Are you looking for an exciting activity to do at home with your young children to keep them engaged and learning? Is your child intrigued by volcanoes? Why not create some of your own in your kitchen?! With just a few simple ingredients that you are sure to have on hand, you will be on your way to creating this easy but entertaining cause/effect science experiment at home.
For Our Erupting Volcano Experiment You Will Need:
- white vinegar
- baking soda
- water
- food coloring (optional but adds a lot of fun!)
- small containers
- measuring cup or small pitcher for pouring
- spoon
- baking tray to contain the mess (optional but really helps!!)
To Create Your Volcanoes:
- Place your small containers or cups on the baking sheet/tray. I used small glass jars but plastic cups would also work. I have also used the clear snap on measuring cups from laundry detergent! You could even use a cupcake or muffin tin.
- Have your child place a few spoons full of baking soda into each of the small containers.
- Pour water halfway up each container.
- Add a few drops of food coloring into each container. I did red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple to make my six cups look like a rainbow! You can have your child give each cup a little stir.
- Now for the magic! Using a small pitcher, have your child pour vinegar into each cup and watch the reactions!!
- After the fizzing stops, you can add more vinegar to the cups to reactivate. Experiment with pouring slowly and quickly watch the results.
Clean Up Is a Breeze!
Place everything in the kitchen sink and wash up. Your child can even help with this job!