DIY Volcano for Kids
Making a volcano is one of the most common science experiments that kids can do! No matter how many times it is made, it is a wonderful sight to behold when it is complete and works right. Your child will be left feeling satisfied and accomplished, especially after learning how to make a volcano erupt.
Volcanoes are hollow mountains that do not have any tops. You can look down into the volcano, and find a pool of hot, molten rock. There are many dormant volcanoes, but there are also many around the world that are still active. When they erupt, they shoot lava, rocks, and gases, which can cause a lot of air pollution.
When the liquidised rocks are under the surface, it is known as magma. When it erupts and reaches the surface, it is called lava. When a volcano erupts, it is extremely dangerous and destructive.
There are two types of magma. Some have low content of silica, and these are more flow-y, and the accompanying gases are able to escape freely. The other type has high silica content, is not as flow-y. Gases that are trapped in here are not able to escape easily.
How to Make a Volcano – Step by Step Instructions for Children
There are so many different ways to make a homemade volcano. Some are complicated, and some are easy. Here are some very easy to follow, step by step instructions on how to make a volcano. Just make sure that you perform this experiment outside! That way, you can avoid having too much to clean up.
Materials Needed
- Flour, 6 cups
- Salt, 2 cups
- Cooking oil, 4 tablespoons
- Warm water
- Soda bottle
- Dishwashing soap
- Vinegar
- Food colouring
- Baking soda, 2 tablespoons
- Baking dish
Instruction
- The best way to start is to make the cone of the volcano.
- Mix the flour, salt, and cooking oil with 2 cups of warm water.
- You should be left with a smooth mixture. If you need to, add more water.
- Take the soda bottle, and place it on the baking tray.
- Using the dough, start creating and moulding the body of the volcano around the plastic soda bottle.
- Don’t cover the top of the bottle, since this is where your volcanic eruption will occur.
- Now, fill most of the bottle with warm water.
- Add in a little red and yellow food colouring.
- Add in around six drops of dishwashing soap.
- Mix in the baking soda.
- Lastly, to make the eruption, slowly pour the vinegar into the bottle.
Observations During the Experiment
- When baking soda and vinegar are mixed together, a chemical reaction takes place, which creates carbon dioxide.
- The reaction caused is very similar to what happens when a bottle of soda is shaken. Gas builds up and needs to escape, so when the bottle is opened, you have an eruption that is similar to a volcanic eruption.
- This is the same way that real volcanoes erupt.
By doing this experiment with your child, you can teach him all about how volcanoes work. Your child will soon become an expert on volcanoes and other such cool geological formations!
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