# Save the Bunnies Fizzing Soap Cakes > Freeze bubble bath, baking soda, food color and small toys into colorful muffin-tin 'soap cakes'. Kids then rescue the trapped bunnies and fairies with vinegar, lemon juice and citric acid in a slow, long-lasting foaming fizz. - URL: https://www.funlittles.com/save-the-bunnies-easter-science-experiment/ - Ages: 3–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: high - Time: prep 10 min, activity 30 min - Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 2 kids - Skills: science, acid-base-reactions, sensory-exploration, fine-motor, cause-and-effect - Cautions: food-dye, citrus, ingestion-risk ## Materials (one batch) - 1 piece Muffin pan - Bubble bath soap - Baking soda - Food coloring - Small toys (bunnies, fairies, flowers, figures) - White vinegar - Citric acid (optional) - Lemon juice (optional) - 1 piece Squeeze bottle (household) - 1 piece Small cup (optional) (household) - 1 piece Clear container or tray (household) - 1 piece Knife (household) ## Substitutions - Instead of citric acid: Skip it and use just vinegar (The author says you can do this sensory science with just vinegar.) - Instead of lemon juice: Skip it and use just vinegar (The author says vinegar alone works.) ## Safety - The cakes are made of soap and baking soda. They are not food, so don't let kids mouth or eat them. - Citric acid, lemon juice and vinegar sting eyes and cuts. Use small amounts, keep hands away from faces and wash hands after play. - An adult uses the knife to loosen the frozen cakes from the muffin tin. - Small toys are a choking hazard. Supervise closely, especially with younger children. - Food color and colored soap can stain toys, hands and surfaces. The author warns that the toys you add may stain, so choose wisely. - Supervise sensory play at all times. ## Before you start - Make the soap cakes: fill each muffin slot halfway with bubble bath, fill the rest with baking soda, add food color, mix gently and press in a small toy. - Freeze the muffin tin until the contents are solid. The post doesn't give a freezing time, so plan ahead. - Adult: loosen the frozen cakes with a knife and pop them out. ## Steps 1. Fill each slot of a muffin tin halfway with bubble bath soap. 2. Fill the rest of each slot with baking soda, add food coloring and gently mix. 3. Press a small toy into each slot to trap it. 4. Put the muffin tin in the freezer until the cakes freeze up. 5. Adult: loosen each cake with a knife and pop them all out. 6. Place the soap cakes in a clear container. 7. Sprinkle the cakes with citric acid to start the fizz, then squirt on some lemon juice. 8. Squeeze vinegar over the cakes, waiting a few seconds between squeezes so it can react. 9. Keep fizzing and foaming until the bunnies, flowers and fairies are rescued. ## Tips - Don't expect an instant fizz like regular baking soda and vinegar. With so much baking soda frozen in with the soap, it takes a while to start, but the foaming lasts a LONG TIME! - I had my child wait a few seconds before squeezing more vinegar. This gives the soap cakes and the vinegar a chance to react. - Remember that the toys you add may stain, so choose wisely. - Sprinkle citric acid first to get the fizz going, then add lemon juice and finally vinegar. - Adding the bunnies and flowers turned out to be great, since it works as a wonderful Easter activity. ## The original post by TurkeyMom (2015) Wonderfully fizzing sensory science which works as a great Easter sensory activity for kids. A great way to experiment acid-base reactions for kids. Materials - **[Muffin Pan](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003W0UMPI/?tag=blmemo-20)** - **[Food Color](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0029YDR82/?tag=blmemo-20)** - **[Baking Soda](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CVY459K/?tag=blmemo-20)** **[Vinegar](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RO08L0/?tag=blmemo-20)** - **[Citric Acid](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007CRHD4U/?tag=blmemo-20)** - **[Lemon Juice](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001RNX4W0/?tag=blmemo-20)** Ever we did our [**soapy sculptures**](https://www.funlittles.com/frozen-soapy-sculptures-sensory-play/) activity with frozen bubble bath, the kids have been enjoying playing with those "soap cakes". Visit the post for detailed directions. Since we had one more muffin tin filled with soap leftover we decided to experiment with the colorful soaps. { Check out our colorful **[rainbow lemon eruptions](https://www.funlittles.com/science-experiments-kids-rainbow-lemon-eruptions/)** science as well} Instead of playing with more frozen soap, I decided to add some baking soda to it. I removed about half of the soap from each slot of the muffin tin and replaced with baking soda to fill up the slot and nicely mixed it up. I also added a few toys in there. { Remember that the toys you add *may* stain. So choose wisely} I placed the muffin tin in the freezer until the soap+baking soda cake freezes up. I used a knife to slightly loosen it up and popped them all off. Place them all in a clear container for some science experiments and sensory activities. I particularly loved this cute bunny sitting in s a soapy baking soda cake. We also trapped a bunch of fairies, flowers and a Chima figure. {Ewar?} Then it was time for experimentation. I gave the kids a squeeze bottle filled with vinegar, a bottle of lemon juice and a cup of citric acid. You can do this sensory science with just vinegar as well. You can first sprinkle the soap cakes with citric acid to start the fizz. Then the kids squirted some lemon juice over them. Then they finally went at it with vinegar. The fizzing and foaming action is slow but steady and lasts for a long time. Don't expect an instant fizzing like our regular **baking soda and vinegar reaction experiments**. Since a larger quantity of baking soda is frozen along with soap it takes a while for the vinegar to start the reaction. But the foaming lasts a LONG TIME! Adding the bunnies and flowers turned out be great since this can probably work as a wonderful Easter activity for kids. The foaming soap cakes are such a pleasant site! Here are the bunny, flowers and fairies being rescued with the help of some fizzing and foaming action from the vinegar. Half fizzed soap-baking soda cake with a still-stuck fairy. I had my child wait a few seconds before squeezing some more vinegar. This gives the soap cakes and the vinegar a chance to react. They also experimented with sprinkling citric acid and squeezing lemon juice. Quick run down - Take a muffin tin - Add bubble bath soap and fill up half of each slot - Add baking soda for the rest of the half - Mix in food coloring and gently mix - Add some small toys - Place the muffin tin in freezer until the contents freezes up - Remove the soap and baking soda cakes - Squirt vinegar and lemon juice on them and watch the cakes fizz and foam Stop by Fun at Home with Kids for their beautiful **[Foaming Treasure Stars](http://www.funathomewithkids.com/2014/07/magic-foaming-treasure-stars.html)** post with a slight twist. You won't be disappointed! More **[baking soda experiments](https://www.funlittles.com/tag/baking-soda/)** here Want more **[Easter Activities for kids](https://www.funlittles.com/category/holidays/easter/)** ? Check out the category page Then there is always Pinterest Feel free to pin Click on the image below to take a look ***Baby and toddlers activities*** ***Preschool Activities*** ***Science and math activities for preschoolers***