The story behind it
By TurkeyMom · February 2015
Ages2–6 yrs
Prep25 min
Activity20 min
Leveleasy
MessMedium
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class
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.
⚠️ Safety first
- 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 the kids arrive
- Cut a bunch of shamrocks from watercolor paper or thick white cardstock, using a shamrock printable or a die-cut machine.
Steps
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.
Make the blue paint: mix 2 tbsp vinegar with a squirt of blue food color. Keep it pale.
Invite the kids to paint the shamrocks yellow. When they say shamrocks are green, show them the blue paint.
Paint the shamrocks generously with the yellow paint, without leaving lumps of baking soda.
Dip a brush in the blue paint and gently press it onto the yellow shamrocks.
Watch the shamrocks turn from yellow to green and listen for the fizzing sound.
Talk about the changes you see and hear. With older kids, talk about physical and chemical changes.
Let the shamrocks dry, then gently brush off the extra baking soda with a pastry brush.
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.from the author
- Keep your blue paint paler than the one in our photo.from the author
- Watercolor paper is better than cardstock for this one.from the author
- The baking soda forms a white layer over the art as it dries. Use a pastry brush to gently brush off the excess.from the author
- As it dries you may see the blue and the yellow in various spots. It's simply an exploring, open-ended art project.from the author
Make it your own
- Display the dried shamrocks on a sunny window as window art.
Questions readers asked
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.
What readers say
No comments yet. Be the first to tell us how it went.
