Come on and Dance with some Worms this Family Fun Friday!

Comeon, Mahoning Valley: Let's Make some gummy worms dance!

Image Credit: Playdough Plato

What You'll Need:

1. Gummy worms

2. Baking soda

3. Vinegar

4. Cutting board

5. Sharp knife (make sure there is parental supervision)

6. Two Clear Cups

What You'll Do:

1. Cut the gummy worms in quarters (adding baking soda to the worms before hand helps to cut them).

2. Measure out three TBPS of baking soda and stir into a glass filled with one cup of warm water.

3. Wait 15 minutes for the worms to soak in the baking soda.

4. Filled a second clear glass with vinegar.

5. Fish worms out of the first glass with a fork.  

6. And add the worms to the second glass of vinegar.

7. Watch what happens next!

The Science Behind the Dancing:

• When you add the baking soda, soaked worms, the acetic acid in the vinegar reacts with the bicarbonate in the baking soda.  

• When an acid and base react carbon dioxide gas bubbles form.  

• These gas bubbles form on the gummy worm and as the gas bubbles rise to the surface, they pull the gummy worm up with them, making them wriggle and dance.  

• As the gas bubbles burst, the worm falls back down until enough bubbles form to pull it back up. The bubbles will continue to form until all the baking soda on the worm is used up and the worm will stop wiggling.

Have fun and have a great weekend, Mahoning Valley!

Today's Activity Brought to You By Playdough to Plato

~ ~ ~

Don't forget to share your experience with the MVFC on Facebook @MahoningValleyFC or via email at info@mvfamilycenter.org.

Have an idea for team building or family fun? Send us your thoughts via email at info@mvfamilycenter.org; we'll share it on our blog, and give you a shoutout.