Foaming Dragon Science Experiment

We love science around here and this Foaming Dragon Science Experiment was fun to do over and over again.

Foaming Dragon Science Experiment

Science experiments are one of my boys’ favorite things to do together. This Foaming Dragon Science Experiment combines a fun Dragon craft with a science experiment that teaches about acid/base reactions. Since all of my boys are in school, except my youngest, I have been trying to find science experiments that even a small scientist can do. He loved this one!

How to Make a Foaming Dragon Science Experiment

Supplies needed:
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Green (or other color if you choose) Foam Craft Sheets or cardstock. We used craft foam because we didn’t think it would get ruined as easily when we did the experiment.
Tape
Googly Eyes
Plastic wide-mouth bottle
Vinegar
Dishwashing liquid
Liquid Food Dye
Baking Soda

First you need to make the dragon. Draw the dragon’s tail on one of the foam sheets and cut it out. Also draw and cut out two arms and two legs from foam sheet.

Tape tail and arms and legs onto the bottle.

Glue or tape on two googly eyes so it looks as though the dragon is looking up. Now you are ready for the experiment!

Fill the bottle half way full of vinegar and add a squirt of dishwashing liquid and a drop or two of food coloring. (You can use whatever color you want and change it up each time you do it.)

Gently mix the contents of the bottle and place in the middle of a large cookie sheet or other tray. (It will be messy so make sure it is contained in some way!)

Add a teaspoon or more of baking soda to the bottle (yeah, we used quite a bit more. We like big reactions. 🙂 ) and watch the dragon foam at the mouth.

So what’s happening? When you mix vinegar and baking soda it makes carbon dioxide. This forms bubbles in the vinegar and causes it to expand. The gas bubbles react with the dish soap to make a foam. The bubbles make the mixture expand and rise causing the dragon to foam at the mouth.

We have done some other fun experiments with baking soda and vinegar and my boys really loved including an Easy Baking Soda Volcano and “Grow a Monster” experiment.

We found this experiment in one of our favorite science books called 100 Science Experiments by Usborne.

This post is part of STEM Saturday: