# Fizzing Color Mixing Shamrock Art > Kids paint paper shamrocks with glittery yellow baking soda paint, then dab on blue vinegar. The shamrocks fizz and turn green. Dry them and hold them up against a sunny window. - URL: https://www.funlittles.com/st-patricks-day-art-fizzing-color-mixing-shamrock-art/ - Ages: 2–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium - Time: prep 25 min, activity 20 min - Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 1 kids - Skills: color-mixing, science, chemical-reactions, observation, fine-motor - Cautions: food-dye, ingestion-risk ## Materials (one batch) - Watercolor paper (or thick white cardstock) - 1 piece Shamrock printable or die-cut machine - 1 piece Scissors (household) - 2 tbsp Baking soda - 3 tbsp Water (household) - 2 tbsp Vinegar - Gel food color (yellow and blue) - 1 pinch Gold glitter - 1 piece Paintbrushes - 2 piece Small bowls for paint (household) - 1 piece Pastry brush (optional) (household) ## Substitutions - Instead of watercolor paper: Thick white cardstock (Listed by the author as an alternative. Watercolor paper is better.) ## Safety - Vinegar stings eyes and cuts. Use small amounts and wash hands after. - Keep glitter away from eyes and mouths, and supervise toddlers closely. - The paints are not food. Don't let kids drink the vinegar or eat the paint. - An adult handles the scissors or die-cut machine when cutting the shamrocks. - Gel food color can stain hands, clothes and surfaces. ## Before you start - Cut a bunch of shamrocks from watercolor paper or thick white cardstock, using a shamrock printable or a die-cut machine. ## Steps 1. Make the yellow paint: mix 2 tbsp baking soda with 3 tbsp water, a squirt of yellow food color and a generous pinch of gold glitter. 2. Make the blue paint: mix 2 tbsp vinegar with a squirt of blue food color. Keep it pale. 3. Invite the kids to paint the shamrocks yellow. When they say shamrocks are green, show them the blue paint. 4. Paint the shamrocks generously with the yellow paint, without leaving lumps of baking soda. 5. Dip a brush in the blue paint and gently press it onto the yellow shamrocks. 6. Watch the shamrocks turn from yellow to green and listen for the fizzing sound. 7. Talk about the changes you see and hear. With older kids, talk about physical and chemical changes. 8. Let the shamrocks dry, then gently brush off the extra baking soda with a pastry brush. 9. Hold the dried shamrocks up against a sunny window. ## Tips - Take care that the baking soda paint is not too thick. Try not to leave much residual baking soda on the shamrocks. - Keep your blue paint paler than the one in our photo. - Watercolor paper is better than cardstock for this one. - The baking soda forms a white layer over the art as it dries. Use a pastry brush to gently brush off the excess. - As it dries you may see the blue and the yellow in various spots. It's simply an exploring, open-ended art project. ## FAQ **What makes it fizz?** The vinegar in the blue paint reacting with the baking soda in the yellow paint. It's a baking soda and vinegar (acid-base) reaction. **Why is there a white layer on my dried shamrocks?** It's leftover baking soda. Gently brush it off with a pastry brush, and keep the yellow paint thinner next time. ## The original post by TurkeyMom (2015) Color mixing science and acid-base reactions are used in creating this beautiful [St.Patrick's Day Art.](https://www.funlittles.com/category/holidays/st-patricks-day-holidays/) Shamrock art project couldn't get easier. **Materials** - **[Watercolor Paper](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001E01U6S/?tag=blmemo-20)** {or} - **[Card Stock](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IDRW/?tag=blmemo-20)** - **[AmeriColor Gel Food Color](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0029YDR82/?tag=blmemo-20)** - **[Baking Soda](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002SKVZIQ/?tag=blmemo-20)** - **[Vinegar](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RO08L0/?tag=blmemo-20)** - **[Art and Craft Brush Set](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001M04T0E/?tag=blmemo-20)** - **[Glitter](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000F8T4O0/?tag=blmemo-20)** Using a shamrock printable or a die-cut machine cut out a bunch of shamrocks on thick white cardstock paper. { water color paper is better though} ### Making the paint for this *Shamrock Art* Project **Yellow Paint :** 2 TBSP of baking soda mixed with 3 TBSP of water and a squirt of yellow food color with a generous pinch of gold glitter. **Blue Paint :** 2 TBSP of vinegar with a squirt of blue food color { keep your blue paler than the image below} { We love **[AmeriColor Gel Food Color](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0029YDR82/?tag=blmemo-20)**} Surprise your child by inviting him/her to paint the shamrocks yellow! {Based on the age} they may quip that shamrocks are green and not yellow. Then show them your blue paint. St.Patrick's day art activity just got cooler! They will put 2 and 2 together and get excited about the possibility of a [color mixing project.](https://www.funlittles.com/tag/colors/) Have them paint the shamrocks genourously with yellow *{ take care that the baking soda paint is not too thick. Try not to have as much residual baking soda on the shamrocks}* Then comes the baking soda-vinegar reaction! Yes, this shamrock art project has a small dose of [science](https://www.funlittles.com/category/science-2/) in it. Have the child dip her brush in the blue paint and gently press it on the yellow shamrocks. Have him observe the 2 changes that are happening. 1. The color of the shamrock changes to green from yellow 2. While the color is changing they also hear the "fizzing" sound of the [baking soda - vinegar reaction.](https://www.funlittles.com/science-experiments-for-kids-color-mixing-kids-activities/) *Based on the age , talk to them about physical changes and chemical changes* Let the shamrocks dry for a while and then hold them up against a sunny window. This St.Patrick's Day art project is simply an exploring, open-ended art project. What happens is that the baking soda forms a white layer over the art. Use a pastry brush to gently brush off the excess baking soda. As it dries you may see the blue and the yellow in various spots. Thanks for reading Check out [**Scented Fizzy Art**](https://www.funlittles.com/art-activities-for-kids-scented-fizzy-paints/) [**St.Patrick's Day Treasure Slime**](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-for-kids-green-gold-slime-play-recipe/) [**St.Patrick's day Sensory Jars**](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-for-kids-st-patricks-day-sensory-jars/) [**Rainbow Craft**](https://www.funlittles.com/crafts-for-kids-rainbow-craft/) [**Rainbow Pasta Structures**](https://www.funlittles.com/engineering-for-kids-build-with-pasta/)