Exploring with Messes!

Buddy enjoys powdery substances. Don't ask me why because I have no idea. I guess the idea of covering himself, the floor and everything else he can get his hands on in messes is fun. He loves adding the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda into whatever I'm baking. So what better way to spend an evening than discovering what happens with baking soda and some vinegar?

Buddy couldn't wait to get started. Before I could lay out the newspaper and get the vinegar, he was already sticking his hand into the baking soda and spreading it on the floor.

The newspaper is out, the vinegar is in the first jar and the baking soda is already all over everything. With a little prodding, the baking soda made it into the vinegar.

We added some green food dye to the vinegar. Buddy loved the green bubbles!

  

 Adding more baking soda was Buddy's favorite part.

Almost finished. The vinegar and baking soda was done reacting so Buddy was back to exploring with the baking soda that made its way onto the newspaper.

Looking at those powdered legs!

Crumpling up the newspaper after we put away the baking soda and vinegar. Messes can be cleaned. Letting Buddy explore and see how chemical reactions happen, even if all he understands is that putting those substances together makes them bubble, is the beginning of a hopefully question-filled life. Without exploration, how can we move forward with science? Changing the world starts with messes and play.

And then maybe a little baking.