How To Inflate A Balloon Without Using Your Mouth: Summer of Science Series

The Summer of Science Series is all about the fun science experiments I’ve been doing with the kids this summer.

As the summer continues, so have our experiments! Although this started out as something to entertain (and educate) my 9-year-old daughter, I’m starting to think her 3-year-old brother is having the most fun of all! I will catch him acting out elaborate, pretend science experiments on his own now. It’s pretty cool to watch.

For this experiment, we blew up a balloon using gas. We really just wanted an excuse to play with a little vinegar and baking soda. Fun things always come from that combination.

Materials needed:

• Balloon
• Empty Plastic Bottle (with ring cut off)
• Vinegar
• Baking Soda
• 2 Funnels (1 big and 1 small)

Fill the plastic bottle about a quarter full with vinegar using the bigger funnel.

Then attach the small funnel to your balloon and fill that about half full with baking soda.

Wrap the balloon end snuggly around the neck of the bottle, being sure not to empty the baking soda contents into the bottle just yet.

When you’re ready to inflate the balloon, lift it up and let the baking soda fall into the vinegar filled bottle. When the vinegar and baking soda mix, it causes a chemical reaction that gives off a gas (carbon dioxide). This gas causes the balloon to blow up and a nice bubbling, fizzy reaction that the kids really enjoyed! Balloons and science…you can’t go wrong!

Check out our experiment in the video below!