vinegar volcano experiment

Baking Soda and Vinegar Chemical Volcano

Nicholas Prior / Getty Images

• Projects & Experiments
• Chemical Laws
• Periodic Table
• Scientific Method
• Biochemistry
• Physical Chemistry
• Medical Chemistry
• Chemistry In Everyday Life
• Famous Chemists
• Activities for Kids
• Abbreviations & Acronyms
• Weather & Climate
• Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
• B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

The baking soda and vinegar volcano is a fun chemistry project you can do to simulate a real volcanic eruption or as an example of an  acid-base reaction . The chemical reaction between baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid) produces carbon dioxide gas, which forms bubbles in dishwashing detergent. The chemicals are non-toxic (though not tasty), making this project a good choice for scientists of all ages.

Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano Materials

eskaylim / Getty Images 

• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• Empty 20-ounce drink bottle
• Deep plate or a pan
• Gel food coloring
• Dishwashing detergent
• Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
• Vinegar (dilute acetic acid)

Make the Volcano Dough

Laura Natividad / Moment / Getty Images

You can cause an eruption without making a "volcano," but it's easy to model a cinder cone. Start by making the dough:

• Mix together 3 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 cup water, and 2 tablespoons of cooking oil.
• Either work the dough with your hands or stir it with a spoon until the mixture is smooth.
• If you like, you can add a few drops of food coloring to the dough to make it volcano-colored.

Model a Volcano Cinder Cone

JGI / Jamie Grill / Getty Images

Next, you want to shape the dough into a volcano:

• Fill the empty drink bottle most of the way full with hot tap water.
• Add a squirt of dishwashing detergent and some baking soda (~2 tablespoons). If desired, you can add a few drops of food coloring.
• Set the drink bottle in the center of a pan or deep dish.
• Press the dough around the bottle and shape it to look like a volcano.
• Be careful not to plug the opening of the bottle.
• You may wish to dribble some food coloring down the sides of your volcano. When the volcano erupts, the "lava" will flow down the sides and will pick up the coloring.

Cause a Volcanic Eruption

Hero Images / Getty Images

You can make your volcano erupt over and over again.

• When you are ready for the eruption, pour some vinegar into the bottle (which contains hot water, dishwashing detergent, and baking soda).
• Make the volcano erupt again by adding more baking soda. Pour in more vinegar to trigger the reaction.
• By now, you probably see why it is important to use a deep dish or a pan. You may need to pour some of the "lava" into the sink between eruptions.
• You can clean up any spills with warm soapy water. If you used food coloring, you could stain clothes, skin, or countertops, but the chemicals used and produced are generally non-toxic.

How a Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano Works

Jeffrey Coolidge / Getty Images

The baking soda and vinegar volcano erupts because of an acid-base reaction:

baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) + vinegar (acetic acid) → carbon dioxide + water + sodium ion + acetate ion

NaHCO 3 (s) + CH 3 COOH(l) → CO 2 (g) + H 2 O(l) + Na + (aq) + CH 3 COO - (aq)

where s = solid, l = liquid, g = gas, aq = aqueous or in solution

Breaking it down:

NaHCO 3 → Na + (aq) + HCO 3 - (aq) CH 3 COOH → H + (aq) + CH 3 COO - (aq)

H + + HCO 3 - → H 2 CO 3 (carbonic acid) H 2 CO 3 → H 2 O + CO 2

Acetic acid (a weak acid) reacts with and neutralizes sodium bicarbonate (a base). The carbon dioxide that is given off is a gas. Carbon dioxide is responsible for the fizzing and bubbling during the "eruption."

• You've Got Ingredients for a Chemical Volcano
• How to Make a Baking Soda Volcano
• Take Your Volcano Science Project to the Next Level
• Equation for the Reaction Between Baking Soda and Vinegar
• Ketchup and Baking Soda Volcano
• Fizzy Sherbet Powder Candy Recipe
• How to Make a Homemade Volcano That Smokes
• How to Make a Volcano Using Pop Rocks
• Fizzy Sparkling Lemonade Made With Science
• How to Make Non-Toxic Glue From Milk
• Fizzy Potion Recipe
• Effect of Acids and Bases on the Browning of Apples
• 5 Types of Science Fair Projects
• The Dancing Raisin Experiment
• Crystal Projects Photo Gallery
• Make a Cold Pack from Hot Ice

How to Make a Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano at Home

• University of Strathclyde
• Ithaca College

Marilyn Nieves / Getty Images

• Pest Control
• Natural Cleaning
• Green Living
• Thrift & Minimalism
• Sustainable Eating
• Working Time: 11 - 30 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes - 2 hours
• Skill Level: Kid-friendly
• Estimated Cost: $3-5

Building a baking soda volcano in your kitchen is a fun science project with the added "wow" factor of an explosion (without really having anything explode).

It's great for a rainy day, a summer afternoon, or any time you're trying to show your kids just how cool science can be. Here's how it's done:

What You'll Need

Ingredients/materials.

• 3 to 7 cups Warm water
• Red food coloring
• 5 drops Dishwashing detergent
• 2 tbsp Baking soda
• 2 cups White vinegar

Supplies/Tools

• Empty soda bottle (2-liter or 20-ounce depending on how big you want your volcano)
• Baking pan or large tray

Instructions

Create your baking soda volcano.

Place the plastic bottle inside a baking pan or large tray and mold your volcano around it.

For a quick and easy alternative, reach for play dough and let the kids use their creativity to mold the volcano. If you have more time—or would like to keep the kids entertained longer—use paper-mache or clay (try making these fun materials using dryer lint ), or make your play dough with a few simple ingredients.

