Okay so full disclosure, I didn’t personally try making this craft, but someone else made it for me, and I thought it was an amazing concept! It took me a little while to track down a tutorial, and I thought I’d save the idea here for the future.

• Baking soda
• Water
• Measuring cup
• Food colouring and glitter (optional)
• Treasure (e.g., coins, pretend jewels)
• Plastic bowl / ice cube tray
• Vinegar
• Squeeze bottle
• Small spoon / shovel

Instructions by Hannah at The Making Life

I got to try this out a few months ago when my babysitting families planned a birthday party for one of the kids. They had an entire escape room sequence planned throughout the house, and it was pirate themed! Since all pirates have to dig for treasure, this was how the night ended.

The treasure is embedded in a solid “ice cube”, but as soon as you start to squeeze the vinegar, the baking soda and vinegar starts to bubble and the “ice cube” dissolves, which you can see happening in my picture and video. I thought this was such a clever twist on the traditional baking soda and vinegar volcano! On top of that, the glitter and swirls of colour are just fun to watch as you ‘dig’.

As a side note, I just want to say that the parents of my babysitting families are so creative! The puzzles in the escape room definitely challenged the kids, but I also found myself thinking hard in the background. I couldn’t believe that the parents had thought out over ten puzzles and customized the whole sequence for the house! While these families clearly excel at celebrations, I actually find the way these families live their day-to-day life even more inspirational. They continue to manage the challenges of COVID-19 with so much grace, and they live out their faith every day. I also love how they treat me as an adult, but also look out for me, like an older sibling might. It makes me feel so lucky to know them!

What were some of your favourite childhood memories? Did your parents do anything like this?

Until next time, happy crafting!