This December, we’re getting in the holiday spirit with some fun weekly Christmas-themed science activities. We’re kicking it off today with none other than an erupting Christmas Tree! Alright, so maybe erupting a Christmas tree like a volcano is not a very merry experiment. But who cares! We’re not taking down an actual Christmas tree.  We’re going to make our own mini sparkling tree to erupt. Let’s do it!

Materials

  • Empty bottle (like a water or soda bottle)
  • Play dough or similar material
  • Vinegar
  • Baking soda
  • Craft decorations (sequins, pom poms, glitter, buttons, beads, etc.)
  • Dish soap

Instructions

  1. Fill the bottle half full of vinegar and add a few big squirts of dish soap. To make this experiment even more Christmas-y, use some green or red food coloring to color your solution. Then swirl, don’t shake, the bottle to mix everything together.
  2. Next, it’s time to make your Christmas tree. Using Play Dough (preferably green), build a tree up around the bottle. Build it all the way to the top of the bottle, but leave the opening exposed. Decorate your tree with your craft items to make it look like it has ornaments, lights, or maybe even a tree topper.
  3. Now for the explosion. Take about 3 tablespoons of baking soda and drop it in the bottle. Eruption!
  4. For ongoing fun, keep adding vinegar and baking soda in different quantities to the bottle to get more eruptions.

Background

This experiment is another great example of an acid base reaction. Baking soda is alkaline, or basic, and has a pH of about 9. Vinegar is acidic and has a pH between 2 and 3. When the two react, carbon dioxide gas and water are released. When you add in liquid dish soap, you really get a lot of “fizzing”. In other words, you get an erupting Christmas tree. Happy Holidays and stay tuned for more fun holiday experiments!

This experiment was discovered on the Preschool Powol Packets blog where you’ll find many other great ideas for your little ones.