Simple DIY Play Dough Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 cups of flour
• 2 cups of salt
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 cups lukewarm water

Mix all ingredients together until you get a moldable consistency—smooth and firm.

Keep in mind that clay and paper-mache will need time to dry, but they should create a sturdy structure that will also be fun to paint.

Whichever technique you choose to create your volcanic cone, be sure to keep the bottle opening free of material. Use the bottle cap or cover the opening with tape to prevent any material from getting in the bottle.

Load Your Baking Soda Volcano

Using the funnel, fill the bottle two-thirds full with warm water and a few drops of food coloring.

Add the dishwashing detergent and baking soda to the liquid in the bottle and give it a gentle stir.

Prepare for the Explosion

Before adding the final ingredient, ensure you're wearing protection over your eyes. Keep your face away from the volcano as the mixture may shoot up quite a bit, especially if you use a smaller bottle.

As precisely as possible (without using the funnel), pour the vinegar into the bottle and prepare for your miniature-sized volcanic eruption.

Baking soda and vinegar mixed together produce carbon dioxide gas , which bubbles up (with the help of detergent) and forces the "lava" to erupt.

Variations of the Baking Soda Volcano

The same ingredients can be used for a few versions of this volcanic experiment.

In this simple variation, you'll mix the baking soda with water to make a slurry which will be added at the end (you'll need a clean plastic cup and a spoon to mix it).

You'll also use a smaller bottle, so the explosion will seem bigger. Be sure to place your volcano in a large tray to contain the mess or make this an outdoor activity. Eye protection is especially important.

• Mold your volcano around a 20-ounce soda bottle. (Follow step 1 above to create your volcano structure.)
• Mix 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of warm water, a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent, and a few drops of food coloring. Add this mixture to the bottle in your volcano.
• In a clean plastic cup, combine 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of water. Use a spoon to mix the slurry thoroughly.
• As quickly as possible, add your baking soda slurry to the bottle and watch your volcano explode.

Give these two homemade volcano experiments a try and see which one creates a cooler explosion! To turn this experience into a complete science lesson, check out Why Do Volcanoes Erupt?

• Make a Small Wind Turbine That Kids Can Help Build
• Natural Dyeing Guide: How to Dye Fabric Using Food Scraps
• 8 Art Supplies You Can Make at Home
• Making Soap: 5 Tips for Homemade Soap
• 25 Things to Do With Old Candle Jars
• How to Make Macrame Plant Hangers for Your Home
• How to Clean Your Solar Lights With Eco-Friendly Materials
• Make Pretty Robin's Eggs With a Simple Cabbage Dye
• Learn How to Make Disposable and Reusable Baby Wipes at Home
• 9 DIY Projects That Reuse Your Old Glass Bottles
• Make a Water Powered Flashlight
• How to Make a Spice Painting
• How to Make Your Own DIY Fire Logs Out of Recycled Newspaper (Video)
• How to Make Rose Water
• How to Make an Orange Pomander
• How to Make an Elderberry Tincture

Enter your email to download PDF and receive updates from OSMO

Scan to get started.

The Assessment App is available only on the Apple App Store . Please scan the QR code below with your iPhone device to download the app.

How To Make a Volcano for Kids

Want To See A Volcano Erupt Up Close? Make Volcanoes Erupt In Your Backyard With The Volcano Science Experiment . The best way to help your child learn puzzling acids and base concepts is by conducting a simple volcano experiment for kids at home. A baking soda vinegar volcano is the best way to teach children about the chemical reaction between acids and bases. Help your child learn how to make a volcano for kids.

• Things You Need For The Volcano Science Project

A Step-By-Step Guide On How to Make A Volcano For Kids

The science behind the volcano eruption experiment, 5 creative ways to make a volcano at home.

A volcano science experiment is a great way to help children understand the lesson on acids and bases. Help your child understand the chemical reaction between acids and bases using this simple science experiment for kids at home. 

Things You Need For The Volcano Science Project 

Making a volcano at home is an easy and fun project to do with your kids. Here is a list of things you need to perform the volcano science project. Most of the materials on the list are inexpensive and easily available. In fact, you might even find them in your pantry.

Things You’ll Need For Volcano Experiment For Kids:

• 100 ml of warm water
• 10 ml of dish soap
• 400 ml of white vinegar
• Empty 2-litre soda bottle
• 2 drops of red food coloring
• Baking soda slurry ( ½ cup baking soda and ½ cup water)

Wondering how to make a homemade volcano? It’s pretty simple. Here is a step-by-step guide to performing the volcano science experiment with your kids.

• Step 1: Mix the dish soap, water, white vinegar, and food coloring and pour it into the empty soda bottle.
• Step 2: Make a baking soda slurry with ½ cup baking soda and ½ cup water. Mix it thoroughly with a spoon, until it’s completely dissolved.
• Step 3: Now, it’s eruption time! Quickly but carefully pour this slurry into the bottle and step back.  Now, watch the volcano erupt and spill out red lava!

Download How To Make Volcano Printable

The volcano science experiment will leave your kids in awe as the homemade volcano erupts and spills out red lava. Help them understand the science behind the experiment by asking them questions and giving them hints. Here is a list of questions to help you start.

• What did you learn from the volcano eruption experiment? 
• Why do you think the liquid in the soda bottle erupted when you added the baking soda slurry to it?
• How does the volcano science project work?

