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Preschool Inspirations

Preschool Activities and Learning

Easy Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano Eruption for Kids

May 28, 2014 by Katie T. Christiansen 5 Comments

Need a super simple baking soda and vinegar volcano recipe? This one takes about three minutes to prep (and the kids get to help). It uses six common ingredients,  and there is no mess to clean up afterward! If simple and no cleaning is music to your ears, you’re in the right place. We’ve made this five times in the past two weeks, so it’s definitely a loved activity here.

I have always loved making volcanoes with my kids, but they can be time-consuming and require lots of prep. Well, “lots” may be stretching it, but in my world, if it’s not simple, it doesn’t usually happen. The sad truth is that while I’ve thought about making a volcano tons of times, I’ve only made it happen a few. I wanted to change that by making it a super easy process. I hope you absolutely love it!

And if you love these types of science experiments, you can see even more baking soda and vinegar experiments that are simple and so fun! They are also an awesome addition to a preschool curriculum .

Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano

How do you make the easiest volcano recipe in the world?

Ingredients

• Plastic cup (We tried a water bottle, but the plastic cup worked much better)
• 3-4 Tbs of baking soda at least (we usually do 4-6 which makes it extra foamy and will do 2-3 eruptions)
• 1 tsp of dish soap
• 1 cup (8 oz) of Vinegar to start with per eruption…then they’ll be asking for more 🙂

Location: an area with pea gravel, sand, or dirt

While you mix the base ingredients, have the kiddos make a mound out of pea gravel (or you could certainly do this with dirt). Once you have a mound, put the cup on top of it, and turn it into a mountain.  How easy is that!

We give it a good stir just before adding the last ingredient. Now it’s time for the eruption! Pour in the vinegar until it starts foaming over, pouring it’s lava all over the rocks.

The pictures really don’t do this justice, but our pea gravel mountain was just under a foot tall (30 cm).

Here’s our bubbly red lava taking over the rocks. In the background here, I’ve been hearing “there she blows!”

It is also super fun to mix up the colors a little bit! We can pour the vinegar in about three times before we need to add more baking soda to our solution.

Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano Video

Want to see it in action? Here’s the video!

Since we can’t get enough of this, here are some more snapshots of our other volcano eruptions.

 What does it look like afterward? Here’s a picture of ours once we took away the plastic cup. You can hardly even tell we did anything, and the rocks must be nice and clean with the baking soda and vinegar. If the washable paint doesn’t come off the rocks right away, it will within a few days or the next rain.

If you want to see what this looks like with dirt, check out these fun volcano posts!

Easy Backyard Volcano by Mom with a Lesson Plan

Erupting Volcanoes in Preschool by Teach Preschool

Or if you have the time to make it a little fancier, here are some more great ideas:

Build, Paint, and Erupt Volcano by Fun at Home With Kids

Erupting Volcano Dinosaur Printable from Fun at Home With Kids

Comparing Homemade Volcano Recipes by Still Playing School

How to Build a Volcano by Kids Activities Blog

Ice Volcanoes by Reading Confetti

Messy Play Fun with Shaving Cream from Fun-A-Day!

Erupting an Easy Homemade Volcano by Mom to 2 Posh Lil’ Divas

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September 13, 2016 at 8:32 am

My son tried this Has lots of fun!

February 28, 2018 at 4:38 pm

I like the idea I have to try it thank you Katie from preschool inspirations I love it and it looks fun and cool because I have a science fair at Edison elementary and I think it would be cool thanks

April 29, 2018 at 5:51 pm

Can you do this without the paint too?

May 2, 2018 at 9:19 am

Hi Amanda, it works without paint. It just won’t be colored. Have fun!

[…] sort of guided activity during my break time. For example some fun science experiments. Making a baking soda and vinegar volcano is super easy and fun. It doesn’t take too long either so you can easily do this with your […]

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Volcano Experiment – Baking Soda Volcano

March 20, 2018 By Emma Vanstone 1 Comment

When you think of great science experiments for kids one of the first that springs to mind is probably a baking soda volcano and vinegar volcano. I remember making one with my little brother in the kitchen when he was about 4 or 5. Baking soda volcanoes and coke floats were our favourite summer activities.

You might also like our 10 science experiments every child should try at least once with a free printable checklist to work through.

