Combine science and art for some fizzy fun

Fizzy painting is a clever combination of art and science – and you’ll have some brilliant paintings to hang on your wall.

You will need:

• Watercolour paper (this is essential, or it won’t work). It’s readily available at stores such as Kmart, Target, Spotlight or Red Dot so you don’t have to go to a specialist art shop

• Food colouring

• Sodium bicarbonate (aka bicarb soda/sodium bicarb - not baking powder)

• Vinegar

• Pipettes or droppers

• A large, clean paintbrush

• Baking tray to put the paper in, to contain any mess!

How to get started

1. Grab a few small containers, or even an ice cube tray - this is for your colours.

2. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to each container or each section of your ice cube tray. Then add a few drops of food colouring to each container/section (as many different colours as you like). Your kids might prefer a riot of colour or they can choose a couple of colours that complement each other. Mix the vinegar and food colouring together.

3. Place your watercolour paper onto a baking tray and sprinkle over the sodium bicarb - any way you like. It's great fun experimenting and seeing how your work of art turns out.

4. Use the pipettes or droppers to drop the coloured vinegar onto the sodium bicarb and watch it fizz where the drops land.

5. Let it dry.

6. Loosen the dried sodium bicarb by rubbing your finger over it and then use the clean paint brush to brush off the leftover powder once the paper has absorbed all the coloured vinegar.