Baking Soda Volcano
What You'll Need
- 1Baking soda (about 1/4 cup)
- 2White vinegar
- 3Dish soap (a squirt)
- 4Food coloring
- 5Small cup or plastic bottle
- 6Baking tray or large dish
- 7Spoon
What You'll Need
Baking soda (about 1/4 cup)
White vinegar (about 1/4 cup per eruption)
A squirt of dish soap
Food coloring (red and yellow look most like lava)
Small cup, jar, or empty plastic bottle
Baking tray, large dish, or do it outside
Spoon for stirring
Building the Volcano
Place your cup or bottle in the center of the baking tray.
Add 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda to the cup.
Squeeze in a small squirt of dish soap (this makes the fizz foamier).
Add a few drops of food coloring on top of the baking soda.
Making It Erupt
Let your child pour the vinegar into the cup. About 1/4 cup is enough for a good eruption.
Watch it fizz and overflow!
Ask them: "What do you see happening? Where are the bubbles coming from?"
To erupt again, add more baking soda and pour more vinegar. You can repeat this as many times as you want.
What's Happening (The Science)
Baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid. When they mix, they create a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide gas — that's the bubbles!
The dish soap traps the gas in bubbles, making the eruption foamier and more dramatic.
This is the same kind of gas that makes soda fizzy.
Tips
Do this on a baking tray indoors or take it outside. It gets messy, but it's just vinegar and baking soda so cleanup is easy.
Let your child control the pouring. Preschoolers love being the one who "makes it go." The more ownership they have, the more they learn.
Try experimenting: What happens with more vinegar? Less baking soda? Warm water instead of vinegar? Let them guess before trying.
Add a few drops of different food coloring each round to create different colored eruptions.
This activity can repeat 5-6 times before you run out of baking soda. Buy the big box — it's worth it.
For extra fun, build a volcano shape around the bottle with play dough or damp sand.
Age Adaptation Tips
Preschoolers can follow multi-step instructions. Ask open-ended questions and encourage them to predict what will happen next.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does this activity take?
This activity takes about 20 min.
What materials do I need?
You'll need: baking soda (about 1/4 cup), white vinegar, dish soap (a squirt), food coloring, small cup or plastic bottle, and 2 more items.
What age is this activity for?
This activity is designed for 3-5 years. You can adapt it for younger or older children by adjusting the complexity.
Can this be done indoors or outdoors?
This activity works great both indoors and outdoors, giving you flexibility based on the weather or your space.
How difficult is this activity?
This is an easy activity that requires minimal setup and supervision. Great for busy days or when you need something quick.
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