A baking soda volcano eruption is a fantastic first demonstration of a chemical reaction as the ingredients are safe ( although do wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from vinegar )

Why does a baking soda and vinegar reaction happen?

If you combine an acid and an alkali they react together to neutralise each other. Vinegar is an acid and bicarbonate of soda is  an alkali.

The reaction releases carbon dioxide gas, which is the bubbles you see. If you add washing up liquid ( dish soap ) to your eruption mix the bubbles make the washing up liquid bubble up, giving the appearance of lava erupting from a volcano .

How to make a baking soda volcano

What you need to make a baking soda volcano.

Basically you need the ingredients for the volcano eruption , a jar or small bottle for the eruption to happen in and something to use as the volcano part.

Volcano – sand, snow, modroc etc

Small jar or bottle

Red food colouring

Baking soda

Volcano Instructions

I don’t usually measure an exact amount of each, but a good dollop of baking soda, a squirt of dish soap and a bit of red food colouring mixed with a little water should give you a good eruption. If it doesn’t, add a bit more baking soda.

If you want to make a very quick and easy baking soda volcano a  sand volcano is a good option, or a snow volcano !

Volcano Experiment Extension Ideas

What happens if you don’t use the dish soap? Can you predict what might happen before trying it?

What happens if you add extra dish soap?

Volcano Experiment Extra Challenge s

Can you think of an acidic fruit you could use to make an baking soda volcano eruption without adding vinegar?

Create a papier mache volcano ? We love this version from Red Ted Art.

Design a multicoloured volcano? We split our jar in half and poured yellow food colouring into one half and red into the other for this.

What’s your favourite baking soda volcano to make?

What is a volcano?

A volcano is a mountain that contains a magma ( rock so hot it has turned into a liquid ) chamber. The magma chamber is filled with liquid rock. If enough pressure builds inside the chamber the volcano can explode shooting the magma from the top! When magma is on the surface of the Earth we call it lava! This is a volcanic eruption and can cause a lot

Make a model of a famous volcano

Another idea is to make a model of a famous volcano. In my book This Is Rocket Science one of the activities is to make a baking soda Olympus Mons . It’s a great way to learn about chemical reactions, volcanoes and Mars!!

Contains affiliate links

Last Updated on March 2, 2021 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

March 21, 2018 at 2:44 pm

My kids just love making erupting volcanoes – they are really fascinated by them. Love your challenges and extension ideas – will defo give them a try!

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Science Fun

How to make a Volcano

• 10 ml of dish soap
• 100 ml of warm water
• 400 ml of white vinegar
• Food coloring
• Baking soda slurry (fill a cup about ½ with baking soda, then fill the rest of the way with water)
• Empty 2 liter soda bottle

Instructions:

NOTE: This should be done outside due to the mess.

• Combine the vinegar, water, dish soap and 2 drops of food coloring into the empty soda bottle.
• Use a spoon to mix the baking soda slurry until it is all a liquid.
• Eruption time! … Pour the baking soda slurry into the soda bottle quickly and step back!

WATCH THE QUICK AND EASY VIDEO TUTORIAL!

How it Works:

A chemical reaction between vinegar and baking soda creates a gas called carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the same type of gas used to make the carbonation in sodas. What happens if you shake up a soda? The gas gets very excited and tries to spread out. There is not enough room in the bottle for the gas to spread out so it leaves through the opening very quickly, causing an eruption!

Extra Experiments:

1. Does the amount of vinegar change the eruption? 2. Does the amount of water change the eruption? 3. Does the amount of baking soda change the eruption?

EXPLORE TONS OF FUN AND EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!

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Easy Volcano Eruption Experiment for Kids (3 Methods & Beautiful Results)

• August 19, 2019
• 3-4 Year Olds , 5-6 Year Olds , Chemistry , Fizzy Science , Outdoors , Taste-safe

Are you looking for an easy fun and intellectual science experiment for your kid’s science fair!? If yes, then you are on the right page where you will get three easy simple and super fun experiments that works better as a science project. What’s that!? It’s a ‘Volcano making’ at home with your kids.

After watching a documentary on television regarding volcanoes, aroused an interest to create fake volcanoes. Immediately I shared my idea with my girls of 5 and 7 years old. They were very excited by listening the name itself. That is how I started experimenting this super fun activity at home.

