Dancing Candy Heart Experiment

Did you know that baking soda and vinegar can make candy hearts DANCE? It’s true! This dancing candy heart experiment is as easy to set up as it is dazzling to watch.

A tall, clear jar has candy hearts moving around in it, floating and sinking. The other supplies are spread around the jar including a bag of baking soda, a spatula, a small jar of candy hearts, and a jar of vinegar.

We love a good dancing candy heart experiment

You have probably seen this done online before with corn (fun fact: we did this before with corn, and Arm & Hammer reached out to us to ask if they could use our video!), and candy hearts are pure joy.

I remember the first time I did this project and I was absolutely stunned.

I have done a bazillion baking soda and vinegar experiments in my life, but this was a COMPLETELY different way to use them. It’s amazing.

Related: Don’t miss our spectacular collection of the 25+ best preschool Valentine’s Day activities.

A view down inside of a small hexagonal jar of candy hearts. An orange bag of baking soda sits in the background.

What is a dancing candy heart experiment?

In short, you add materials into a clear jar or vase together and they make the candy hearts move all around your jar.

We love that you can do this over and over again, and because it doesn’t use that much baking soda or vinegar, you can restart it several times in a row.

Looking for more fun baking soda and vinegar activities?

The supplies for the dancing candy heart experiment: a tall, clear jar filled about 3/4 full with water, a bag of baking soda, a spatula, a small jar of candy hearts, and a jar of vinegar.

Materials

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Baking soda
Vinegar
Candy hearts
Clear jar or vase
Water
Spatula or long spoon

Baking soda is poured into the clear jar of water.

Directions

Begin by filling your jar about ¾ full with water and add in a couple of tablespoons of baking soda. Note: I have found that room temperature or slightly warm water works better than cold for dissolving the baking soda. Stir with your spatula or long spoon until the baking soda is completely dissolved, occasionally stirring if needed (it takes about one minute).

Next, add in a handful of candy hearts. Before adding them in, invite your child to predict whether they think they’ll float or sink.

Candy hearts are poured into the tall, clear jar of water.

Last, add in the vinegar a tablespoon or two at a time. Do not add the vinegar too quickly (like I have done, ha!) or it will bubble up, over the sides of the container and onto your table. You know what, do this over a sink or tray just in case. 😂

As the vinegar mixes into the baking soda water, you’ll see bubbles and soon the candies will start to dance! The candies will float to the top of the water, sink back down to the bottom, and repeat over and over again. Sometimes, we stir with a spatula or spoon to mix and make them move even faster.

Questions to ask your child during this experiment

What do you think will happen when we add the baking soda to the water?
Why does the water become clear again after adding the baking soda?
What do you think will happen to the candies?
Why do the candies move up and down in the jar?
How can you make the candies move faster?
What would happen if you added even more baking soda?
What else could you add to the jar beside the candies?

The clear jar is bubbling in about half of the jar, close to the top.

Will a candy heart dissolve in water?

Put it to the test! Invite your child to make predictions about how long they think it will take the candy heart to dissolve (if even possible) completely.

Note: the candy hearts don’t dissolve quickly, so kids can observe the candy hearts dancing for quite some time. When we did this with corn, one time they danced for an hour.

A view down inside of the jar while the dancing candy heart experiment is going. Candy hearts are floated to the top and surrounded by bubbles.

Can you hear the sizzling sound?

YES! This is my favorite part. No matter how often I do baking soda and vinegar experiments, the actual sizzling sound is the best part of it all to me.

Ask your child to compare the volume of the sizzling sound during the experiment. During some parts, the sizzling is loud and easy to hear. At other times, it’s quiet and you have to listen closely.

The baking soda has been added to the jar and is dissolving.

Your turn to try this candy heart dancing experiment!

And we can’t wait to hear what you think about it. It’s simple, quick, low-mess, and abundantly fun.

If you have any candy hearts left over, check out our other candy heart activities like candy heart oobleck and candy heart science trays!

About 20 candy hearts sit in the bottom of the clear jar with water.

FAQ

How can I make this experiment last even longer?

Let your child conduct this experiment in a smaller jar. If doing this with a whole class, it would even be fun to let every child do this in their own jars.

What age is this recommended for?

Any age that can safely use the materials.

Can I do this without candy hearts?

Absolutely! Corn kernels, dried beans, and small beads are fun to do this with, too.