a science experiment volcano

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5 Ways to Make a Volcano

There is more than one way to make a chemical volcano. Actually, there are several methods. Here are some of the best, from the tried-and-true baking soda and vinegar volcano to the most exotic dry ice volcano.

Make the Volcano Cone

You can use a bottle or can or really any container for your volcanic eruption, but it’s easy to make the volcano shape by coating your container with clay or papier mache. Here is a simple recipe for a homemade clay volcano:

• 6 cups flour
• 2 cups salt
• 2 cups water
• 4 tablespoons cooking oil
• Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl. It’s easiest if you stir the flour, salt, and oil together first and then mix in the water. You can add more water if needed. You want a firm, smooth dough.
• Stand an empty soda bottle or can in a pie tin or baking pan (so your ‘lava’ won’t make a mess) and mold the dough into a volcano shape. Be sure you don’t drop dough into the bottle or cover the opening.
• If you want to paint the volcano, wait until the dough is dry.

Now for the recipes! Most use common ingredients that you have at home.

Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano

This is the classic science fair project volcano. The baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) reacts with the vinegar (weak acetic acid) to produce carbon dioxide gas. The detergent traps the gas, which is heavier than air, so it flows down the side of the volcano.

• liquid dishwashing detergent
• red or orange food coloring
• baking soda
• Pour warm water into the volcano until it is 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full.
• Add several drops of food coloring.
• Add a squirt of detergent. This helps the ‘lava’ foam up and flow.
• Add a couple of spoonfuls of baking soda.
• When you are ready to start the eruption, pour vinegar into your volcano.
• You can recharge the volcano with more baking soda and vinegar.

Note: If you don’t have vinegar, you can use another acidic liquid, like lemon juice or orange juice.

Yeast and Peroxide Volcano

• packet of quick-rise yeast
• hydrogen peroxide (3% sold in stores or can use 6% from beauty supply stores)
• food coloring
• Pour the hydrogen peroxide solution into the volcano until it is nearly full. The 3% household peroxide is safe to handle, but wear gloves and use extreme caution if you use the 6% peroxide, which can give you chemical burns!
• Add several drops of food coloring for your lava.
• When you are ready for the eruption, add the packet of yeast to the volcano.

Ketchup and Vinegar Volcano

This volcano bubbles and oozes lava. The eruption is not so dramatic, but is interesting and long-lasting. The acidity of the vinegar and tomatoes in the ketchup reacts with the baking soda to produce carbon dioxide gas, which gets trapped as bubbles by the detergent.

• dishwashing liquid
• Mix together ketchup, warm water, and a squirt of detergent to make lava.
• Pour the mixture into the volcano so it is nearly full.
• When you are ready for the eruption, add baking soda.

Mentos and Diet Soda Volcano

This volcano erupts instantly and spectacularly. For a truly memorable volcano, use diet tonic water instead of diet cola and shine a black light on the volcano. This produces a vivid blue glowing eruption!

• diet soda (regular soda works too, but produces a sticky mess)
• Mentos candies
• Fill the volcano full of soda (or you could have molded the volcano around a full soda bottle.
• When you are ready for the eruption, drop all of the Mentos candies into the mouth of the bottle at once. One easy way to do this is to roll a sheet of paper around the candies, put your finger beneath them to hold them in place, and release the candies over the hole. Be prepared for a major splash!

Dry Ice Volcano

This volcano appears to smoke, releasing a cascade of bubble lava.

• Fill the volcano with warm water.
• Add a bit of dishwashing liquid.
• When you are ready to start the eruption, use gloves or tongs to drop a piece of dry ice into the volcano.

Do you need more ways to make a volcano ? You can bake a souffle to model the geological processes or make a realistic wax volcano .

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16 Red-Hot Volcano Science Experiments and Kits For Classrooms or Science Fairs

Kids will erupt with excitement!

Is there any school science project more classic than the exploding volcano? Every generation of kids loves this explosive (and messy!) experiment, which is usually a take on acid-base reactions. Here are our favorite volcano science experiments and projects, along with some well-reviewed DIY kits that make the process easier.

(Just a heads up—WeAreTeachers may collect a small share of sales from links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

1. Classic Baking Soda Volcano Experiment

This classic experiment teaches kids about simple chemical reactions and physical properties. The best part? It’s easy to do and uses only a few basic ingredients. Check out the link below for a step-by-step guide and free printable student recording sheet.

Learn more: Baking Soda Volcano Experiment

2. Papier-mâché Volcano Experiment

Here it is, the original papier-mâché volcano! The volcano is built around a jar inside that holds the vinegar and baking soda for the eruption itself. Add a little dish soap to make the “lava” foamier and more impressive.

