Erupting Sand Volcano Sensory Build

Play sand or wet sand

A large bin or outdoor sand area

A small cup or jar

Baking soda

White vinegar

Dish soap

Red and orange food coloring

Wet the sand until it packs firmly and sculpt a volcano around a small cup embedded in the center.

Shape a wide crater at the top with the cup opening visible.

Add two tablespoons of baking soda and a squirt of dish soap to the cup.

Drop in red and orange food coloring for dramatic lava.

Hand your child the vinegar and count down together: 3, 2, 1... pour!

Watch the foamy eruption overflow down the volcano sides.

Rebuild, refill, and erupt again. And again. And probably again.

The dish soap makes the foam thicker and the eruption last longer. Don't skip it.

This combines three sensory experiences: the feel of wet sand, the sight and sound of the eruption, and the vinegar smell.

Let your child be in charge of pouring — controlling the eruption is empowering.

Try different amounts of vinegar and baking soda and ask, "Which combination made the biggest eruption?"

Add small toy dinosaurs around the base for a prehistoric scene that gets dramatically destroyed each time.