Bath Bombs

Bath Bombs

Want to have a blast
in the bath?
These homemade bath
bombs are sure to be a hit!

Safety Warning: Adult supervision is required.







What You Will Need:

• 2 teaspoons Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
• 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Citric Acid
• 20 drops of Glycerine (available at grocery stores and drugstores)
• Food Coloring, if desired
• Fragrance Oil, if desired
• Beaker (or small plastic cup)
• Stir Stick (craft sticks work well)

What You Do:

• Mix sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch, and citric acid in a beaker.
• Add 20 drops of glycerine to the mixture.
• Add 3 or 4 drops of food coloring, if desired.
• Add 3 or 4 drops of fragrance, if desired.
• Use a stir stick and mix all the ingredients together until the texture becomes crumbly. You can test the consistency by squeezing a little bit between your fingers — it should stay in a soft lump. If it doesn't, add a little more starch and glycerine to the mixture.
• Carefully empty the mixture from the beaker into the palm of your hands. Gently pack the mixture into a ball.
• Once you have a nice shape, allow it to harden by leaving it in the sun or by leaving it uncovered overnight.
• When your Bath Bomb has hardened, take a bath and drop the bomb into the water. What happens? Have fun!

Variations:

• If you prefer, use liquid watercolor paint instead of food coloring.

The Science:

When sodium bicarbonate and citric acid are placed together, a chemical reaction occurs. The sodium is attracted to the acid to form a new compound, which is called Sodium Citrate. The part of sodium bicarbonate that gets left over forms a gas, Carbon Dioxide, which is given off. When all this happens in the water, we can see the gas escaping as bubbles, and when it is all gone we are left with Sodium Citrate Solution.