Method-1: Making Volcano using Baking Soda and Vinegar

You will need few simple things that you can find in your home or stores easily. The supplies required to mimic the lava that of a real volcano are listed below:

• Baking soda
• Food colouring (your preferred color)
• Dish wash soap
• Volcano mold (you can create one using play dough)
• Kids toys (optional)

[*Product links are affiliate links. Your support is highly appreciated]

1) Take a ready-made Volcano or you can make it at home using plastic bottles. Fill the volcano with white marble stones to give it a colorful look as well as kids can get better view on the white background.

2) You can also decorate around the volcano with some kid’s toys to make it more attractive and catchy. Adding kid’s toys to the volcano also grabs kid’s attention as toys are never boring for any kids or even adults. J

3) Find some private space since the volcano eruption makes a mess. As we are using ready-made volcano plate, hopefully the mess is only inside the plate.

4) Do some preparations or trials before you start the actual experiment in order to learn proper amounts of ingredients that decide how big your volcano should be!

5) Now my elder daughter Prithika added required amount of baking soda (one of the magical ingredients) into the volcano. She is always interested in adding ingredients. In one way, it helps her to learn more about mixing and measurement concepts.

Now let us jump into the second method of making homemade volcano which is as simple as first method.

Method 2 Volcano in the bowls using same ingredients

• Soap liquid
• Food colour
• Bowls (make sure the bowls are neatly washed as the volcano is not formed if there are any other chemical substances which may get react and form other reactions)

1) Take four bowls and arrange them neatly on the work table or work place. It is suggested to take the bowls in a wide and big plate so that the eruption will flow or spread wide area and be within the plate.

2) Add different food colours to four different bowls so that it gives different coloured volcanoes. My daughters are excited to add their favorite colours. In fact this is their most favorite step in every activity we does (if there are chances to add any colours while experimenting).

This is the simple and easiest way to attract or fascinate the people at the science fair.

Method 3 Creating Volcano experiment with Lemon

Make lemon volcanoes (ideal experiment) along with your kids using kitchen ingredients. The end result is wonderful that leaves a surprise on kid’s face. This is another easiest method to create colorful volcano using lemons. Let us see how we can amaze children using lemon.

Materials required

All you need are:

• Tray or a white plate
• Cutting knife or Butter knife
• Spoon or Fork
• Food coloring

Instructions

1) Take a medium sized lemon and cut into 3/4 th using butter or cutting knife.

2) Squeeze out the seeds and some lemon juice (leaving some juice) with the help of spoon or fork.

3) Add few drops of food colour to the inside of the lemon. Choose some bright colours to see bright and colourful lemon volcanoes. We used red orange and yellow food colours to get orange-red lava! Kids enjoyed watching bright display of volcanoes.  

4) Put some baking soda on top of the lemon to see the amazing results.

5) Use spoon or fork to let the baking soda inside the lemon.

As soon as you add the baking soda to the lemon, there happens a chemical reaction again between the lemons (acidic in nature) and the baking soda (base). This chemical reaction leaves a gas known as carbon dioxide which is responsible for the frothing and fizzing of the eruption coming out of the lemon.

A volcano is a typically conical mountain or hill that has lava coming out from a magma chamber under the surface of the ground. The materials include in the volcano are lava, gaseous sulfur compounds, steam, heat, broken rock pieces and ash. The volcano erupts and explodes all these materials out when there are right conditions like high temperature and pressure.

However, in our home experiment of creating fake volcano gives an idea of how a volcano looks like when the lava erupts. This is a simple classic science experiment works based on a chemical reaction and showing physical volcano eruption. The chemical reaction is nothing but a reaction between the baking soda and vinegar results in the release of a gas called carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the same gas which is used in sodas for the purpose of carbonation. You can observe the same reaction what you see when the soda bottle is shaken up and remove the bottle cap. The pressure created while shaking make the gas molecules to spread out as there is no enough space to spread, it comes out of the bottle when the cap is opened. In the same way, the carbon dioxide released (because of the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar) builds up enough pressure inside the volcano finally results in the eruption in order to exit the bubbles.

In other words, the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar is said to be an ‘Acid-Base Reaction’. Because the chemical reaction is happening between the acetic acid (vinegar) and a base (sodium bicarbonate). The acetic acid (a weak acid) reacts with and neutralizes the base ( sodium bicarbonate ). The gas released during the reaction is the carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the main culprit for the fizzing and bubbling of the wonderful ‘eruption’.

