How To Make A Volcano Model
Easy Science Experiments For Kids

You'll find making a volcano in our free e-book of the TOP TEN easy kids science experiments for home school - that won't let you down!

We'll show you how you can make a volcano erupt in two ways.

One is red and frothy and the other you'd better stand well back to enjoy!

The great thing about fun science experiments for kids is that you don't need to travel all the way to Hawaii to enjoy them. 

Our range of fun science for kids start with awesome hands-on projects and activities that bring the exciting world of science to life.

And there's no better way to start than watching a volcano explode!

how to make a volcano
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FREE PRINTABLE SHEET

Volcano experiment for kids

This is what happened when Steph and family followed our instruction sheet!

 Free printable sheet with how to make a volcano instructions*

* See below for how to get your Free E-book:  Ten Science Experiments that won't let you down!

As you can see from the ingredients, you don't need much to enjoy easy science experiments for home school!  The above link will show you it all written down.

You must have:

  1. Vinegar
  2. Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda)

But these things will make your home school science experiments more fun for kids:

  • Dish soap (Washing up liquid)
  • Red food coloring
  • Glitter

How To Make A Volcano Erupt

  1. Put three teaspoons of baking soda in a bottle (or your modeling clay volcano cone)
  2. Use a funnel to fill another plastic bottle about one-third full of vinegar
  3. Add a few drops of food coloring and a good squeeze of dish soap to the vinegar
  4. Tip the vinegar mixture onto the baking soda

Your volcano erupts!

My kids William and Catherine had a lot of fun in our home school experiments by adding a bit more baking soda or vinegar to see what happens.

If you want to explain the home school science behind your home school experiments, you could tell your kids the bubbles are the carbon dioxide gas formed when you mix baking soda and vinegar.

Fun and simple kids science experiments making a lava lamp

You'll see those bubbles work great in another of our fun kids experiments for home school when you make a lava lamp with our free printable sheet of instructions.

How To Make A Volcano Model

To enjoy your volcano at its best it's a good idea to set the scene by making some sort of easy home school volcano model for your lava to erupt from.

Catherine and William enjoyed lots of ways of doing this; in fact you'll find it's a good way to start kids crafts together.

1

A simple way to begin is to cut a cone shape out of card and fit the card over the body of a plastic bottle, leaving the neck exposed. You can then make the volcano erupt over the card by using a funnel to add your volcano ingredients to the bottle.

2

Or you could try adding to your easy science experiments by making a volcano out of modeling clay.

Any sort of tall lump your kids make will do, but it's good to have a fairly pronounced cone where the mixture can go so the lava can froth down the sides. You can add to your art activities by using acrylic paints to paint the clay together.

3

Another good alternative is to make your kids volcano out of sand.

Home School Science Experiments
With Mentos and Cola

coke and mento

Of course, this isn't the only way to make a volcano with kids.

You can make an even bigger eruption using mentos and cola; just stand well back!

You'll find this is another of those easy home school science experiments; the only downside is that it's more of a spectator sport.

  1. Place your cola on a flat surface outside in the garden and open the lid gently so not much gas escapes.
  2. Put two toothpicks on top of the bottle side by side.
  3. Carefully place one mento on top of the toothpicks. You don't want it to fall in!
  4. Quickly pull the toothpicks away and stand back.
volcano experiment with coke and mentos

Your volcano will erupt big style!

You can make this into one of those more exciting home school science experiments by trying out different fizzy liquids.

Use orangeade, lemonade, regular cola or, best of all, diet cola and see what happens to your volcano.

Fun Volcano Learning Activities

volcano erupting

Learning how to make a volcano leads on to all sorts of fun kids learning activities.

How about adding in some history by reenacting the tragedy of Pompeii? 

That's what Steph's son decided to do.

Roman city buildings model
Pompeii panorama

"The start of our Roman city buildings...We are reenacting the tragedy of Pompeii which evolved from talking about volcanoes.
What has surprised me is my son already knew what building he was creating...a Pantheon!! I had no idea what he was talking about He also built a Colosseum...again he taught me the name (he's 6 lol).
Who's teaching who? " ~ Steph

To tempt you to do the same, watch this amazing animation of a day in Pompeii showing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

"Kids and I just watched the movie Pompeii. Excellent. Especially after a study of volcanoes." ~ Mandy

exploding volcano model

Easy Science Experiments

By now, I hope you can see that learning how to make a volcano is only part of enjoying our home school science curriculum. There are all sorts of great things to try in our home school!

kids science experiments top ten

Learning how to make a volcano is easy and so much fun you'll find the kids want to do it again and again!

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