The homemade volcano erupts because of a chemical reaction between an acid and a base. The acetic acid present in the vinegar reacts with the sodium hydrogen carbonate in the baking soda and produces carbon dioxide. The base (sodium hydrogen carbonate) undergoes a decomposing reaction when it is exposed to the acid. This produces a gas called carbon dioxide, which causes the homemade volcano to “erupt!” The dish soap becomes foamy and the bubbles and spill out like lava.

Do you know there are several ways to make a volcano at home? Now that you know the science behind volcano eruptions, here are 5 more ways to make a volcano at home!

Tape Volcano

Things you need:

• Tall plastic container
• Baking soda
• Acrylic paints
• Plastic plate

Instructions:  

• Step 1: For this baking soda vinegar volcano, tape the top of your tall plastic container to the side of your plastic plate. The plate serves as the base for your volcano. Continue to add tape around your container in this fashion. 
• Step 2: Paint your ‘volcano’ with acrylic paint. (We recommend using brown paint) 
• Step 3: Once you’re done making your volcano, add a few drops of baking soda and vinegar inside the volcano and watch it erupt! You can add some red food coloring to make the volcano look more realistic with red lava spilling out.

Ice Volcano

• Plastic wrap
• Small bowls
• Step 1: To build an ice volcano, place a ball (that doesn’t float) at the bottom of each bowl. Line each of these bowls with plastic wrap. 
• Step 2: Next, add a mixture of baking soda, water, and food coloring to these bowls so that they completely cover the ball underneath. 
• Step 3: Place these bowls in the freezer for some time. 
• Step 4: Once they’re frozen, pry out your ‘volcano’ from the bowls and add a few drops of vinegar into it. Your ice volcano will erupt as soon as the vinegar touches it!

Sand Volcano

• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 2 cups vinegar
• Empty plastic bottle
• Red/orange food coloring

Instructions: Want to build a sand volcano in your backyard? Here’s how you can do it. 

• Step 1: First, place an empty plastic bottle in a mound of sand. 
• Step 2: Use a funnel to add some baking soda to the bottle. 
• Step 3: Mix some food coloring and vinegar together and pour this mixture inside the bottle and watch your volcano erupt!

Mini Volcanoes

• Red, blue, green, yellow, orange and pink food coloring

Instructions: Here’s how to make a volcano for kids using an egg carton. 

• Step 1: Cut out the bottom of each egg holder in your egg carton and flip it over. You’ll notice that each slot now looks like a mini volcano. 
• Step 2: Pour some baking soda into each slot. 
• Step 3: Then, add some colored vinegar solution (vinegar + food coloring) into the slot. You can create several different colored eruptions in this way. The colorful eruptions will leave your child in awe.

Newspaper Volcano

• Large plastic bottle
• Cellulose adhesive

Instructions: Make a volcano at home using newspaper! 

• Step 1: First, place a bottle in the middle of your cardboard base. Apply the adhesive paste all over the cardboard and glue the crumpled newspaper over it. 
• Step 2: Then, glue the newspaper around your bottle too, and paint the entire structure to ensure it looks like a volcano. Set it aside and allow it to dry for a couple of hours or days. 
• Step 3: When it’s ready, ask your child to pour the baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring into the bottle to make the volcano erupt.

We hope you enjoy making these volcano science projects with your little one. These experiments hone their understanding of science and instill in them a sense of creativity and imagination. 

For more fun kids learning games and activities, check the rest of our website!

Frequently Asked Questions on How To Make a Volcano for Kids

What are the materials used for making a volcano for kids.

The materials used for making a volcano for kids are luke warm water, white vinegar, soda bottle, dish soap, red coloring solution, and baking soda slurry.

How To Make a Volcano for Kids?

To make volcano for kids, firstly take a soda bottle and mix water, dish soap, food coloring and white vinegar. Then, make baking soda slurry and add slowly to this solution. Let the children watch the volcano erupt and understand the concept of eruption properly.

Subscribe to Osmo & get

your first purchase

You’ve been subscribed with

Check the welcome mail to download the printables and avail your discount.

Explore our award-winning products for kids learning.

* Offer valid only for 7 days.

Science Fun

How to make a Volcano

• 10 ml of dish soap
• 100 ml of warm water
• 400 ml of white vinegar
• Food coloring
• Baking soda slurry (fill a cup about ½ with baking soda, then fill the rest of the way with water)
• Empty 2 liter soda bottle

Instructions:

NOTE: This should be done outside due to the mess.

• Combine the vinegar, water, dish soap and 2 drops of food coloring into the empty soda bottle.
• Use a spoon to mix the baking soda slurry until it is all a liquid.
• Eruption time! … Pour the baking soda slurry into the soda bottle quickly and step back!

WATCH THE QUICK AND EASY VIDEO TUTORIAL!

How it Works:

A chemical reaction between vinegar and baking soda creates a gas called carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the same type of gas used to make the carbonation in sodas. What happens if you shake up a soda? The gas gets very excited and tries to spread out. There is not enough room in the bottle for the gas to spread out so it leaves through the opening very quickly, causing an eruption!

Extra Experiments:

1. Does the amount of vinegar change the eruption? 2. Does the amount of water change the eruption? 3. Does the amount of baking soda change the eruption?

EXPLORE TONS OF FUN AND EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!

SUBSCRIBE AND NEVER MISS A NEW SCIENCE FUN VIDEO!

previous experiment

Next experiment.

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

Have you entered our back-to-school giveaway? ✨

Every product is independently selected by (obsessive) editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

How To Make a Baking Soda Volcano With Free Observation Sheet

This experiment will have kids erupting with applause!

