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STEM Fun: How To Make an Exploding Volcano to Engage Kids!

An Easy to Make at Home Fun Science Experiment Kids Love

By Helen Partlow, publisher of Macaroni Kid Mt. Sinai & Port Jefferson, N.Y. July 6, 2021

Have you ever made a volcano explode? Would you like to impress your kids with your science magic? We love STEM fun at our house, so when my mom, Mimi, told us she had come up with a very simple experiment to make a volcano, my kids and I were excited to give it a try. It was a great bonus that we could conduct this experiment using ingredients we already had in the house! This simple volcano is colorful, fun, and a great STEM experiment simple enought for toddlers and preschoolers and engaging enough for big kids.


How to Make An EXPLODING Volcano




Ingredients:

  • 1 cup vinegar
  • 4 tbsp. baking soda
  • baking sheet
  • plastic or paper cup
  • food coloring
  • 1 tsp. dish soap




Directions:

1. Add baking soda to your cup - Make sure to always keep your cup on the baking sheet to make clean up a breeze! Of you can do this right in the sink

2. Pick your colors and add into the cup.

3. Add liquid dish soap to the cup. This will create fun bubbles!

4. Add the vinegar and . . .  watch your volcano erupt!


The Science Behind The Experiment

You can explain to your children that the vinegar is an acid and the baking powder is a base. When they combine it's a chemical reaction and it creates carbon dioxide, which is a gas that bubbles everything up and out of the cup! The food coloring and dish soap just add extra flair.


Check out the video of our homemade volcano erupting: