Soda Explosion

Good afternoon scientists! Today seemed like the perfect day to make a huge mess outside. Your little one will love the Soda Explosion Investigation, mine sure did! 🙂

MaterialsSoda Explosion (3)

Diet Soda (Any variety, diet works best because the mess doesn’t attract as many pests)

Mentos (Mint flavored)

Recycled materials (We used a paper towel roll)



Large Washer



  1. Find a piece of recycled material that will fit over the top of a soda bottle, we used an old paper towel roll. Mark where the top of the bottle ends using your hand or scissors. Use the scissors to cut out a small section of the roll big enough for a washer to fit through (do not cut all the way through).Soda Explosion (5)
  2. Tie a piece of string around a large washer. Make sure the wash will easily pull out of your tube, this will be the delay mechanism for the investigation.

    Take the investigation outside, as it will make a HUGE MESS. Open the soda bottle and attach your delay mechanism to the top of the open bottle.

    Add Mentos to the delay mechanism. Walk away and pull the washer out of your delay mechanism. Enjoy watching the “SHOW”.

    Talking Points

Why are soda and Mentos the perfect messy friends? The secret is the Mentos candies and all of the pits (small holes) along the outside of the candy along with the carbonation of the soda (lots of trapped air inside, this is what causes the fizz when you open or pour out soda). When we dropped the Mentos into the soda the carbon dioxide (gas in carbonation) bonds with or sticks to the pits in the Mentos. The trapped molecules want to escape and they blast out of the opening in the top of the soda bottle. This is an example of a chemical reaction. A chemical reaction is when a reaction takes place that changes the materials involved. You can’t put the soda back the way that it was before adding in your Mentos.


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