If you’re looking for a fun and magical science experiment to do with kids, this Pot of Gold Experiment is perfect! It’s a hands-on activity that combines simple chemistry with a bit of St. Patrick’s Day magic.
Using baking soda, vinegar, and a few extra touches, kids will create a bubbling, fizzing eruption that looks just like a leprechaun’s hidden gold.
Plus, it’s a great way to introduce them to scientific concepts like chemical reactions and forming hypotheses
Supplies You’ll Need
This experiment requires just a few common household ingredients:
- Baking Soda – The key ingredient for the fizzing reaction.
- Vinegar – The magic liquid that makes the eruption happen!
- Yellow Food Coloring – To make the “gold” appear.
- Glitter – Because every leprechaun’s treasure should sparkle!
- Black Bowl or Pot – A small container to represent the pot of gold.
- Plate or Tray – To catch the bubbly overflow.
How to Set Up the Experiment
Setting up this experiment is super simple and only takes a few minutes. Follow along with the step by step instructions below…
Place your black bowl or pot in the center of a tray or plate. This will help contain the mess.
Fill the pot about halfway with baking soda.
Add in a few drops of yellow food coloring and a sprinkle of glitter.
Fill the rest of the pot with more baking soda, covering the color and glitter.
Add a few more drops of food coloring on top.
Pour vinegar into a cup or bowl for easy pouring.
Before starting, ask your child what they think will happen when the vinegar is added. Will the pot bubble over? What color will the eruption be? Will the glitter stay hidden or appear in the bubbles?
Time for the Magic!
Once your little scientist has made their predictions, it’s time to pour in the leprechaun’s magic water – vinegar!
Slowly pour the vinegar into the center of the pot and watch as the mixture fizzes, bubbles, and erupts like a leprechaun’s hidden treasure bursting to life. The yellow food coloring makes the eruption look like liquid gold, and the glitter sparkles as it flows over the edges.
This is a great opportunity to discuss the science behind the reaction. Baking soda (a base) reacts with vinegar (an acid) to create carbon dioxide gas, which forms all the fizzing bubbles.
Scientific Observations & Questions
To make this experiment even more educational, have kids record their observations. Ask them:
- Did the experiment turn out the way you expected?
- What color was the eruption? Was it the same as they predicted?
- Did the glitter become visible in the bubbles?
- What do they think would happen if they used more or less baking soda?
- Would the reaction be different if they used a different color?
Encouraging kids to make predictions and analyze the results helps build critical thinking skills while making learning fun.
Through this experiment, kids learn that mixing baking soda and vinegar creates a gas called carbon dioxide, which causes all the fizzing and bubbling. The reaction produces so many bubbles that the “gold” (yellow food coloring and glitter) overflows from the pot like a leprechaun’s treasure!
It’s an exciting way to explore science while celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. And if your child loved this activity, try experimenting with different colors, more glitter, or even adding dish soap for an even foamier reaction!
Free Printable Pot of Gold Science Experiment Pack
If you’re excited to try the Pot of Gold Science Experiment with your little scientists, we’ve got a free printable pack to make it even more fun! This pack includes everything you need to guide kids through the experiment, from setting up the materials to making predictions and recording observations. It’s a great way to combine hands-on learning with science journaling while making the activity feel like a real scientific investigation.
What’s Inside the Printable Pack?
You can download the PDF and print as many copies as you need for your classroom, homeschool, or science-themed fun at home. Here’s what’s included:
1. Experiment Setup & Instructions Page
This page walks kids through the step-by-step process of setting up their magical pot of gold experiment. It includes a checklist of all the supplies needed and easy-to-follow instructions to ensure the activity runs smoothly.
2. Hypothesis Worksheet (Multiple Choice Version)
Before starting the experiment, kids can make predictions about what will happen when they pour vinegar into the pot. They’ll check off their guesses:
- Will there be an eruption?
- What color will the eruption be?
- Will the glitter become visible?
Encouraging kids to form a hypothesis helps develop critical thinking skills and gets them excited to see the results!
3. Hypothesis Worksheet (Open-Ended Version)
For older kids or those who enjoy writing, this version allows them to write their predictions in complete sentences. They’ll answer questions like:
- What do you think will happen when you add the vinegar?
- What color do you think the eruption will be, and why?
- Do you think the glitter will be visible?
This version encourages deeper thinking and reasoning skills as they analyze the experiment before it happens.
4. Conclusion Worksheet (Multiple Choice Version)
After completing the experiment, kids will record what actually happened by checking off answers about the eruption, color, and glitter visibility. This simple reflection helps reinforce the science behind the reaction.
5. Conclusion Worksheet (Open-Ended Version)
For those who love writing, this page prompts kids to explain their observations in more detail. They’ll reflect on:
- What happened when vinegar was added?
- Did the eruption color match their hypothesis?
- Was the glitter visible, and why?
This page is a fantastic way to connect the experiment to real scientific learning and help kids think through their results.
Download Your Free Pot of Gold Science Experiment Printable!
This free printable PDF makes it easy to turn this baking soda and vinegar experiment into a fun and educational science project. Whether you’re doing it at home or in the classroom, kids will love making their own scientific predictions and discoveries while watching their pot of gold bubble and fizz.
Click below to download your free Pot of Gold Science Experiment Printable Pack and get started!
Terms of use: This PDF file is free for personal use and classroom use
More Fun St. Patrick’s Day Activities for Kids
Looking for more ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with hands-on fun? Check out these creative ideas:
Give this Pot of Gold experiment a try, and don’t forget to share your experience! Tag us if you do this fun activity with your little ones, and we always appreciate if you share this blog post or pin to Pinterest. Happy experimenting
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
