Invite exciting science exploration to the holiday season with this fizzy baking soda and vinegar Christmas Science Experiment. Use colorful holiday cookie cutters and liquid watercolors to design your own science and sensory fun.
It’s the perfect activity for remote school, quiet weekends at home, and Christmas vacation.
Christmas Science Experiment
On a recent Target run, I came across two adorable oversized cookie cutters and immediately thought of how fun they would be to use in the classic baking soda and vinegar science experiment—my son’s favorite thing to do!
Before I share further directions, I want to give shoutouts to Inspiration Laboratories, Science Sparks, Toddler Approved, Lessons for Little Ones, and Little Bins for Little Hands, as they have shared this Christmas science experiment with cookie cutters before me. It’s a popular one, and for good reason.
Science experiments encourage exploration, discovery, curiosity, and analysis. They serve as a way to introduce new ideas and concepts, solve puzzles, surprise viewers, answer questions, and engage with active learning. Beyond learning how to use science equipment, kids learn to observe, analyze, inquire, work together, predict, compare, discover, ask questions, problem-solve, discuss, hypothesize, and develop an inquisitive mind.
Science experiments are hands-on and engaging which sparks a child’s curiosity. Touching, feeling, seeing, hearing, (and sometimes tasting) have a profound impact on learning. Curious kids who are exposed to the scientific process will become better problem solvers!
How Does the Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiment Work?
The baking soda and vinegar experiment is popular because it’s simple, inexpensive, and works over and over again. Baking soda is an alkaline (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar is an acid. When the two react together, they produce carbon dioxide (the fizzy bubbles in soda or pop, depending on where you’re from).
When you combine baking soda and vinegar, there are two reactions. First, there is a double displacement reaction forming sodium acetate and carbonic acid. The second reaction, a decomposition reaction, produces carbon dioxide, also known as the bubbles. Because the bubbles weigh more than air, they collect and overflow, which is the fun part!
Kids love tinkering and adding more solution to see the bubbles over and over again. This experiment is a precursor to the classic volcano science experiments that are popular at elementary school science fairs.
Supplies Needed for Christmas Science
- Giant Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter
- Giant Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter
- Standard-sized Christmas cookie cutters
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Liquid watercolors
- Cookie sheet
- Squirt bottles (I use these ones from Lakeshore Learning)
- Spoon
Directions for the Christmas Science Experiment
1. Place a giant cookie cutter on a medium-sized cookie sheet.
2. Use a spoon to sprinkle baking soda into the cookie cutter.
3. Fill several small squirt bottles with vinegar and liquid watercolors. We used red, white, green, and yellow liquid watercolors for the Christmas tree cookie cutter and brown, red, and white for the gingerbread man cookie cutter.
If you wish, add 1 drop of clear dish soap to the white vinegar solution for extra fizzing and foaming.
4. Next, squirt the vinegar into the cookie cutters and watch the design bubble and grow!
We liked using different colors to fill in the ornaments on the tree and the buttons, eyes, and mouth on the gingerbread man.
5. Alternate between adding a sprinkle of fresh baking soda and squeezes of vinegar until you need to dump out and rinse the cookie sheet.
6. Repeat as many times as you want!
Take it Further
Do you want to take it further? Here are some ideas!
- Add pine needles and Christmas tree essential oil to the Christmas tree cookie cutter.
- Sprinkle ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg to the gingerbread man cookie cutter.
- Gift a science book and experiment supplies to a child for a fun holiday STEAM gift!
More Christmas Science Experiments for Kids
- Frozen Bubbles Science Experiment
- Magic Milk Christmas Science Experiment from Fun Learning for Kids
- Christmas Tree Magnet Science from And Next Comes L
- Fizzing Candy Canes from Fun with Mama
- Christmas Tree Sponge from Gift of Curiosity
Christmas Science Experiment
Add some fun science exploration to the holiday season with this fizzy Christmas Science Experiment. Use colorful holiday cookie cutters and liquid watercolors to design your own science fun.
Materials
- Giant Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter
- Giant Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter
- Standard-sized Christmas cookie cutters
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Liquid watercolors
- Cookie sheet
- Squirt bottles
- Spoon
Instructions
- Place a giant cookie cutter on a medium-sized cookie sheet.
- Use a spoon to sprinkle baking soda into the cookie cutter.
- Fill several small squirt bottles with vinegar and liquid watercolors. We used red, white, green, and yellow liquid watercolors for the Christmas tree cookie cutter and brown, red, and white for the gingerbread man cookie cutter. If you wish, add 1 drop of clear dish soap to the white vinegar solution for extra fizzing and foaming.
- Squirt the vinegar into the cookie cutters and watch the design bubble and grow!
- Alternate between adding a sprinkle of fresh baking soda and squeezes of vinegar until you need to dump out and rinse the cookie sheet.
- Repeat as many times as you want!
Notes
Want to take it further? Here are some ideas!
- Add pine needles and Christmas tree essential oil to the Christmas tree cookie cutter.
- Sprinkle ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg to the gingerbread man cookie cutter.
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