The classic baking soda volcano experiment has been entertaining kids (and adults) of all ages for decades. But it’s more than just a lot of fun. This experiment also teaches kids about simple chemical reactions and physical properties. The best part? It’s easy to do and uses only a few basic ingredients. Read on to see how to conduct the baking soda volcano experiment, and fill out the form on this page to grab your free recording sheet!

How does the baking soda volcano experiment work?

This experiment involves pouring vinegar mixed with dish soap into a small amount of baking soda. The baking soda acts as a base while the vinegar is an acid. When the base and the acid come together, they create an endothermic reaction that produces carbon dioxide. The dish soap helps to create the foaming effect as the “lava” pours out of the volcano.

What does the baking soda volcano teach?

The baking soda volcano experiment is a great way to demonstrate a chemical reaction between an acid and a carbonate. When the carbonate (found in the baking soda) is exposed to the acids (found in the vinegar), it creates a decomposition reaction that releases carbon dioxide as gas. While this experiment is an example of an acid-base reaction, it’s also a great simulation of a real volcanic eruption.

Is there a baking soda volcano video?

This video shows how to make a volcano erupt using ingredients you can probably find in your kitchen.

Materials needed

To do the baking soda volcano experiment, you will need:

• Baking soda
• Food coloring
• Mini Paper Cups
• Plastic Volcano Form

Our free recording sheet is also helpful—fill out the form on this page to grab it.

Baking soda volcano experiment steps:

1. to start, place a tiny paper cup into the hole at the top of the plastic volcano mold..

2. Once your volcano is set up, pour 1 to 2 teaspoons of baking soda into the paper cup.

3. Next, add about a half cup of vinegar into a plastic measuring cup.

4. Add a few squirts of dish soap to the vinegar solution.

5. Add some squirts of red and yellow food coloring to the vinegar mixture.

6. Use a plastic spoon to mix all the ingredients in the plastic measuring cup together.

7. Pour the vinegar solution into the small paper cup at the top of the volcano.

8. Finally, watch and enjoy the eruption!

Grab our free baking soda volcano experiment worksheet

Fill out the form on this page to get your free worksheet. The worksheet asks kids to guess the correct order of the steps in the experiment. Next, kids must make a prediction about what they think will happen. They can use the provided spaces to draw what happens before and after they add the ingredients. Did their predictions come true?

Additional reflection questions

• What role does the dish soap play in the reaction that occurs?
• How would it be different if you added baking soda to the vinegar instead of the other way around?
• What do you think would happen if you added a different liquid than vinegar?
• What do you think would happen if you added more baking soda?

Can the baking soda volcano experiment be done for a science fair?

Yes! If you want to do this experiment for a science fair, we recommend switching up some of the variables. For example: Does the amount of baking soda matter? Does the type of dish soap? Form a hypothesis about how changing the variables will impact the experiment. Good luck!

Looking for more experiment ideas? Check out our  big list of experiment ideas here.

Plus, be sure to subscribe to our newsletters for more articles like this., you might also like.

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

Kids will erupt with excitement! Continue Reading

Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

• FREE Experiments
• Kitchen Science
• Climate Change
• Egg Experiments
• Fairy Tale Science
• Edible Science
• Human Health
• Inspirational Women
• Forces and Motion
• Science Fair Projects
• STEM Challenges
• Science Sparks Books
• Contact Science Sparks
• Science Resources for Home and School

Volcano Experiment – Baking Soda Volcano

March 20, 2018 By Emma Vanstone 1 Comment

When you think of great science experiments for kids one of the first that springs to mind is probably a baking soda volcano and vinegar volcano. I remember making one with my little brother in the kitchen when he was about 4 or 5. Baking soda volcanoes and coke floats were our favourite summer activities.

You might also like our 10 science experiments every child should try at least once with a free printable checklist to work through.

A baking soda volcano eruption is a fantastic first demonstration of a chemical reaction as the ingredients are safe ( although do wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from vinegar )

Why does a baking soda and vinegar reaction happen?

If you combine an acid and an alkali they react together to neutralise each other. Vinegar is an acid and bicarbonate of soda is  an alkali.

The reaction releases carbon dioxide gas, which is the bubbles you see. If you add washing up liquid ( dish soap ) to your eruption mix the bubbles make the washing up liquid bubble up, giving the appearance of lava erupting from a volcano .

How to make a baking soda volcano

What you need to make a baking soda volcano.

Basically you need the ingredients for the volcano eruption , a jar or small bottle for the eruption to happen in and something to use as the volcano part.

Volcano – sand, snow, modroc etc

Small jar or bottle

Red food colouring

Baking soda

Volcano Instructions

I don’t usually measure an exact amount of each, but a good dollop of baking soda, a squirt of dish soap and a bit of red food colouring mixed with a little water should give you a good eruption. If it doesn’t, add a bit more baking soda.

If you want to make a very quick and easy baking soda volcano a  sand volcano is a good option, or a snow volcano !

Volcano Experiment Extension Ideas

What happens if you don’t use the dish soap? Can you predict what might happen before trying it?

What happens if you add extra dish soap?

Volcano Experiment Extra Challenge s

Can you think of an acidic fruit you could use to make an baking soda volcano eruption without adding vinegar?

Create a papier mache volcano ? We love this version from Red Ted Art.

Design a multicoloured volcano? We split our jar in half and poured yellow food colouring into one half and red into the other for this.

What’s your favourite baking soda volcano to make?

What is a volcano?

