Baking Soda Painted Leaves

Baking soda painted leaves are a super way to combine art and science. Explore the baking soda and vinegar reaction and color mixing in this fun activity for kids.

Baking soda and vinegar painted leaves are a fun way to combine science and art!

Baking Soda Painted Leaves

The first step is to head outside to collect some leaves. Trace them onto white paper and cut them out.

Supplies You’ll Need:

  • white paper cut out into leaf shapes
  • washable paint (yellow, red, and blue)
  • baking soda
  • vinegar
  • spoons
  • water
  • containers
  • paint brushes

Start by covering your work area as painting can be messy. Next, you’ll want to mix your paint with baking soda or vinegar. We mixed yellow tempera paint with baking soda and a little water until it was the consistency we liked. We mixed red washable liquid watercolors with vinegar. We mixed blue washable liquid watercolors with vinegar as well. Some paints don’t mix very well with vinegar (and they might react and fizz) but the activity still works just fine.

You’ll want a container for mixing your paint colors that is larger than your leaves. We used a medium sized glass baking dish. Aiden started by painting the container yellow. Then he added in the red. When the paints combine, the baking soda and vinegar will react and you’ll see bubbles. [The baking soda and vinegar react to form carbon dioxide (the bubbles), water, and a salt.]

baking soda painted pumpkins

It’s super fun to mix the fizzy paint together exploring the different shades of yellow, orange, and red. Once you have a shade you like, dip a paper leaf into the paint. Pull it out and allow it to dry.

Aiden wanted purple leaves as well, so he added in some blue paint until he got the color he wanted. He declared the purple leaves his favorite.

Baking soda and vinegar painted leaves are a fun way to combine science and art!

Here is a sample of our finished leaves.

Baking soda and vinegar painted leaves are a fun way to combine science and art!

I love that this activity combines leaf collecting, fine motor skills with tracing and cutting out leaves, art, and science.

What will you do with your painted leaves? Make a tree with the painted leaves or hang them from a branch with messages of why you are thankful.

More Painting with Baking Soda and Vinegar

Baking Soda Painted Pumpkins
Baking Soda Painted Christmas Tree

Painting with Baking Soda and Vinegar (open-ended)
Bubble Painting for Valentine’s Day

For more STEAM Activities, check out STEAM Kids (I’m an affiliate).

Get 52 awesome STEAM activities

Have you ever tried painting with baking soda and vinegar? Share a picture with us on the Inspiration Laboratories Facebook page.

Trisha

This post was originally published November 14, 2015.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *