My Education Junction

Create Your Very Own Volcano

This is a crafty little experiment which gives children a chance to witness a chemical reaction.

Make your very own volcano with these simple instructions:

What You Need To Get Started

1 Bucket of moist dirt or Salt Play Dough (recipe follows)

1 small plastic soda or water bottle

A baking pan

Red Food Coloring

Liquid dish detergent

2 Tbsp of baking soda

Vinegar

Salt Dough Recipe

6 cups flour

2 cups salt

4 tsp cooking oil

2 cups warm water

Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl. Work the dough by kneading it with your hands until the dough is smooth and firm. If the dough is crumbles add water as needed. You may color the dough with food color if you wish your volcano to have an authentic look.

It is a good idea to cover your working area with a plastic table cloth or newspapers. It is also recommended that your child wear a smock or t-shirt which is normally reserved for painting-this can get kind of messy:)

Fill your bottle with water almost to the top with warm water. Place several drops of food coloring into the water until it is a nice red consistency. Then add 2 drops of dish detergent. Replace the bottle cap.

Place the soda bottle in the center of your baking sheet. Begin to build a mound around the bottle using either dirt or play dough (whatever medium you have chosen) Make sure that you sculpt it to have awide base and narrow top much like a mountain. It is a good idea to keep a cap on top of the bottle while you work. Make sure not to cover the cap. You don’t want dough or dirt to fall inside of the bottle. Once you have built the volcano remove the cap and spoon in several tablespoons of baking soda. Now slowly pour vinegar into the mouth of the bottle. You should see lava bubble up out of the bottle and run down the sides of your volcano.

Here is a slideshow that will show you exactly how a volcano is made.