Learn more: Craft Cue

3. Salt Dough Volcano Experiment

Salt dough is a little easier to work with than papier-mâché, and you can make your volcano pretty realistic looking. Otherwise, the process is the same, and so is the fun!

Learn more: Teach Beside Me

4. National Geographic Ultimate Volcano Kit

Make things easier by getting all the supplies you need in a volcano science experiments kit. This one has thousands of positive reviews on Amazon and comes with a volcano mold you can use again and again.

Learn more: National Geographic Ultimate Volcano Kit/Amazon

5. Playdough Volcano Experiment

Want a quick version of the volcano experiment? Use playdough to build a volcano around a small beaker, then create the baking soda and vinegar reaction. Fast and fun!

Learn more: Life Over Cs

6. Snow Volcano Experiment

Volcano science experiments can be messy, there’s no doubt about it. That’s why this snow volcano is so brilliant! Take the mess outside and let nature help with cleanup.

Learn more: Science Sparks

7. Playz Volcanic Eruption & Lava Lab Science Kit

This volcano science kit comes with not one but two erupting volcanoes! There are enough supplies for multiple eruptions too.

Learn more: Playz Volcanic Eruption & Lava Lab Science Kit/Amazon

8. Lemon Volcano Science Experiment

Lemon juice is full of acid, so this fruit is the perfect material for volcano science experiments. Just add a little dish soap (and food coloring for fun). Then top with baking soda and watch the fizzy eruption! Enjoy this one? Try it with apples too!

Learn more: Lemon Volcano/Beyond the Playroom

9. Learning Resources Beaker Creatures Bubbling Volcano Kit

This kit is perfect for the younger crowd. It includes several different fizzing experiments, including a “reactor pod” that you drop into your volcano to reveal a collectible little Beaker Creature.

Learn more: Learning Resources Beaker Creatures Bubbling Volcano Kit/Amazon

10. Pop Rocks Volcano

Watch a volcano video and you’ll hear all sorts of popping and cracking sounds. You can recreate that effect in your DIY experiment by adding Pop Rocks candy to make a sound volcano!

Learn more: Growing a Jeweled Rose

11. Stemclas Volcano Science Kit

If you’re looking for a truly basic volcano kit, this is the one. No frills, no extras—just a model volcano and the materials you need to make it erupt.

Learn more: Stemclas Volcano Science Kit/Amazon

12. Rainbow Volcano Experiment

Lava can take on different colors depending on the temperature and chemical composition. So make a rainbow of fizzing “lava” of your own using food coloring!

Learn more: Green Kids Crafts

13. Underwater Volcano Experiment

Not all volcanos erupt on land—some are found underwater. This experiment uses the different densities of hot and cold water to make the volcano “erupt.”

Learn more: Mombrite

14. Fizzing Volcano Lava Slime

Volcanoes plus slime? It’s every kid’s dream! Mix up some fizzing lava slime that’s much safer to play with than real molten lava! (Make this project even easier by getting all the supplies you need in the Volcano Slime Kit from KiwiCo .)

Learn more: Little Bins for Little Hands

15. Look Inside a Volcano Experiment

This volcano science experiment digs deeper, laying out items like the magma chamber, crater, and central and secondary vents. The eruption is impressive, and now you can see how happens!

Learn more: 123Homeschool4Me

16. Pumpkin Volcano Experiment

When is a pumpkin not a pumpkin? When it’s a volcano! This is an awesome project to take out onto the playground on a sunny fall day.

Learn more: Hillary’s Teaching Adventures

Want more hands-on science fun? Try these Incredible Electricity Experiments .

Plus, get all the latest teaching tips and tricks straight to your inbox when you sign up for our newsletters , you might also like.

How To Make a Baking Soda Volcano With Free Observation Sheet

This experiment will have kids erupting with applause! Continue Reading

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Top 10 Volcano Science Experiments

Welcome to our carefully curated collection of the best volcano science experiments.

We have selected these experiments for their educational value, safety considerations, and ability to captivate learners, fostering a deeper appreciation for the wonders of our planet’s volcanic activity.

These hands-on, enlightening experiments suitable for all age groups convey the magic of volcanic eruptions and foster a deep appreciation for Earth’s geological wonders.

1. Look Inside a Volcano

Engage budding scientists as they witness the power of nature firsthand, fostering a deeper understanding of volcanic processes and igniting a passion for earth sciences.

Learn more: 123 Homeschool

2. Underwater Volcano

By simulating the eruption of an underwater volcano, students gain a unique understanding of the explosive forces at play beneath the water

3. Volcano Slime

This exciting hands-on activity combines the thrilling eruption of a volcano with the mesmerizing texture of slime.

Learn more: Volcano Slime

4. DIY Volcano at Home

Not only does this experiment provide an entertaining sensory experience, but it also introduces students to the concepts of chemical reactions and viscosity.

