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Four translucent, colorful square tiles held in a hand, each featuring a delicately etched tree design in shades of green, blue, purple, and orange.

Magic Rainbow Ice DIY Science Kit for Kids

A colorful and magical science experiment that creates beautiful dendrite patterns inside ice—perfect for curious young minds!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 day
Servings: 12 ice cubes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 standard ice cube tray 12–14 compartments
  • 2 cups baking soda
  • 1 cup water plus extra if needed
  • a few drops food coloring optional, for rainbow effects
  • as needed warm vinegar for bonus chemical reaction

Method
 

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of water with 2 cups of baking soda.
  2. Stir well until the baking soda is mostly dissolved. Some sediment is okay.
  3. Add a few drops of different food coloring into each compartment of the ice tray, if desired.
  4. Stir gently with a toothpick or skewer to blend each color.
  5. Carefully pour the baking soda solution into the ice cube tray compartments, filling each one close to the top.
  6. Place the tray into your freezer and let it freeze overnight.
  7. Once frozen solid, pop out the ice cubes and examine the dendrite-like crystal structures that formed.
  8. For extra fun, place a few cubes in warm vinegar and watch them fizz and bubble!

Notes

This activity explores crystallization, solubility, and chemical reactions in a fun, visual way. For best results, freeze overnight and use fresh vinegar when doing the fizzing experiment.