Looking for an easy Halloween STEM activity to do at home this Fall October? Try Fizzy Potion!
It's a fun twist on my Witch’s Brew: Potion Station | Halloween Sensory Play Activity For Toddlers + Kids! Where it uses fossilized Halloween shapes instead of potion mixing jars! You could also combine the two for a fun super activity!
Even better? Other than one item, you probably already have everything you need at home!
Supplies:
- Halloween themed ice trays or these mini ones (more on that below!)
- Baking Soda
- Water
- Food Coloring
- Vinegar
- Bowl/cauldron
- Squeeze bottle and/or ladle
Step-By-Step Instructions For Halloween STEM Activity: Fizzy Potion
Step 1: Halloween Shapes
To prepare this activity you'll start by creating a paste of baking soda, water, and food coloring. There's no exact measurement here, just a paste that will eventually go in the freezer, so it can be a little more liquidy as it'll solidify.
Pour your mixture into the Halloween ice tray and place it in the freezer.
TIP: Add a little food coloring to the ice tray then top the baking soda colored mixture in for an even more vibrant initial fizz later on!
Step 2: Prep the environment
I'd suggest doing this outside or in the bathtub or somewhere you don't mind getting a little messy – though if using just squeeze bottles, the mess won't be too bad!
If possible, I'd also use a black bowl or cauldron to make it a little more “witchy.”
Feel free to add in any other “cauldron mix-ins” like toy snakes, eyeballs, or other Halloween themed objects to their “brewing station.”
You'll want to make sure you have some vinegar on the table too.
You can either start with vinegar in your “cauldron” so the shapes automatically fizz when dropped in OR you can have vinegar available on the table. Whether that's vinegar/water solution in a squeeze bottle, or in a secondary bowl with a ladle. I've found a 75% vinegar and 25% water solution still creates a good fizz, while diluting the vinegar enough incase your child has any cuts on their hands.
Step 3: Science time!
When you're ready to play, take the Halloween shapes out of the freezer, pop them out of the ice tray and add to the table.
Show your child what happens when they squeeze the vinegar bottle or ladle the vinegar solution on top of the frozen Halloween shapes and then just let them play!
How my toddler enjoyed this Halloween STEM Activity:
She had a total blast! I'd say the biggest downside in doing this Halloween STEM activity was how quickly we went through it! The molded shapes were large, and I only made six of them. She wanted to drop more and more into the “cauldron” but we were out. She even had us check the freezer to see if there were any more!
Since I hadn't made any more, I ended up pouring some of the liquid out of the cauldron so we could get to the baking soda that had sunk to the bottom, to keep revitalizing the activity.
For this reason, while both my toddler and I LOVED the shapes of these Halloween molds (she kept saying BAT! GHOST! and got a real kick out of it!), I'd also make a batch of these little pumpkin molds since they are smaller in case your child burns through the large ones quickly like mine did!
Set up and clean up time:
This activity took about 10-15 minutes to set up (excluding freeze time) and about 5 minutes to clean up.
I prepared the baking soda Halloween molds the day before and that took about 5 minutes. When I went to do this with my daughter it took about 3-5 minutes for me to fill the vinegar squeeze bottles, and set everything up on a table outside for her. Once we finished, we just dumped the solution outside and rinsed off the “cauldron,” squeeze bottles, and Halloween ice trays.
If you do this with your kids I've love to see it! Tag me on Instagram @theconfusedmillennial!
RELATED READS:
HALLOWEEN ACTIVITIES: Halloween Activities For Toddlers: Sensory Learning | 21 Free Printable Halloween Color Pages + Activities For Kids | Halloween Activity: Apple Stamped Pumpkin Craft For Young Children | Halloween Toddler Activity: Spatula Pumpkin Craft! | How Do You Make A Witch Hat Out Of Paper? Dollar Tree Halloween DIY! | How To Set Up A FAST Halloween Sensory Paint Activity For Toddlers | Halloween Matching Game – Free Printable for Toddlers + Preschool Kids | Spider Halloween Playdough Kit Idea | Halloween Oobleck Recipe: Witches Brew | Montessori Glue Box Halloween Craft: Making Monsters | Halloween Activity For Toddlers Learning Colors: Feed The Monsters! | Halloween Counting Activity: A Ghostly Matching Game! | Room On The Broom Activity For Preschool Kids: Gross Motor + Printable PDF | Witch’s Brew: Potion Station | Halloween Sensory Play Activity For Toddlers + Kids | Witches Brew Halloween Soap Foam Sensory Bin Activity | Pumpkin Patch Number + Letter Activity For Preschool Kids | Montessori Pumpkin Activity: Smashing Pumpkins! | It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Halloween Activity For Toddlers + Preschoolers: Fine Motor Skills! | Halloween STEM Activity: Fizzy Potion
How To Make Oobleck | How To Make Colored Pasta For Sensory Play | Easy Rainbow Spaghetti Recipe | How To Make Foam | EASY SENSORY PLAY BUBBLE FOAM RECIPE | How To Make Playdough
FALL ACTIVITIES: 17 Fall Activities For Kids + Busy Toddlers | No Mess Fall Toddler Activities You NEED To Try At Home | Fall Toddler Activity: Contact Paper Tree | Fallen Leaves: Montessori Glue Box Activity | Fall Toddler Activity: Montessori Fall Smelling Jars | No Mess Fall Toddler Activity: Sticker Shapes | Montessori Sorting Fall Activity | EASY No Mess Pumpkin Activity For Toddlers: Sticky Pumpkin | Pumpkin Bath: Easy Toddler Activity For Halloween Or Fall | Pumpkin Fine Motor Activity For Toddlers To Do At Home This Halloween Or Fall | Fall Leaf Painting | Apple Tree Forest Fall Gross Motor Activity | Fall Oobleck Tray | 7 At Home Toddler Activities With Household Items You Already Own
100 Halloween Books For Kids [For Babies, Young and Older Children!] | The Ultimate List of Halloween Movies [100+ from Scary to Not-So-Scary!] | The Ultimate List Of 59 Halloween TV Shows From Not-So-Scary To Scary [+ Where To Stream] | 97 Thanksgiving Children’s Books For The Whole Family To Read | 15 Of The BEST Dollar Tree Halloween DIYs To Try This Year
