Ready, set, volcano! Engage students in hands-on STEM play with this creative activity from Hands-On Science and Math where children will explore the concepts of chemical change, creating a gas, and how volcanic eruptions occur.
Make a Volcano
Materials
- Paper bowl
- 4-ounce paper cup
- 2 tablespoons of baking soda
- A Funnel
- 2 ounces of vinegar
- Red food coloring
- Optional: fun safety goggles
What to Do
- Use food coloring to turn the vinegar red, and give each pair of children a 2-ounce portion, along with the other materials and ingredients.
- For each pair, place the paper cup into the small disposable bowl, and put the baking soda in the bottom of the cup. Alternatively, give the children portion cups holding the baking soda, and allow them to pour the baking soda into their drinking cups.
- Tell the children to place their funnels inside their cups and quickly pour the vinegar into the top of the funnel.
- Because the children get so excited watching the eruptions, have one pair of students at a time do their demonstration. The children will not get bored watching this over and over again!
More to Do
Use a computer or tablet device to show video clips of an erupting volcano. You can also bring in photos of real eruptions. Explain that when a volcano erupts, lava—rock so hot that it has melted—is forced out of the ground and spills out of the volcano.
