Ingredients
- Baking soda: 1 cup
- Water: small amounts
- Plastic gems or trinkets: multiple items, appropriate for children's age
- Vinegar: enough for pouring over the rocks
- Bowl for mixing: 1
Instructions
- Make a baking soda paste. Put baking soda in a bowl. Add a little water and mix. Continue adding water in small amounts until the mixture resembles a paste that can be shaped.
- Hide a treasure. Place a plastic gem or trinket into the mixture. Cover it completely so the surprise is well hidden. If you’re making several rocks, add one trinket to each.
- Shape the rocks. Form the mixture into rock-like shapes or compact forms around the hidden treasures. Press gently enough to help each shape hold together, but make sure the trinket remains covered.
- Let them dry completely. Set the shaped rocks aside until they are fully dry and firm. Don’t hide them while they’re still damp; wet shapes are more likely to crumble or lose their form during the hunt.
- Set up the treasure hunt. Once the rocks are dry, hide them in a suitable play area. Choose a spot where children can find them easily and where the fizzing activity can be supervised and cleaned up afterward.
- Reveal the surprises. Give children vinegar and let them pour it over the rocks. Watch as the baking soda reacts and dissolves, exposing the gems or trinkets inside.
- Collect the treasures. Help children gather the revealed items and place them in a container. Wipe up any leftover mixture and vinegar when the activity is finished.
Notes
Supervise young children while they pour vinegar and handle the treasures. Store unused supplies according to safety practices.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