A volcano is a mountain that contains a magma ( rock so hot it has turned into a liquid ) chamber. The magma chamber is filled with liquid rock. If enough pressure builds inside the chamber the volcano can explode shooting the magma from the top! When magma is on the surface of the Earth we call it lava! This is a volcanic eruption and can cause a lot

Make a model of a famous volcano

Another idea is to make a model of a famous volcano. In my book This Is Rocket Science one of the activities is to make a baking soda Olympus Mons . It’s a great way to learn about chemical reactions, volcanoes and Mars!!

Contains affiliate links

Last Updated on March 2, 2021 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

March 21, 2018 at 2:44 pm

My kids just love making erupting volcanoes – they are really fascinated by them. Love your challenges and extension ideas – will defo give them a try!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Mama's Must-Haves

Your cart is currently empty!

Volcano experiment for kids

Making a volcano experiment is a fun and easy way to teach your kids of all ages about science. All you need is baking soda, vinegar, and a little creativity! This is a great simple science experiment for kids of all ages, including pre-schoolers . And the best part is that it never gets old – You can make simple volcanoes with an empty soda bottle, or get creative and make them with dirt, sand, or snow!

Below are the steps to make your own volcano experiment at home. You can jump right to the instructions if you want .

What is a volcano experiment for kids?

This is an excellent activity for young scientists – Especially those who love dinos ! Learn why we think science for kids is so important in this post.

Essentially, it’s where you use your creativity to create a volcano base and you create a chemical reaction by mixing a baking soda slurry with vinegar. The reason there’s an eruption is that baking soda ( sodium bicarbonate ) is a base, but vinegar ( acetic acid) is an acid. First, the reaction makes carbonic acid. This is an unstable reaction , so it breaks down into a gas called carbon dioxide and water … This is the bubbly and fizzy reaction you see! The foamy bubbles are created as this reacts with the soap, making it bubble up and overflow.

Download a scientific method worksheet before starting

This is totally optional, but you may want to head over to my TpT store and download the  Scientific Method   worksheet for free. This way, you can emphasize key learning moments while introducing your preschooler to the scientific method. By practicing this, they will become confident in their ability to hypothesize, test, and evaluate experiments!

Plus, if you write down the step-by-step instructions and tuck this away in a folder for later, they can re-create the same activity another time.

Making a baking soda vinegar volcano: What you’ll need

I’ll list the basic ingredients and materials for a volcano, but remember – For the base, you can get as creative as you want! I’ll share some ideas for that below.

Here is everything you will need to make your own volcano experiment at home:

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dish soap
• A container for the “lava” to pour out of (your base)
• A container to mix the baking soda/water/dish soap
• A spoon for mixing

Optional Ingredients:

• I usually let the kiddos add this and we come up with a number of drops that makes sense! Usually 5 or so is good
• These add a fun popping sound to the volcano! If you find some, they’re a super fun addition, but even without them this volcano science experiment is pretty cool

Do I need dish soap and food coloring?

Not at all. The food coloring just makes things more exciting. Usually, I’ll opt for red food coloring so it looks like lava pouring out of the top. But if I’m doing this with a small group then I’ll let the kiddos decide.

As for the soap, adding it increases the reaction time and creates more bubbles than without. But, that being said, I did this experiment for many years without the soap and it was just as fun!

How to make a volcano

This baking soda volcano is super easy! With only 3 supplies needed, it’s also one of my favorite science experiments. All you need to do is make a baking soda slurry then pour the vinegar in at the end and you’ll have volcano eruptions!

Instructions:

• Add all of the other ingredients before the water! You only want to put enough water that you can pour your baking soda slurry.
• Pour your slurry into the volcano base (or, if you built your base you could just put this cup right inside).
• Finally, pour in the vinegar!
• Stand back, your vinegar reaction will make your volcano erupt!

What do I need for the volcano base?

In the photo above, we went all out and made our own paper mache volcano. Am I usually this extra? Nope! But, there was a pretty intense heat wave at the time and we needed a good activity to keep us busy over the week. Making this meant we could spend lots of time designing and crafting before we actually saw an eruption.

As for the base, you can use whatever you have available! Here are some ideas to get you started though:

• Dirt/sand volcano: Next time you build a sand castle, try building a functioning volcano! Just build your base around an empty cup or soda bottle
• Playdo/plasticine volcano: Same idea – Build your base around an empty cup or empty soda bottle
• Snow volcano: So, after making a dirt volcano and graduating to the paper mache version months later, the kiddos were still excited about this well into the winter months. Naturally, we had to try to make a snow-cano too! It worked just as well as any other
• Paper mache: Again, this is very extra. But, if you want a minimum 3 day craft, it’s totally worth it! We built the base, painted it, glued on accessories like DIY trees and mini dinos, then on the final day made it erupt with the baking soda and vinegar mixture! Totally worth the wait.

What do I do when the volcano stops erupting?

Unfortunately, your carbon dioxide mixture won’t erupt forever! In fact, the eruption time is pretty short. But, the nice thing about this easy volcano experiment is it’s easy to re-make .

First, try adding vinegar to the dormant volcano. It will likely cause another eruption because there will be a leftover baking soda mixture in the bottom of the container.

Then, try adding more baking soda. You can always mix vinegar in after to use it all up, but I find that even though kiddos love watching this fun activity, they’ve usually had enough fun after a few eruptions!

Should I do this experiment outside or inside?

Volcano science should probably be an outdoors experiment if you can. Because you’ll probably add red food coloring, for example, you don’t want your counters to be left orange from a stain. And, the eruption can be pretty messy! It’s easier to deal with inside than wiping up the vinegar and baking soda from the floor.