This project takes not more than 30 minutes to complete. I could say that it is a classic science experiment because kids will get to learn chemical reactions and observe what is happening when a volcano erupts. Sounds cool right!!? Did you know the carbon dioxide gas released during the experiment is also present or produced during real volcanoes!! Hope you all enjoyed to learn about colorful fake volcanoes in three different methods. Happy experiment!!

Some Q&A for your interaction with kids

In our experiment, baking soda and vinegar are the magic ingredients to create a volcano at home. When the baking is combined with the vinegar, there happens a chemical reaction producing a gas called carbon dioxide which causes a volcano to erupt (looks similar to the real volcano eruption). The carbon dioxide gas creates pressure to throw out the gas bubbles inside the volcano thus exit the volcano like real ones.

We always have to be very careful while adding ingredients in right amounts in order to get our wonderful results. We may not get our desired results if we miss to add right amounts of ingredients. In our experiment, we require 2 table spoons of baking soda to mix in 1/4th cup of vinegar to erupt a beautiful volcano at home.

Take your chemical volcano project to the next level and make it more exciting by creating glowing volcano. For a glowing lava, use tonic water instead of vinegar and a black light. You can also use both the ingredients i.e. take equal quantities of vinegar and tonic water to make erupting glowing volcano under a black light. Tonic water consists of fluorescent compound called quinine, which is responsible for glowing volcano eruption. The other way to create glowing volcano is to wrap the volcano around the tonic water bottle and just drop the Mentos candies into the bottle. You can see the amazing glowing volcano at home. One more method to see colorful glowing volcano is to mix the chlorophyll with vinegar. The chlorophyll when expose to ultra violet light, starts glowing in red. Hence, you can see the red glowing volcano.

You see a lot of bubbling and foaming while erupting volcano. Formation of bubbles and foam is due to the combination of baking soda and vinegar. When the baking soda (a base, sodium bicarbonate) is mixed with the vinegar solution (an acid), there happens a chemical reaction releasing a gas known as carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is unstable and fills the volcano with a lot of bubbles. Due to the pressure builds up in the volcano due to carbon dioxide gas, the gas bubbles gets exit the volcano like a real volcano eruption.

Both the ingredients are responsible for the chemical reaction because baking soda is a base (called sodium bicarbonate) reacts with the vinegar, an acid producing carbon dioxide.

According to the studies, using baking soda is completely safe since it is mild and unscented for kids. Baking soda has both the alkaline and antiseptic properties that soothes the acidic nature of skin and protects it from infections. It tastes bitter so kids obviously would not like to put in their mouth. However, it is always good to take extra care while using baking soda very often.

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Simple Preschool Science Activity that Makes a Volcano

October 25, 2015 by Sheryl Cooper

Last Updated on September 17, 2018 by Sheryl Cooper

Inside: Looking for a simple preschool science activity? This volcano idea involves apples, baking soda, and vinegar!

I do love classic, tried-and-true science activities.

EASY and FUN science activities.

You know, the ones that make your kids get all wide-eyed and curious? Nothing fancy, just plain fun?

Well, that’s just what this easy volcano science activity is all about! And the good news is that it’s part of an amazing collection of over 100 other easy and fun science activities!

Disclosure: I was given a copy of The Curious Kid’s Science Book to review. My review is honest and my own. This post also contains affiliate links for your convenience.

I love to pass on a wonderful resource when I find it! When Asia Citro asked if I’d review her latest book The Curious Kid’s Science Book: 100+ Creative Hands-On Activities for Ages 4-8 , I jumped at the chance. You might recall when we made gingerbread ornaments using a simple recipe from Asia’s earlier book, 150+ Screen Free Activities for Kids . When I got my hands on her new science book, I showed it to the pre-kindergarten teachers in my preschool and they asked if they could try some with their science curriculum.

The Curious Kid’s Science Book: 100+ Creative Hands-on Activities for Ages 4-8

Asia Citro has an M. Ed in Science Education and was a classroom science teacher. She currently shares amazing ideas at her Fun at Home with Kids blog. In fact, that is where I first met Asia, as I was searching for creative activities to share on my Facebook page .

