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Save the Bunnies Fizzing Soap Cakes

Mar 20, 20155,691 views
Science
Save the bunnies: Easter science experiment Save
all the colors sensory play Save
sensory fun for easter Save
making baking soda and soapy cakes for sensory science Save
bunny sensory science for easter Save
vinegar sensory play Save
trapped fairy Save

by TurkeyMom in Science

Ages3–6 yrs
Prep10 min
Activity30 min
Leveleasy
MessHigh
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class

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.

⚠️ Safety first

  • 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 the kids arrive

  • 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!from the author
  • I had my child wait a few seconds before squeezing more vinegar. This gives the soap cakes and the vinegar a chance to react.from the author
  • Remember that the toys you add may stain, so choose wisely.from the author
  • Sprinkle citric acid first to get the fizz going, then add lemon juice and finally vinegar.from the author
  • Adding the bunnies and flowers turned out to be great, since it works as a wonderful Easter activity.from the author

Make it your own

  • Make it with just vinegar if you don't have citric acid or lemon juice.
  • Trap fairies, flowers or action figures instead of bunnies.
  • For a twist on the idea, look up Fun at Home with Kids' Foaming Treasure Stars.

The story behind it

By TurkeyMom · March 2015
making the soapy cakes for easter activity
I removed about half of the frozen bubble bath soap from each slot of the muffin tin, replaced it with baking soda, mixed it nicely and added a few toys.
1 / 10

Save the Bunnies Fizzing Soap Cakes: the original post

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

Ever we did our soapy sculptures 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 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}

making the soapy cakes for easter activity

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.

making baking soda and soapy cakes for sensory science

Place them all in a clear container for some science experiments and sensory activities.

easter science for kids

I particularly loved this cute bunny sitting in s a soapy baking soda cake.

bunny sensory science for easter

We also trapped a bunch of fairies, flowers and a Chima figure. {Ewar?}

trapping chima guys for sensory science

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.

flower is trapped

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!

sensory play for spring

Adding the bunnies and flowers turned out be great since this can probably work as a wonderful Easter activity for kids.

vinegar sensory play

The foaming soap cakes are such a pleasant site!

sensory easter play

Here are the bunny, flowers and fairies being rescued with the help of some fizzing and foaming action from the vinegar.

sensory fun for easter

Half fizzed soap-baking soda cake with a still-stuck fairy.

trapped 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. all the colors sensory play

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 post with a slight twist. You won’t be disappointed!

More baking soda experiments here

Want more Easter Activities for kids ? Check out the category page

Then there is always Pinterest

Feel free to pin

Sensory Science Experiment with a Easter theme| Use soap and baking soda for a fun play time

Click on the image below to take a look

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What readers say

💬 1 comments

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  1. Anishsa · Mar 2021

    I did not do it but it is a great fun cooler full paint activate.

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