity, you can just add a little water to unused baking soda. Or simply do another activity first 😉 )
Gold coins or other small treasures to hide in the baking soda.
Vinegar.
Fizzy tub colors, liquid watercolors, or food coloring.
Squeeze bottles.
Containers.
Water table (optional but great for minimizing messes and for sibling play).

Recommended Fizzy Experiment Kits

The Magic of Pirates Potion Kit

If your kids love this fizzy treasure rock activity, they will surely love this pirate’s potion kit. Let them have fun and explore making their own potions!

Gnome Paint Your Own Bath Bomb Kit

Your kids will love bath time with these bath bombs. They can color it the way they want and bring them during bath time for a fizzy and fun bath!

Don’t forget to check out other Fizzy Experiments Your Kids Will Love.

Recommended Treasure Digging Kits

Other than these Fizzy Treasure Rocks, your kids will love these other treasure-digging kits!

Thames & Kosmos I Dig It! Treasure – Pirate Treasure Excavation Kit NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Mega Fossil and Gemstone Dig Kits Jumbo Pirate Dig Kit – Pirate Toys for Kids XXTOYS Pirate Treasures Dig Kit Break Into 5 Bricks Treasure Excavation Kits Constellation Mega Fossil Gemstone Dig Kit NUOBESTY 1 Set Gem Excavation Kits Gems Digging Kit for Kids Mineralogy Geology Science Gift

We let the fizzy treasure rocks dry for several days. Try to avoid handling them as much as possible, as they can be quite fragile once they’re dry.

When we’d decided that they were dry enough, I gently placed the baking soda rocks in the water table. I also scattered some extra dried-out baking soda that we hadn’t turned into treasure rocks all over the water table.

E wanted to color the vinegar green again and put yellow and blue fizzy tub color tabs in one squeeze bottle and one pitcher full of vinegar.

Then she got to work while N watched.

She didn’t spend that much time on the treasure rocks, though.

Instead, she decided to grab a small cup, fill it with crumpled-up baking soda and add a tiny bit of vinegar. She’d wait until the fizzing stopped, add more baking soda, then add another tiny bit of vinegar. It was quite fun to watch, and she was extremely patient.

Only after she’d done that for a really long time did she decide to make the cup overflow 🙂

Meanwhile, N went for mass fizzing action when he poured out the larger container all at once.

He chose the sensory approach to this activity and spent some time putting his hands in the foam over and over and splashing around.

Child playing in the fizzy treasure rocks sensory activities

When E was done with the squeeze bottle, he imitated her approach – he didn’t mind that the bottle was empty at this point 😉

To finish off the activity, E asked for some more vinegar to work on the treasure rocks some more.

For some reason, neither child was interested in the actual treasures this time, but that’s completely okay. I set up the activities (sometimes with help), and they decide how to use them 🙂

Are you looking for other fun and simple activities? You could try this Fine Motor Activity with Straws and Pipe Cleaners or this Simple Transportation Sensory Bin!

Fizzy Treasure Rocks

Prep Time: 3 days

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 days 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Estimated Cost: $10

Your kids will surely love this fizzy activity while also improving their motor skills!

Materials

Wet Baking Soda
Small Treasure / Gold Coins
Vinegar
Fizzy Tub Colors / Food Coloring / Water Color
Squeezy Bottles
Container
Water Table (Optional)

Instructions

1. To create treasure rocks, simply take large handfuls of wet baking soda from another activity. If you don't have any leftovers, just add a little water to unused baking soda or simply do another activity first.

2. Place a gold coin or treasure in the middle and form the baking soda around it. Repeat until you have several treasure rocks for the activity.

3. Let the fizzy treasure rocks dry for several days. Try to avoid handling them as much as possible, as they can be quite fragile once they're dry.

4. Once dried, scatter the treasure rocks in the water table. You can also put some extra dried-out baking soda that you hadn't turned into treasure rocks.

5. For St. Patrick's Day theme, you can color your vinegar green and yellow.

6. Now it's time to let the kids play and decide how to dig up those treasures!

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This is an activity that will not only enhance the kids’ motor skills but they will have fun playing and watching the fizzy rocks! They can play with it however they want and you can put whatever treasures you think they will enjoy looking for.

Try out this fun activity now!