The first thing I noticed when I received The Curious Kid’s Science Book  was how nicely organized it is, complete with colorful photos. While the book is geared for children older than the ages I teach, many of them can be easily adapted for younger children. However, I’ve barely seen the book since I shared it with the pre-kindergarten teachers in my preschool. When I finally asked if I could have the book back, they asked me to please not remove all the torn pieces of paper that were serving as bookmarks, as they intend to use Asia’s book often for their class science activities . Now that is pure love for a book!

The very first activity of Asia’s that they chose was the baking soda to vinegar experiment on page 170.

Do you think adding baking soda to vinegar or adding vinegar to baking soda will make a bigger reaction?

Only two ingredients are needed for this activity! The teachers set them up on the table. (Note all the torn paper bookmarks. These teachers might not ever give The Curious Kid’s Science Book back to me!)

Before starting the experiment, the teachers asked the children what they predicted would explode more. They wrote each child’s name under their prediction.

Because their theme that week was apples , they chose to hollow out a red and a yellow apple to use as containers for the volcanoes. After making their predictions and writing them on the white board, the children gathered around the science table.

In one apple, the baking soda was placed first, then the vinegar was poured on top. In another apple, the vinegar was poured inside, and then the baking soda was added.

Eyes grew wide as the volcanoes erupted.

We won’t spoil the fun and give you the answer, but most of the children’s predictions were correct!

Fun, right? You can see how simple yet educational these types of science activities are. Our pre-kindergarten teachers do, too, and that is why they have bookmarked many more ideas, such as:

• How deep should you plant a seed to get the best growth?
• How can you make ice melt faster?
• How many drops of water can fit on a penny?
• How can you design an egg drop container?

Where you can buy The Curious Kid’s Science Book

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository (free shipping worldwide)

Who would enjoy this book

Teachers, parents, caregivers, grandparents … anyone with young children in their lives!

More science stuff you will enjoy:

How to Set Up a Preschool Science Center

15 Rainbow Science Activities

10 Preschool Science Experiments

Check out our favorite science toys and materials:

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About Sheryl Cooper

Sheryl Cooper is the founder of Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, a website full of activities for toddlers and preschoolers. She has been teaching this age group for over 25 years and loves to share her passion with teachers, parents, grandparents, and anyone with young children in their lives.

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Volcano experiment for kids

Making a volcano experiment is a fun and easy way to teach your kids of all ages about science. All you need is baking soda, vinegar, and a little creativity! This is a great simple science experiment for kids of all ages, including pre-schoolers . And the best part is that it never gets old – You can make simple volcanoes with an empty soda bottle, or get creative and make them with dirt, sand, or snow!

Below are the steps to make your own volcano experiment at home. You can jump right to the instructions if you want .

What is a volcano experiment for kids?

This is an excellent activity for young scientists – Especially those who love dinos ! Learn why we think science for kids is so important in this post.

Essentially, it’s where you use your creativity to create a volcano base and you create a chemical reaction by mixing a baking soda slurry with vinegar. The reason there’s an eruption is that baking soda ( sodium bicarbonate ) is a base, but vinegar ( acetic acid) is an acid. First, the reaction makes carbonic acid. This is an unstable reaction , so it breaks down into a gas called carbon dioxide and water … This is the bubbly and fizzy reaction you see! The foamy bubbles are created as this reacts with the soap, making it bubble up and overflow.

Download a scientific method worksheet before starting

This is totally optional, but you may want to head over to my TpT store and download the  Scientific Method   worksheet for free. This way, you can emphasize key learning moments while introducing your preschooler to the scientific method. By practicing this, they will become confident in their ability to hypothesize, test, and evaluate experiments!

Plus, if you write down the step-by-step instructions and tuck this away in a folder for later, they can re-create the same activity another time.

Making a baking soda vinegar volcano: What you’ll need

I’ll list the basic ingredients and materials for a volcano, but remember – For the base, you can get as creative as you want! I’ll share some ideas for that below.

Here is everything you will need to make your own volcano experiment at home:

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dish soap
• A container for the “lava” to pour out of (your base)
• A container to mix the baking soda/water/dish soap
• A spoon for mixing

Optional Ingredients:

• I usually let the kiddos add this and we come up with a number of drops that makes sense! Usually 5 or so is good
• These add a fun popping sound to the volcano! If you find some, they’re a super fun addition, but even without them this volcano science experiment is pretty cool

Do I need dish soap and food coloring?