Also, do this experiment in a well-ventilated area if you choose to stay indoors. Realistically, you could make the baking soda and vinegar volcano in a tub to contain the mess. But, since you create carbon dioxide when the vinegar reacts with the baking soda, you’ll want to avoid breathing it in.

We hope you’ve loved this easy science experiment! Kiddos love to watch the lava ooze out of their homemade volcano and love hearing the chemical reaction take place as the baking soda and vinegar erupt.

This experiment is great for children of any age because it can be as basic or as complex as you make it. Kids can choose to make a base out of an empty water bottle and simply enjoy watching the volcano erupt, or you can get super scientific about it. For example, you could make this for a science fair project where the kids go into detail about the chemical reaction happening here while comparing it to real volcanoes. Or, you can use it as an experiment during a unit where you are exploring rocks and volcanoes.

However you choose to incorporate this easy baking soda volcano into your science time, we would love to see what you created!

Other posts you may enjoy

• Lava lamp experiment
• Static electricity experiment
• Oobleck recipe

More science posts

Searching for more science experiments and science-related activities to do with your little ones? Check out this category to see all of our posts about science for kids!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Accept cookies?

We use cook ies  to give you the best online experience and to show personalised content and marketing. We use them to improve our website and content as well as to tailor our digital advertising on third-party platforms. You can change your preferences at any time.  

Popular search terms:

• British wildlife
• Wildlife Photographer of the Year
• Explore the Museum

Anthropocene

British Wildlife

Collections

Human evolution

• What on Earth?

During Beta testing articles may only be saved for seven days.

Create a list of articles to read later. You will be able to access your list from any article in Discover.

You don't have any saved articles.

How to make a volcano

Volcanic eruptions are one of the most powerful natural forces on our planet.

Making your own miniature erupting volcano is a great, safe way to start learning about these incredible geological features. 

Watch the video above to find out how to make a volcano model from household items, then stand back and watch it erupt.  

Read on for written instructions and to discover more about volcanoes.

How to make an erupting volcano model

For the volcano model:.

• Two A3 sheets of card
• 200 ml plastic bottle
• Paint and paintbrushes

For the eruption:

• 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 1 tbsp washing up liquid
• 2 tbsp water
• ½ cup vinegar
• 1 tbsp red food colouring

1. Place your bottle upside down in the centre of a sheet of card and draw a small circle around the neck.

2. Cut a straight line through the card to the middle of the circle, and cut it out.

In the middle of the card, draw around the bottleneck and cut out the circle

3. Overlap the two sides of the card to make a cone shape. Tape this into place, leaving a hole where you cut out the circle. Cut around the base of the cone so that it sits flat, but make sure that it is still taller than your bottle.

4. Place the cone over the bottle. Tape the top of the paper cone to the neck of the bottle to hold it in place. Tape the base of the cone to the other sheet of card.

5. Use paint to decorate the cone and make it look like a volcano. Allow your model to fully dry. 

Cut away the card at the base of the cone so that it sits flat

6. In a bowl, combine the bicarbonate of soda and washing up liquid. Add the water and mix thoroughly. Pour this mixture into your volcano.

7. In a cup, mix together the vinegar and food colouring.

8. When you're ready, pour the vinegar into the bottle with the bicarbonate. Wait for it to erupt and watch how the lava flows.

9. Experiment with different amounts of bicarbonate and vinegar and see how the volcano's eruption changes.

Stand back and watch your volcano erupt

Take care when handling the eruption ingredients and stand back when watching the eruption to make sure you don't get any in your eyes. Make sure you are working in a well ventilated area.

To make cleaning up easier, it's best to stand your model on a wipe-clean surface.

What is a volcano?

Rather than being one solid surface, Earth's crust and the uppermost parts of the mantle (together called the lithosphere) are broken into several tectonic plates that float over the asthenosphere. This is a deeper layer of rock that is a solid but flows very slowly.

This slow process moves the plates further apart (divergent boundary) or closer together (convergent boundary), or causes them to slide past each other (transform boundary).

Volcanoes typically form at divergent and convergent boundaries, but are also seen in hot spots in the middle of tectonic plates. 

Mount Fuji is one of the world's most famous active volcanoes. It last erupted in the early 1700s and is located about 100 kilometres from Japan's capital city, Tokyo, although some smaller cities sit much closer. © Marion & Christoph Aistleitner via Wikimedia Commons ( CC0 )

Volcanoes are an opening of the Earth's crust through which molten rock, gases and ash can escape. This mixture of materials is called magma while it's underground, lava when it is erupted and igneous rock once it's cooled and solidified on the surface.

Volcanoes are typically high ground or mountains, sometimes with very steep sides made from the magma that erupted.

Types of volcano

Volcanoes come in a variety of shapes and sizes, primarily caused by the different types of magma, but also by how volcanoes behave and where they're located.

Stratovolcanoes

Stratovolcanoes are the most common and perhaps most recognisable type of volcano. Stratovolcanoes are steep-sloped and cone-shaped. They are also known as composite volcanoes.

They mostly produce explosive eruptions and are most commonly associated with convergent plate boundaries. Their lava is sticky (viscous), which means that it doesn't usually spread too far before cooling on the surface, giving the volcano a tall and cone-shaped profile.

Mount St Helens, a stratovolcano in the United States, famously erupted in May 1980. An explosive lateral blast occurred when a strong earthquake caused a massive landslide that collapsed the northern face of the mountain. This reduced pressure and allowing the volcano to explode from its side. © Harry Glicken , USGS/CVO via Wikimedia Commons

The violent 79 AD eruption of the still-active stratovolcano Mount Vesuvius in Italy is regarded as the deadliest in European history. It may have killed more than 16,000 people in total.

