I've decided Baking Soda and I get along really well...
If I need a good, solid boredom buster for the boys, I can count on baking soda.
Well, baking soda and vinegar, really :)
I recently tried making some fun "hidden treasure rocks" for the boys after reading
This project did not dissapoint- it even produced beautiful, excited faces like this:
Makes the effort and cleanup worthwhile for sure, eh? :)
You can find good instructions for how to do this at Growing a Jeweled Rose,
but I thought I'd share what we did as well :) To make these treasure rocks, just mix
Baking Soda
Cocoa
Water
First incorporate the two powders... One reason I chose this baking soda activity at all was because
I was running low on baking soda. The cocoa allowed what I had to go further.
Then slowly add water... as in, really slowly, like a Tablespoon at a time or so.
It's easy to get too much!
Get all the ingredients mixed up until you can form a good ball- not too dry or too slimy :)
Here's where the "hidden treasure" part comes in!
The boys went to hide in their bedroom for just a sec while I tucked a quarter inside the balls they had made and then re-formed them. :) Any sort of treasure would do, a quarter is just what came to mind quickly for me!
When they came back, the excavation began! I poured vinegar into measuring cups for them and gave them each a medicine syringe to suck it up with. When you're at the pharmacy next, just ask the tech if you could have a couple of kid's medicine droppers so you'll have them for projects!
As soon as they squirt the vinegar onto the balls, it starts foaming away! It does take a bit to get the treasured uncovered, so it's not like a two second project- I appreciate that part for sure :)
After not too long, they can see the quarter and reach in to get it!
My boys weren't even content to let this be over at this point, so I gave them some aluminum trays (these can be found in lots of shapes and sizes at Dollar Tree!) and shook baking soda into the bottom of them. Ok, really I poured baking powder in mine just cause I was out of baking soda from the rocks! But, you'll want to use baking soda if you try this next part- certainly cheaper and more effective! Baking powder will work if you're in a pinch too, just it's not quite as good :)
Then I poured several more cups of vinegar and added food color to them-
makes for a rainbow effect in their trays!
At this point I finally got it that a dropper with a squeezy top would be easier for Ry!
I'd been refilling his for him and he was struggling with the syringe style one all around-
this version is lots better for little ones! Cooper actually wanted to trade him a couple of times,
so I'd say the squeezy style is just preferable in general really :)
They carried on with his for literally an hour or more!
That's a HUGE amount of time for any given anything around here!
I did keep having to refill/ remake vinegar colors for them when they ran out.
I also kept shaking in more baking soda as their tray got watery.
They called it "Mom's Army" when I would pour a big pile of powder for them,
then they'd go on attack! Boys world :)
Fun, fun activity that is sure to be a winner for you too!
I have not doubt that Taron and Keaton would've gotten in to this with the little boys-
fun for even your older kids if you need!
When you get your vinegar out to dye Easter eggs here before very long,
grab some baking soda too ;)
For a few other fun, simple boredom buster ideas, check out:
Ka-Pow Hit Strings and Matchbox Car Tube Racing
Color Spray Shirt Tag
Easy Clean, Homemade Window Finger Paint
Shiny Melty Crayon Art
:)
