Easy Sensory Activity for Kids: Treasure Rocks

Looking for simple and exciting ways to keep your kids entertained this summer? This colorful, hands-on experiment is one of the most creative sensory activity for kids you can do at home. With a few pantry staples, your child can mix, mold, and uncover hidden treasures—all while learning science through play.

Let’s dig into some fizzy fun!

Why Sensory Play Is Important

Sensory play helps children build essential skills through exploration and experimentation. Activities that engage the senses—especially touch and sight—promote brain development, improve focus, and support language growth. Whether they’re squeezing, scooping, or observing a reaction, kids are forming connections that strengthen their ability to learn and problem-solve.

That’s why adding sensory play to your summer routine is both fun and developmentally smart.

Ingredients

Start with these simple supplies to create your own fizzing treasure rocks.

2–3 cups of baking soda
Water
Food coloring
Small toys or candies
Bowls
Spoons

Ready your baking soda and mix in the magic!
These ingredients create a colorful, moldable base perfect for hiding little surprises inside.

Directions

Follow these steps to make your very own hidden treasure fizzing rocks.

Measure 2–3 cups of baking soda into separate bowls—one bowl for each color you want to create.
Add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl and stir until the color is evenly mixed.
Slowly pour in water while stirring, just until the mixture holds its shape when squeezed in your hand.
Grab a handful, flatten it slightly, and place a small toy or candy in the center.
Mold the mixture around the treasure to form a rock.
Place your finished rocks on a tray and let them dry for 24 hours, until they’re completely hard.
Present them as hidden gems or create a backyard treasure hunt adventure!
When ready, drop them in a bowl of vinegar and enjoy the fizz as the treasures are revealed!
For even more fun, hand kids squirt bottles of vinegar so they can fizz their rocks themselves.

This hands-on process leads to an exciting surprise—and lots of giggles!

What Kids Learn from This Sensory Activity

While kids are captivated by the fizz, they’re also learning about chemical reactions! When baking soda (a base) and vinegar (an acid) combine, they create carbon dioxide bubbles—aka fizz! It’s a fun way to introduce scientific vocabulary like “reaction,” “acid,” and “base” without needing a science degree.

This activity brings science to life in a way that feels like play, not a lecture.

Make Summer Sparkle with Sensory Activities for Kids

Whether you're planning a playdate or just need a rainy-day boredom buster, sensory activities for kids like Treasure Rocks deliver smiles and science in one fun-filled package. With colorful fizz and hidden surprises, this activity turns curiosity into discovery—and playtime into learning.

So grab your baking soda, hide some treasures, and let the fizz-tastic fun begin!