crafty mama: fun with food coloring

I am not sure where I would be without Pinterest on these cold, gloomy winter days. There is nothing worse than being cooped up in a house with a toddler who is antsy and has no focus. Hence my dependence on Pinterest for ideas to keep me out of the nut house (what did we DO before it?!).

I try to look for activities or crafts that are simple, frustration-free for both me and the little guy, and not so extravagant as to need tons of prep work or cost a lot of money. I also tend towards Montessori-inspired ideas as I really enjoy that philosophy. Those that make the grade are saved to my boards “ideas for my little man” or “Montessori for my lil man.” Feel free to follow me on Pinterest by clicking on the button in my sidebar and if you have any suggestions, let me know!

You can see my original pin here, but note that it only takes you to a picture and not a website. Still, the comments describe how to set it up and it’s so simple that the brief instructions are really all you need. Here’s my version…

What you need:

• baking soda (a box or less, depending on how much you want to use)
• Food coloring
• Medicine droppers (got mine here with the intention of using the bottles in future activities)
• Vinegar
• Pie plate or pan with raised edges to contain the mess
• A smock of some kind!

That’s it! the set-up is simple: spread the baking soda in a dish of your choosing. Pour out little cups or bowls of vinegar and add the food coloring to your liking. Show your little one that when they use the droppers to add the coloring mix to the soda, it fizzes up and makes little bubbles! Sit back and just police for big messes, but let them be creative and have their fun.

 

Henry had a blast. And I got to sit back and finish my cup of coffee.

 

 

He quickly figured out dipping the dropper in the baking soda and then dipping it in the little bowls made the vinegar fizz up quite a bit. My little scientist.

 

Always has one hand out for balance!

 

I left the set-up out for the whole morning and he went back to it a few times. The only drawback was that my kitchen had a nice Eau de Vinegar, but other than that clean up was a cinch. Once again, thank you Pinterest!