Let me set the tone for this post: We were nearing the end of our summer break, which meant everyone was getting a tad bit antsy. I found myself scrolling through Pinterest multiple times per day, searching for more activities. Anything that could keep us busy for a few more minutes until bed time.

I grew up in a home where crafting was a favorite pastime. Well, it was for my mom, sister, and me at least. My dad and brother preferred to watch sports on TV, and I wasn’t allowed in the room due to my younger brothers superstitions. But, that’s a story for another day.

So, I love to get crafty, but chasing two toddlers around doesn’t leave much time for it. Also, I have boys and sadly they’re not as interested in using knitting needles and hot glue guns for their actual purposes. Luckily I follow some all-star Instagram Moms who share ideas; for all ages and attention spans. I had seen baking soda experiments on my Summer Activity List from Busy Toddler, and decided Max and I would give it a go.

Boy, was it a hit! And I don’t mean just for Max. The two of us were amazed with the three experiments we tried. We started with small cups of colorful foam; moved on to inflating a balloon atop a water bottle; and ended with a sand volcano.

They were simple, and we found everything we needed in our kitchen (plus a balloon from the ‘random items’ bin). We set up our ‘lab’ out back, and used our sandbox for the volcano. We had so much fun, we recreated the balloon and volcano experiments several times.

If you are having one of those days where there are most definitely more than 24 hours, or you’re in the mood for some backyard fun; I highly recommend experimenting with baking soda and vinegar!

Links to our three favorites are below:

Colorful Foam

Balloon Magic

Sand Volcano