Uses for Baking Soda: Children's Activities

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Baking soda can do some amazing things to your children's activities or projects. Mixing a liquid with a solid can form a gas. That may sound boring, but it can be a lot of fun to watch. The various chemical properties of baking soda make for some interesting rainy-day projects for kids and may just pique an interest in science. Build a volcano, make a picture frame, or create a piece of jewelry. In this article, you will see many tips with baking soda to demonstrate some basic principles of science or just to have some fun. Let's start with some simple projects.

Jumping seeds: Dissolve a 2/3 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 cup of water in a large glass. Add apple seeds from one apple and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, then stir the mixture. The bubbles will carry the seeds up and down.

Magic beans: Fill a vase with water, add food coloring and 1/4 cup of vinegar, then add 3 teaspoons of baking soda. Drop in the buttons, rice, or pasta, and watch them rise and fall like magic.

Making A Volcano
With Baking Soda
Shape a piece of cardboard into a cone. Insert a 4-ounce cup in the top of the cone to make the crater of the volcano.

Stand the cone on a baking sheet. Cover the cone with plaster of Paris. Don't get any of it in the cup.

Let the cone dry completely. Paint or decorate the cone to look like a volcano.

To erupt the volcano, mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and a little red food coloring.Put 1 teaspoon of baking soda into the crater cup. Then pour the vinegar mixture into the crater.

Play Clay Projects

Baking soda and some other ingredients can be turned into Play Clay, a special dough that can offer hours of fun and be used in a variety of projects. The Play Clay recipe is at the bottom of this page. Make it and let your child unleash their imagination.

Frameups: Capture a child's handprint in Play Clay by pressing into the damp clay. When it is dry, paint and add the child's name and date on the back, then attach a picture hanger.

Cut a square or rectangle from Play Clay, then cut a frame opening the size of a favorite photograph. Leave a 1/2-inch border. Use another piece of clay for a stand to attach to the back. Decorate the frame.

Create a name plaque for a child's room by cutting out the shapes of letters and attaching them to a rectangular piece of Play Clay as the background. Paint and finish it when it is dry.

Jewelry: Shape beads for a necklace by rolling Play Clay into oval or round shapes. Press a toothpick through to make holes for stringing.

String Play Clay beads on thread, shoelaces, yarn, kite string, or fishing line. Tie knots between the beads to hold them in place.

To make an earring or brooch, create small shapes with a flat backside, and glue them to earring or pin backings.

Play Clay Holiday Ideas: Make fancy napkin rings by rolling out a long, narrow rectangle of clay, then piecing the ends together into a ring. Use cookie cutters to make tree ornaments. While the ornament is still wet, make a hole near the top for hanging. Add an ornament hook or ribbon to hang the ornament.

Play Clay Finishing Touches: Paint dry pieces with watercolor, poster, or acrylic paints. Draw with felt-tip pen or waterproof marker. Apply glitter to wet paint. Smooth rough or cracked edges with an emery board. Protect finished Play Clay objects with clear acrylic spray or clear nail polish.

Play Clay With Baking Soda
Make this clay and let your children's imagination go wild. The clay hardens as it dries for a lasting keepsake. To get started, you will need the following ingredients:
  • 2 cups of baking soda
  • 1 cup of cornstarch
  • 1 1/4 cups of cold water
  • Food coloring (optional)
Mix the baking soda and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add water and stir to mix the ingredients, then cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 10 to 15 minutes. Add food coloring to the water to make the colored clay. Don't overcook the mixture. The clay should have the consistency of mashed potatoes. Remove the clay to a plate. Cover the clay with a damp cloth while it cools.

Make the clay ahead of time and store it for up to one week. Keep it refrigerated in a plastic container, but bring the clay to room temperature before using.

Three Ways to Dry Play Clay Art

Air: Set the clay on a wire rack overnight.

Oven: Preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn off the oven, and then place the finished objects on a cooking sheet. Leave them in until the oven is cold.

Microwave: Place objects on a paper towel, bake them at medium power for 30 seconds, turn over, and bake them for another 30 seconds. Repeat until the clay is dry.

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