Science Post: Volcano

We get a bigger, better volcano when dad is involved.

I am working my way through my Pinterest boards. We've made baking soda fizzies and I've gotten healthy food ideas for the kiddos. Ty and Za especially love messy projects - science projects, so I decided to make a volcano. I wanted a small one, but my husband took over, and we ended up with a large one. It was fun, messy, and pretty inexpensive.

Supplies

A pan/ cookie sheet and mixing bowl
Flour
Baking soda
Salt
Oil
Water
Small, empty bottle (We used a water bottle, but I wish we had a shorter one).
Food dye, if desired
Dish soap
Vinegar
Directions. We used the recipe from Moms Who Think, but tons of directions are on the web. 

We mixed the "volcano's" outside, which made a sticky, sticky clay. My kids loved it, and it definitely taught them patience - it was very difficult to form.

The dough was heavy, and it kept falling off the bottle. We finally figured out that it took two pairs of hands - and a blow-dryer to get it formed correctly.

At this point we realized we forgot food coloring. The kids really wanted to dye it, but wanted their volcano brown. So we used - soy sauce. Don't judge.

The explosion was great, and the kids loved it. Pictures? I was too busy supervising and keeping little hands back. Safety first, but it is true they had a blast!

Reflection

The kids practiced patience and witnessed their father and me getting along and problem-solving. (The blow-dryer was genius, honestly). I still need to beef  up on my science knowledge. I can tell the kids this is a chemical reaction, but I don't get much further than that. Any advice, maybe from the science-inclined?