Several settlements were destroyed by its pyroclastic flow, the most famous being the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. Pyroclastic flow is a very hot mixture of ash, gases and other volcanic materials that moves at high speed along the flank of the volcano.  

This was a Plinian eruption, with jets of magma and gases emerging from the volcano at high speeds. These types of eruptions can last for several days and cause a plume of superheated ash and gas that can expand and reach a height of 55 kilometres.

Stromboli is another of Italy's active stratovolcanoes, but it behaves differently to Vesuvius. This island volcano has been exhibiting a pattern of eruption for 2,000 years. Mildly explosive blasts of magma - called fire fountains - consistently occur from a few minutes to a few hours apart. This type of eruption is known as strombolian and is exhibited by other volcanoes around the world, such as by Mount Erebus in Antarctica.

A gouache painting by Mauton of Mount Vesuvius erupting in 1836. Image courtesy of  Wellcome Collection , Public Domain

Shield volcanoes

Shield volcanoes are generally not as tall as stratovolcanoes, although they can still reach great heights. Olympus Mons is a shield volcano on the planet Mars . It's the largest volcano in the solar system at around 25 kilometres tall and 624 metres in diameter.

A shield volcano's eruptions are usually gentle and non-explosive and are instead known for their lava flows and fountains. Shield volcanoes have runny lava (low viscosity) that travels further than the stickier lava of stratovolcanoes. This flowing lava results in the far-reaching, gently sloping sides of these volcanoes.

Mauna Kea is a dormant shield volcano in Hawaii. Its peak is the highest point in the state of Hawaii, at 4,207 metres above sea level © Nula666 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Shield volcanoes are typically located on hot spots found across tectonic plates rather than at the boundaries. The best known are the Hawaiian volcanoes such as Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and Kīauea.

Other volcanoes around the world also exhibit gentle Hawaiian eruptions. This type of eruption can produce lava fountains that can be hundreds of metres tall and travel at speeds of up to 100 metres per second.

Cinder cones

Cinder cones are relatively small volcanoes made from loose volcanic material. Most are short-lived and can grow on the sides of larger volcanoes. They typically form through an explosive eruption or lava fountain from a single vent.

One of the best known is Parícutin, a volcano that suddenly formed in a cornfield in Michoacán, Mexico, beginning in 1943. Due to its continuous strombolian eruptions, the volcano grew until its eruptions ceased in 1952. It had reached 300 metres tall.

Parícutin was the first time that volcanologists were able to document the full life cycle of a volcano. 

The cinder cone volcano, Parícutin, erupting in 1943 © Bodil Christensen via Wikimedia Commons

Supervolcanoes

The largest and most explosive volcanoes on Earth are popularly called supervolcanoes , although this isn't a scientifically defined type of volcano. These enormous volcanoes produce giant calderas - volcanic craters formed by the collapse of the volcano itself when the magma chamber below was emptied by an eruption.

One of the most famous is Yellowstone in the United States, which has a caldera around 72 by 55 kilometres. The Yellowstone supervolcano last erupted around 630,000 years ago. 

The Yellowstone supervolcano is well known for its geothermal activity in the form of hot springs, fumaroles and geysers 

There are around 20 known supervolcano sites around the world. The most recent supereruption was of Taupo volcano in New Zealand around 26,500 years ago.

The eruption of the Indonesian supervolcano Toba around 73,000 years ago is also thought to have triggered a drop of 2-3 degrees Celsius in air temperature globally, causing a five- to seven-year volcanic winter. This eruption may have had an profound impact on the course of the human species.

• Your question

Ask our scientists

Do you have a burning question about science or nature you want answered? Fill out the form below and we'll work with our scientists to answer some of them in our online magazine Discover  or on our  YouTube channel .

This new feature is in beta.  Find out more . 

Find out more

Supervolcanoes and their enormous eruptions

Discover what a supervolcano is, what their eruptions are like and how they impact our planet. 

The 1883 Krakatau eruption: a year of blue Moons

The mystery of blue Moons lies in the ashes of volcanic eruptions.

Inside the mind of a volcano

As the new Volcanoes and Earthquakes gallery prepares to blast open, Museum volcanologist talks about predicting disasters and exploring off limits on the slopes of volcanoes.

Exploring Martian mysteries in lceland's volcanoes

Learn how Iceland's volcanic terrain is shaping the way scientists explore the surface of Mars.

Don't miss a thing

Receive email updates about our news, science, exhibitions, events, products, services and fundraising activities. We may occasionally include third-party content from our corporate partners and other museums. We will not share your personal details with these third parties. You must be over the age of 13. Privacy notice .

Follow us on social media

Get Your ALL ACCESS Shop Pass here →

How To Make A Volcano For Kids

Have you ever made a homemade volcano project where you built the volcano from scratch? If not, we’ll show you how! Find out how to make a volcano model that erupts at home or in the classroom! A homemade volcano is a great science fair project ! Getting started with science is easy; getting kids to stop once they’re hooked is not so easy!

WHAT IS A VOLCANO?

The easiest definition of a volcano is a hole in the earth, but we recognize it as a landform (usually a mountain) where molten rock or magma erupts through the earth’s surface.

There are two main shapes of volcanoes called composites and shields. Composite volcanoes have steep sides and look like cones, whereas a shield volcano has more gently sloping sides and is wider.

TRY: Learn about volcanos with this edible plate tectonics activity and layers of the earth model. Plus, check out more fun volcano facts for kids!

Volcanoes are classified as dormant, active, and extinct. One of the most active volcanoes today is in Mauna Loa, Hawaii.

