What is the best type of candy to use for a dancing heart experiment?

For this experiment, you'll want to use candy that sinks in water, and that doesn't leach color into the water too quickly, as this will obscure your view of the reaction that is occurring. As long as you choose candy that fits those two criteria, the experiment should work for you. Feel free to repeat it with multiple different types of candy to see which works best, and whether the size and weight of the candy have an impact on the reaction!

What is the science behind the dancing heart experiment?

Combining baking soda and vinegar creates an acid-base chemical reaction that causes bubbles of carbon dioxide gas to form. These bubbles stick to the heart candies, causing them to float to the top. As the bubbles pop, the hearts begin to sink, but more bubbles attach to them on the way down, causing them to float back up. This process continues until there is no longer enough carbon dioxide to lift up the bubbles. You can initially cause the reaction to reoccur by adding more vinegar, but once the baking soda and vinegar have fully reacted with each other, carbon dioxide will stop forming and the hearts will sink to the bottom of the jar.

Valentine's Day Crafts and Activities

Celebrating Valentine’s Day at home with your kids? Give these fun Valentine’s Day Crafts and Activities a try! Browse our archives to find the perfect project to do with your child.

Not sure where to start? This Floating Hearts Experiment is sure to impress your kids. Or, you can use empty toilet paper rolls to make Paper Roll Heart Stamps. If your child wants to give out homemade cards to their classmates, print out these Foldable Valentine’s Day Cards and let them color in the designs.

Dancing Heart Experiment

Heart candies floating up in a jar of water.

Looking for a fun way to use conversation hearts? This dancing heart experiment is super easy to set up, and only requires a few simple supplies. Your child will love …

Painted blue heart craft with the words "be mine" appearing in white under the paint.

Your child will love these crayon resist conversation hearts with hidden messages that appear when you paint over them! This fun Valentine’s Day craft only requires a few simple supplies, …

Skittles, arranged in the shape of a heart on a small plate, with the colors leaching out.

If your child enjoys science, they’ll love this Valentine’s Day Skittles experiment! This fun activity only requires two simple supplies, and it’s easy enough for younger kids to do all …

Looking for an easy Valentine’s Day learning activity to print out for your kids? These free heart pattern worksheets are a great way to help children practice a variety of …

If your child enjoys playing with moon sand, they’ll love this fun twist on the classic! This chocolate moon sand is super simple to make, taste-safe and only requires a …

Mockup of Valentine's Day tracing sheets.

These free Valentine’s Day tracing worksheets are the perfect way to help your little ones practice their fine motor skills, and they would make a great low-prep activity for your …

Colorful overlapping heart craft on black paper.

Love colorful crafts? These glue and chalk pastel hearts are gorgeous, fun to make, and they only require a few simple supplies. Your kids will love this easy Valentine’s Day …

Looking for a simple, low-prep activity to print out for Valentine’s Day? This free Valentine’s Day I Spy printable is perfect for kids of all ages, and includes an answer …

Mockup of 3 Valentine's Day cards to colour.

Looking for some cute Valentine’s Day cards to print and color? These free Valentine’s Day coloring cards are perfect for kids of all ages, and each of the 3 different …

Hot air balloon craft made with DIY toilet paper roll heart stamps.

Wondering what to do with all the empty toilet paper rolls you have lying around the house? Use them to make DIY toilet paper roll heart stamps for Valentine’s Day! …

Dancing Heart Experiment

Crayon Resist Conversation Hearts

Valentine’s Day Skittles Experiment

Free Heart Pattern Worksheets

Chocolate Moon Sand (Taste-Safe!)

Free Valentine’s Day Tracing Worksheets

Glue & Chalk Pastel Hearts

Free Valentine’s Day I Spy (+ Answer Key!)

Foldable Valentine’s Day Coloring Cards (Totally Free!)

Easy DIY Toilet Paper Roll Heart Stamps for Kids