# Scented Fizzy Paints > Paint with sweet-smelling homemade Kool-Aid paints, then sprinkle baking soda over the wet art and watch it fizz into textured, scratch-and-sniff pictures. Or flip it: spread baking soda paint first and dab Kool-Aid paint on top. - URL: https://www.funlittles.com/art-activities-for-kids-scented-fizzy-paints/ - Ages: 2–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium - Time: prep 10 min, activity 30 min - Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 4 kids - Skills: science, chemical-reactions, colors, fine-motor, sensory-exploration - Cautions: food-dye, citrus, ingestion-risk ## Materials (one batch) - 1 packet Kool-Aid drink mix packets (assorted colors) - 2 tbsp Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) - 1 sheet Watercolor paper or heavy paper - 1 piece Paint brushes - Water (household) - Small cups or a paint palette (household) - 1 piece Small sieve or grater (optional) (household) - 1 sheet Butterfly outline printed on thick paper (optional) (household) ## Substitutions - Instead of paper: Card stock (The author says any heavy paper like card stock works.) ## Safety - The paint smells like a drink. Keep cups of paint away from drinking cups, and remind kids it's for painting, not drinking. Supervise at all times. - Keep baking soda and the citric acid in Kool-Aid away from eyes, and wash hands after painting. - If grating baking soda chunks, an adult should help with the grater or use a small sieve to protect fingers. - Kool-Aid colors can stain hands, clothes and table surfaces. Cover the table and dress for mess. ## Before you start - Cover the table. Kool-Aid paint is watery and can stain. - Optional: print a butterfly outline on thick paper for the fizzy butterfly variation. ## Steps 1. Empty each Kool-Aid packet into its own cup and add just enough water to make a watery paint. 2. Paint a picture on watercolor paper or card stock with the Kool-Aid paints. 3. When you're happy with your painting, sprinkle baking soda over it, or grate baking soda chunks over it. 4. Watch the paper fizz, bang and erupt! 5. Let the art dry, then dust off the loose baking soda and keep it as scratch-and-sniff art. 6. Other way round: add water to 2 spoons of baking soda to make a thick (not too watery) paint. 7. Spread the baking soda paint over a thick sheet of paper. 8. Dip your brush in a Kool-Aid paint and gently dab it on the baking soda paint. Watch the colors fizz and spread. 9. Try fizzy circles, or paint a printed butterfly with baking soda paint first, then color it with Kool-Aid paint. ## Tips - If you're like me and didn't close the lid on your baking soda box properly, you'll have baking soda chunks. Use those soda chunks and grate them over your art! - The fragrance is just too good. Your kids will be eagerly waiting to dive in and paint. A good break from the usual washable kids' paint. - The fizzing is the most fun part. Combine it with the scent from the paint and the texture the soda creates, and your kid can watch and do this for hours. - The citric acid in Kool-Aid reacts with the baking soda and makes those fun fizzies (carbon dioxide), which are awesome to look at and give the art great texture. - The art stores pretty well. Once it's all dry, dust the baking soda off the paper. They make great scratch-and-sniff art! ## The original post by TurkeyMom (2014) Make sweet smelling **homemade paints** and then make them fizz. Easy [**art activities for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/art-projects/) that will "wow" them! The best part? you may have all the supplies in your kitchen. **Materials** **[Kool- Aid](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019MMQXM/?tag=blmemo-20)** ( drink mix) **[Baking Soda (bicarbonate of soda)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002SKVZIQ/?tag=blmemo-20)** **[Watercolor Paper/heavy paper](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001E01U6S/?tag=blmemo-20)** **[Paint Brush Set](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000L87DRY/?tag=blmemo-20)** ### Art Activities for Kids : Homemade paint with Kool-Aid Kool-Aid is a flavored drink mix that come in small packets/envelops/sachet. The above link will take you to the product page where you read more about the product. Empty the Kool Aid powder in cups and add just enough water to make watery "paint". The fragrance is just too good and your kids will be eagerly awaiting to dive in and paint with this kind of paint. A good break from the usual **w[ashable Kids Paint](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004UBH3/?tag=blmemo-20)** , don't you think? Use watercolor paper or any heavy paper like card stock paper. Time to paint - paint with homemade paints! Once the child is satisfied with the art she created with your homemade paint, it is time to move on the most exciting part of this art activity. If you are like me haha, you will not have closed the lid on your baking soda ( bicarbonate of soda) box properly and that would have resulted in baking soda chunks. Use those soda chunks and grate them over your art! Due to your amazing "closing the box" skill if you haven't managed to create soda chunks, then all you can do is sprinkle the baking soda over your Kool-Aid art and watch the paper fizz, bang and erupt! This really is the most fun part of this art activity. The resulting effect is gorgeous to say the least. Combine the fun with the scent from the paint and texture the soda creates, you ( erm.. your kid!) can watch and do this art activity for hours! **Alternative # 2** Another cool way to use the same materials is first make "baking soda" paint. Yeah, go the other way! Add water to 2 spoons of baking soda and make thick ( not too watery) paint and have the kid spread it over a thick sheet of paper Then you dip your paint brush in your Kool-Aid paints and gently place them on your baking soda paint. The immediate chemical reaction is astounding! The colors fizz and spread and result is beautiful art. We experimented with gorgeous fizzy circles. My toddler insisted on making a fizzy butterfly. Print out a butterfly on a thick sheet of paper ( if you printer will take it) and have the child paint the butterfly with the "baking soda paint" first. Then she colors the butterfly with the Kool-Aid paint. Tada! Fizzing Butterfly Art. The Citric Acid in Kool-Aid reacts with the baking soda and makes those fun fizzies (resulting carbon-di-oxide) which are awesome to look at and give the art great texture. The art actually stores pretty well. Once the art work are all dry, dust off the baking soda off of the paper and you can store them. They make great scratch and sniff art! More [**art activities for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/art-projects/) on our category page Thanks for reading