5. No Vinegar Volcano Science

By substituting vinegar with other safe and easily accessible ingredients, students can still witness the captivating chemical reactions that mimic volcanic eruptions.

Learn more: No Vinegar Volcano Science

6. Color Changing Volcano

Learn how to take the basic baking soda and vinegar volcano to the next level. This color changing volcano is really simple made and this tutorial includes very detailed step-by-step instructions and a helpful video.

Learn more: Color Changing Volcano

7. Sand Volcano

Engage students in a thrilling journey of discovery as they explore the fascinating world of volcanoes through the mesmerizing medium of sand. Watch their scientific curiosity erupt as they bring their own sand volcanoes to life!”

Learn more: Sand Volcano

8. Make a Lemon Volcano

By combining the natural acidity of lemons with a few household materials, students can witness an exciting chemical reaction that mimics the explosive eruptions of a volcano.

9. Clay Volcano

This hands-on activity allows students to mold their own volcano using clay and witness the thrilling eruption that follows. By combining artistry with scientific exploration, students can learn about the geological forces at play in a visually captivating way.

Learn more: Clay Volcano

10. Magma in a Bag

Encourage students to explore the fascinating world of volcanoes through this hands-on experiment that brings the marvels of geology right into their hands.

Learn more: Leslie John Stone

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1. Learn about volcanoes

2. prepare your crater, 3. make your volcano erupt, 4. form the lava flow, 6. make more eruptions, 7. trade your volcano, 8. take core samples, 9. record your findings, 10. compare your map.

Learning Space

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Make a Volcano

Make a volcano with baking soda, vinegar and play dough. Then, add multiple layers that you can investigate like a NASA scientist. Test your family and friends to see if they can guess what's inside your volcano!

Watch the Tutorial

See below for materials and step-by-step instructions. For more video tutorials and activities like this one, visit Learning Space .

Watch en Español : Seleccione subtítulos en Español bajo el ícono de configuración.

In this episode of Learning Space, you will make a volcano with baking soda, vinegar and play dough. Then, add multiple layers that you can investigate like a NASA scientist. | Watch on YouTube

Piece of cardboard OR a cookie sheet

3 or more colors of play dough ( download recipe ) or soft clay

Baking soda

Paper towels

Colored pencils OR crayons (ideally matching the colors of the play dough)

2 sheets of graph paper OR plain paper

1-3 clear plastic drinking straws

Find out how volcanoes form and what causes them to erupt . Then click the planets in this interactive image to learn about volcanoes on planets throughout our solar system. Get inspired before you create your own volcano by checking out these images of volcanoes on Earth .

› Learn more about this image

Cut off the top of the paper cup so it's only about 0.5 inches (1-2 cm) tall. Place the paper cup at the center of your piece of paper and trace around the bottom to make a circle. The circle and the cup represent the crater inside your volcano. Tape the cup to the piece of cardboard or a cookie sheet. Mark north, east, south and west on both the paper and the cardboard or cookie sheet.

Fill the cup with a spoonful of baking soda. Then, slowly pour in enough vinegar to make the mixture foam up and flow out of the cup. This simulates an eruption and lava flowing out of your volcano.

If possible, use a colored pencil to trace around the edge of where the lava flew out of your volcano. Dab up the fluid with a paper towel. Then, cover the area inside the line you traced with a thin layer of one color of play dough to mark where the lava flowed.

On your graph paper, use a colored pencil that matches the color of the play dough you put down to draw the shape of your lava layer. This is the start of a map that will show where lava flowed during each eruption of the model volcano. Be sure the orientation of the cardinal directions on your map match the ones on your model volcano.

Repeat steps 3-5 three or four more times. Each time, put down a new layer of play dough and then map it out by drawing the shape of that layer on your graph paper. If you have more than one color of play dough, change colors between eruptions so it's easier to see the different layers.

If possible, trade your volcano with another person, so you can investigate one that is unknown! If you can't trade with anyone, find a family member who didn’t watch you build the volcano and challenge them to do the next steps.

Cut a plastic straw into thirds or fourths. Push an open end of the straw straight down through the play dough lava flows until you reach the bottom. Twist the straw in place and lift out a sample. This is what's called a core sample.

Looking through the clear straw, you can see the layers underneath the surface of the volcano. You can use this sample to investigate how the layers of the volcano formed over time. Repeat this step with each of your three or four straw pieces. Think about the best places to collect samples so that you can get as much information as possible.

On a blank piece of graph paper, draw a circle and cardinal directions like you did in Step 2. Use your core samples to make a prediction of where each layer of the volcano you’re studying begins and ends.

Then, use colored pencils that match the colors you find in the volcano to draw the layers on your graph paper. Try to get as close as you can with as few samples as possible!

Once you’ve created a map of your predictions, compare it with the known map from steps 2-6.