Create an erupting volcano

Two young children playing with a volcano experiment
March 2022

This is a great experiment that can be assembled with minimal ingredients from the kitchen. Parental supervision is recommended.

You will need to create a lava mixture and a volcano container.

Ingredients for Lava

  • 2 tablespoons of baking soda
  • 2 drops of paint
  • 2 drops of dishwashing liquid
  • 1 cup of vinegar

Volcano materials

  • 1 large tray
  • 1 plastic cup
  • Newspaper
  • Aluminium foil
  • Clay (air drying)
  • Decorations

 

Preparing the Lava

  1. Add 2 tbsp of baking soda to a cup
  2. Add 2 drops of paint to cup
  3. Add 2 drops of dishwashing liquid
  4. Stir the ingredients together and make sure they are combined thoroughly

Note: Do not add the vinegar yet!

Making the Volcano

  1. Stick lava prepared cup down on tray
  2. Scrunch up some newspaper and put around base of cup
  3. Wrap foil over the rim of cup to and over the newspaper in the shape of a volcano
  4. Roll out clay and carefully lay over the tin foil 
  5. Decorate the outside of the volcano with anything you wish.  Some ideas: make trees, bushes, rivers out of play dough, paint the sides of the volcano with red paint to represent lava, add mini animals. 

Now for the eruption...

Pour the cup of vinegar into your prepared lava mix – step back and watch your volcano erupt!