Earth Day Science Experiment

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Looking for a fun science experiment for Earth Day? This earth day STEM activity is the perfect science activity for your kids this Earth Day! Your little scientists are sure to be thrilled by this fun and exciting fizzing Earth Day science experiment and is sure to spark their curiosity and excitement!

Earth Day Stem Activities

Earth Day Science Experiment for Kids

This Earth Day science experiment is such a cool but simple experiment, because it uses the classic baking soda and vinegar experiment with a fun Earthy theme! I mean how much simpler can this get for a science experiment!

So let’s head over and get the supplies that we need for this fun and fizzy Earth Day science activity.

Science Behind the Experiment

So what happens when vinegar and baking soda are mixed together? Vinegar contains acetic acid diluted with water, which is the strong smell that you get from vinegar. So vinegar is an acid.

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate which is a base.

The reaction that happens between vinegar and baking soda is basically an acid-base reaction. An acid-base reaction happens between an acid and a base to result in a corresponding salt.

Vinegar and Baking soda reaction

In this case the vinegar (acetic acid) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) react in an acid-base reaction to result in a salt (sodium acetate) and a gas (carbon dioxide).

As the carbon dioxide is product in the chemical reaction it is released as a gas which causes the bubbling and the fizzing which kiddos absolutely love seeing and hearing!

Supplies Required:

Materials:

  • Baking soda
  • Vinegar
  • Green food coloring
  • Blue food coloring

Tools:

  • Small bowls
  • Dropper
  • Round pan
  • Stirring straws
  • Spatula
Science Experiments for Earth Day Supplies

Instructions for the Earth Day Science Experiment:

Fill up the 2 small bowls with some vinegar. Fill it to about 3/4th of the way so it allows for some stirring.

Put some baking soda into a container and keep it aside first.

Earth Day Stem Activities for Kids

Next, add about 4 to 5 drops of the blue and green food coloring into each of the small bowls and stir it.

Earth Day Activity for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners

Pour the baking soda from the container into the round pan.

Earth Day Science experiments

Flatten it out with a spatula and make the surface even.

Earth Day Science Activity for Kids

Fill up the dropper with the green colored vinegar.

Earth Day Science Experiment Preschool

Drop the ‘green’ vinegar onto the baking soda around the pan to represent the ‘land’ on Earth.

Your learners will love watching this part as the fizzing happens and they get to experience the reaction with both their eyes and ears!

Earth Day Science Activity for Kids

Get your learners to randomly drop the green vinegar around to represent the ‘land’. Let them do this until about a quarter to half of the pan is covered in green.

Earth Day Science Activities for Preschoolers

Once that’s done, fill the dropper with the ‘blue’ vinegar.

Earth Day fun science experiments

Get your learners to drop this on the other areas to represent the ‘water’.

Earth Day science experiment baking soda

Watch the vinegar react with the baking soda to create some fantastic fizzing!

Earth Day Baking Soda Experiment

Continue this process until all of the baking soda is colored either green or blue to represent the Earth.

Earth Day Stem Activities

And there we have it! A fun, hands-on and super simple Earth Day science experiment for your little scientists!

To check out a shortened version of the instructions, check out the directions below.

Earth Day Science Experiments for Kids

Earth Day Science Experiment

Time:
15 minutes
Difficulty:
Easy

Materials:

  • Baking soda
  • Vinegar
  • Green food coloring
  • Blue food coloring

Tools:

  • Small bowls
  • Dropper
  • Round pan
  • Stirring straws
  • Spatula

Directions:

  1. Fill the small bowls with vinegar (about ¾ full). 
  2. Add about 5 drops of green food coloring to a bowl. Stir well.
  3. Add about 5 drops of blue food coloring to the other bowl. Stir well.
  4. Pour baking soda into the pan and spread out into an even layer using a spatula.
  5. Fill the dropper with the green colored vinegar. Drop the vinegar onto the baking soda around the pan to represent ‘land.’ Watch the fizzy reaction!
  6. Fill the dropper with the blue colored vinegar. Drop the vinegar onto the baking soda around the pan to represent ‘water.’ Watch the fizzy reaction!
  7. Continue this process until all of the baking soda is colored either green or blue to represent Earth.

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