Easy Color Mixing with Fizzy Tablets

Remember when I shared our Washing Station (or our Water Play or our Water Transfer Challenge), and you maybe thought I was a little crazy for posting something so simple? Well, here's another SUPER simple activity, but it's another that's a total staple around here. And no matter how many times she's done it, S always feels it's THIS exciting:

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

We started doing this activity when S was around 18 months (you know your child best - X for instance, is very delayed with motor skills and probably won't be ready for something like this until he's closer to two). If you have a young one, you'll want to do this outside, or in a bathtub. As S got older, using the methods I outline in Managing Messy Play, we were able to do this inside during the loooong winters!

Another lovely thing about this activity is how quickly you can set it up. First, you'll want to set your child up with numerous containers of water. For fun, I like to provide S with various sized containers. I fill them about halfway with water. Then S selects three Fizzy Tablets , one red, one yellow, and one blue. We add them to three different containers (her choice) and watch the fizzing bubbling fun.

Then we lay out three extra containers to represent orange, green, and purple (I like to do color order with S for the sake of consistency and repetition). I ask her what color she thinks we'll get when we mix red and yellow, etc, etc. She hypothesizes and then I mix the two colors myself while she watches and ooohs and aaahs.

Then it's all up to her. She can mix whichever she wants in whatever order she wants. I just sit back and observe with her.

Here she's made a pretty shade of green by adding a tiny bit of yellow water.

This is a great activity for practicing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and more! It's a simple, but powerful activity.

The colors are so vibrant - it's one of the reasons we love using these Fizzy Tablets. We've also gotten the colored water on our clothes, on towels, etc, etc, and we have never had them stain a thing!

Here she is stirring a very deep dark purple she's created.

And yes, ultimately she is left with a black-brown colored water, but she keeps pouring and redistributing it and happily playing for quite some time. When she was very young, she'd often spill so much water she'd run out quickly - so I had the hose nearby to continually add more water for her. She has gotten sooooo much practice scooping and pouring through this activity that she nearly never spills when helping me cook. This one activity has really refined her pouring skills so much!!!

And before I go, one last word on the Fizzy Tablets (PS - this is not sponsored, I just seriously love these things!!!) - we limit S to three tablets per play, so within a container of tablets, there are enough for 50 plays. Based off the Amazon price, that means each time you do our Easy Color Mixing activity, it will set you back a whole 16 cents. Yep. That's it. Oh, and you can use them to color bath water as well (which is pretty darn fun); we find that one tablet is strong enough to color an entire tub full of water.

PS - If you are in the UK, here is the link to the Amazon UK product listing: Fizzy Tablets (UK link)

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All activities here are activities I feel are safe for my own children. As your child's parents/guardians, you will need to decide what you feel is safe for your family. I always encourage contacting your child's pediatrician for guidance if you are not sure about the safety/age appropriateness of an activity. All activities on this blog are intended to be performed with adult supervision. Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when activities call for the use of materials that could potentially be harmful, such as scissors, or items that could present a choking risk (small items), or a drowning risk (water activities), and with introducing a new food/ingredient to a child (allergies). Observe caution and safety at all times. The author and blog disclaim liability for any damage, mishap, or injury that may occur from engaging in any of these activities on this blog.

Comments

UnknownAugust 9, 2013 at 8:00 AM
This activity looks like it's so much fun! I will have to pick up those fizzy tablets sometime. We usually add food colouring to an ice cube tray and fill it with water and when they are frozen we let the kids play with them in a few containers of water. They can mix the colours from there, but they are not nearly that vibrant!
APERFECTNANNYAugust 9, 2013 at 8:56 AM
You are costing me a fortune on Amazon! I managed to find the liquid watercolours on there and got them yesterday all ready for our shaving foam and cornflour play, and have just ordered fizzy tablets also!
Mary CatherineAugust 9, 2013 at 9:47 AM
SO MUCH FUN! I know many kiddos near me who have a blast with this. I love how something that seems so simple lets children explore so many important (and fun) concepts!!
Homeschooling MomtographerAugust 9, 2013 at 2:58 PM
Oh, I just *love* your blog. Honestly, it's the super simple ideas like this that I will actually try. I'm a homeschooling Mama of four kids... my oldest is 7... so simple is all I have time for!! Thank you for your wonderful ideas. :)

Easy Color Mixing with Fizzy Tablets

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