Not at all. The food coloring just makes things more exciting. Usually, I’ll opt for red food coloring so it looks like lava pouring out of the top. But if I’m doing this with a small group then I’ll let the kiddos decide.

As for the soap, adding it increases the reaction time and creates more bubbles than without. But, that being said, I did this experiment for many years without the soap and it was just as fun!

How to make a volcano

This baking soda volcano is super easy! With only 3 supplies needed, it’s also one of my favorite science experiments. All you need to do is make a baking soda slurry then pour the vinegar in at the end and you’ll have volcano eruptions!

Instructions:

• Add all of the other ingredients before the water! You only want to put enough water that you can pour your baking soda slurry.
• Pour your slurry into the volcano base (or, if you built your base you could just put this cup right inside).
• Finally, pour in the vinegar!
• Stand back, your vinegar reaction will make your volcano erupt!

What do I need for the volcano base?

In the photo above, we went all out and made our own paper mache volcano. Am I usually this extra? Nope! But, there was a pretty intense heat wave at the time and we needed a good activity to keep us busy over the week. Making this meant we could spend lots of time designing and crafting before we actually saw an eruption.

As for the base, you can use whatever you have available! Here are some ideas to get you started though:

• Dirt/sand volcano: Next time you build a sand castle, try building a functioning volcano! Just build your base around an empty cup or soda bottle
• Playdo/plasticine volcano: Same idea – Build your base around an empty cup or empty soda bottle
• Snow volcano: So, after making a dirt volcano and graduating to the paper mache version months later, the kiddos were still excited about this well into the winter months. Naturally, we had to try to make a snow-cano too! It worked just as well as any other
• Paper mache: Again, this is very extra. But, if you want a minimum 3 day craft, it’s totally worth it! We built the base, painted it, glued on accessories like DIY trees and mini dinos, then on the final day made it erupt with the baking soda and vinegar mixture! Totally worth the wait.

What do I do when the volcano stops erupting?

Unfortunately, your carbon dioxide mixture won’t erupt forever! In fact, the eruption time is pretty short. But, the nice thing about this easy volcano experiment is it’s easy to re-make .

First, try adding vinegar to the dormant volcano. It will likely cause another eruption because there will be a leftover baking soda mixture in the bottom of the container.

Then, try adding more baking soda. You can always mix vinegar in after to use it all up, but I find that even though kiddos love watching this fun activity, they’ve usually had enough fun after a few eruptions!

Should I do this experiment outside or inside?

Volcano science should probably be an outdoors experiment if you can. Because you’ll probably add red food coloring, for example, you don’t want your counters to be left orange from a stain. And, the eruption can be pretty messy! It’s easier to deal with inside than wiping up the vinegar and baking soda from the floor.

Also, do this experiment in a well-ventilated area if you choose to stay indoors. Realistically, you could make the baking soda and vinegar volcano in a tub to contain the mess. But, since you create carbon dioxide when the vinegar reacts with the baking soda, you’ll want to avoid breathing it in.

We hope you’ve loved this easy science experiment! Kiddos love to watch the lava ooze out of their homemade volcano and love hearing the chemical reaction take place as the baking soda and vinegar erupt.

This experiment is great for children of any age because it can be as basic or as complex as you make it. Kids can choose to make a base out of an empty water bottle and simply enjoy watching the volcano erupt, or you can get super scientific about it. For example, you could make this for a science fair project where the kids go into detail about the chemical reaction happening here while comparing it to real volcanoes. Or, you can use it as an experiment during a unit where you are exploring rocks and volcanoes.

However you choose to incorporate this easy baking soda volcano into your science time, we would love to see what you created!

Other posts you may enjoy

• Lava lamp experiment
• Static electricity experiment
• Oobleck recipe

More science posts

Searching for more science experiments and science-related activities to do with your little ones? Check out this category to see all of our posts about science for kids!

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Pumpkin Volcano Experiment for Kids

How do you make a pumpkin volcano?

Pumpkin Volcano experiment for kids - Supplies:

• 1 cup white vinegar
• ¼ cup baking soda
• Food colouring, if desired
• 1 small pumpkin
• Melon baller
• Sharp knife

Pumpkin Volcano experiment for kids - Instructions:

Step 1: first things, first.

STEP 2: Prepare the pumpkin.

STEP 3: The magic ingredient.

STEP 4: Mix your magical concoction.

STEP 5: Watch the bursting result of this experiment.

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