An Easy Science Experiment That Might Seem Like Magic

Do you believe in magic?  We've recently seen magicians at a few birthday parties and my son is completely fascinated.  Lucky for me, he's only 5 years old, so he's fairly easy to trickimpress.  Here is a simple science experiment/magic trick you can do at home with your kids.

You'll need: An empty plastic water bottle, a balloon, baking soda, and vinegar.

First, take an empty deflated balloon and fill it with 1 full tablespoon of baking soda.

Then, take the empty water bottle and fill it with about 5 tablespoons of vinegar.  Any type of vinegar will work (including red wine vinegar).  Take the balloon and extend the opening of it so that it fits snugly on top of the plastic bottle.

Make sure it's on theretight so that no air can escape.  Then, gently shake the baking soda out of the balloon into the vinegar.

As the baking soda falls into the vinegar, the mixture will bubble up and create enough carbon dioxide to fill up the balloon with some air.  It's pretty fun to watch.  And, even though this is technically more of a science experiment, your kids might think it's magic!