Is it magma or lava?

Well, it’s actually both! Magma is the liquid rock inside the volcano, and once it spills out of it, it is called lava. Lava will burn everything in its path.

You May Also Like: Geology Activities For Kids

HOW DOES A VOLCANO ERUPT?

Well, it’s not because of baking soda and vinegar! But it is due to escaping gasses and pressure. But in our homemade volcano below, we use a baking soda and vinegar chemical reaction to mimic the gas produced in a volcano. Baking soda and vinegar are the best ingredients for a homemade volcano!

The chemical reaction produces a gas (read more about how it works further on) which pushes the liquid up and out of the container. This is similar to an actual volcano where gas builds up underneath the earth’s surface and forces the magma up through the hole in the volcano, causing an eruption.

Some volcanoes erupt with an explosive spray of lava and ash, whereas some, like the active volcano in Hawaii, the lava flows out the opening. It all depends on the shape and the opening! The more confined space, the more explosive the eruption.

Our sandbox volcano is an excellent example of an explosive volcano. Another similar example is our mentos and coke experiment .

Read more about the science behind baking soda and vinegar experiments .

VOLCANO PROJECT FOR KIDS

Working on a science fair project? Then check out these helpful resources below and make sure to grab our free printable science fair project pack below and look for a volcano activity pack at the very bottom of this page!

• Easy Science Fair Projects
• Science Project Tips From A Teacher
• Science Fair Board Ideas

Grab this FREE Science Project Pack to get star ted today!

SALT DOUGH VOLCANO

Now that you know a little more about volcanoes, how about we make a simple volcano model. This baking soda volcano is made with our simple salt dough recipe. The extra time and effort it takes to make this volcano will be well worth it and is an excellent project for kids of all ages.

If you want a mess free volcano project, check out our paper volcano diorama!

• A batch of salt dough
• Small plastic water bottle
• Baking Soda
• Food Coloring
• Dish soap (optional)

HOW TO A MAKE A VOLCANO

STEP 1:  First, you will want to whip up a batch of our salt dough.

• 2 cups all-purpose bleached flour
• 1 cup of salt
• 1 cup of warm water

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl, and form a well in the center. Add the warm water to the dry ingredients and mix until it forms a dough.

TIP: If the salt dough looks a little runny, you might be tempted to add more flour. Before you do this, allow the mixture to rest for a few moments! That will give the salt a chance to absorb the extra moisture.

STEP 2:  You want to form the salt dough around a small empty water bottle. Create a composite or shield volcano shape that you learned about above.

Depending on the shape you want, the time to let it dry, and the bottle you have, you might want to make two batches of salt dough! Set your volcano aside to dry for at least 24 hours.

We made a composite-shaped volcano! 

TIP: If you have leftover salt dough, you can make these earth-inspired ornaments!

STEP 3:  Once your volcano is dry, it’s time to paint it and add your creative touches to resemble the actual land form.

Why not conduct a safe internet search or look through books to get an idea of colors and textures for your volcano. Make it as authentic as possible. Of course, you can add dinos for a theme or not!

STEP 4: Once your volcano is ready to erupt, you need to prepare for the eruption. Add a tablespoon or two of baking soda, food coloring, and a squirt of dish soap to the opening.

STEP 5: Time for the volcano to erupt! Make sure your volcano is on a tray to catch the lava flow. Pour the vinegar into the opening and watch. The kiddos are going to want to do this one over and over again!

HOW DOES A BAKING SODA AND VINEGAR REACTION WORK?

Chemistry is all about states of matter , including liquids, solids, and gases. A chemical reaction occurs between two or more substances that change and form a new substance.

In this case, you have an acid (liquid: vinegar) and a base (solid: baking soda), reacting to make a gas called carbon dioxide. Learn more about acids and bases . The gas is what produces the eruption, you can see.

The carbon dioxide escapes the mixture in the form of bubbles. You can even hear them if you listen closely. The bubbles are heavier than air, so the carbon dioxide collects at the surface of the salt dough volcano or overflows depending on how much baking soda and vinegar you add.

For our erupting volcano, dish soap is added to collect the gas and form bubbles that give it a more robust volcano lava-like flow down the side! That equals more fun! You don’t have to add dish soap, but it’s worth it.

MORE FUN BAKING SODA VOLCANOES

There are so many fun ways to experiment with a baking soda and vinegar chemical reaction , Why not try one of these cool variations…

• LEGO Volcano
• Pumpkin Volcano
• Apple Volcano
• Puking Volcano
• Erupting Watermelon
• Snow Volcano
• Lemon Volcano (No Vinegar Needed)
• Erupting Volcano Slime

VOLCANO INFORMATION PACK

Grab this instant download for a short time! Click here for your volcano activity pack .

WANT TO EXPLORE SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS?

Is it science fair season where you are? Or do you need a quick science fair project? We’ve got you covered with a quick list of solid science fair projects to try as well as a free 10-page science fair pack download to help get you started. Click on the image below or the link for more easy science projects for kids.

Subscribe to receive a free 5-Day STEM Challenge Guide

~ projects to try now ~.

Preschool Inspirations

Preschool Activities and Learning

Easy Outdoor Color Changing Volcano with Baking Soda and Vinegar

February 22, 2018 by Katie T. Christiansen 3 Comments

 This color changing volcano eruption for kids takes an easy baking soda and vinegar volcano to the next level!

We figured out how to make a quick three-minute volcano back in my post about our easy baking soda volcano eruption for kids . Yes, three minutes to prepare and then we wash the volcano away with the garden hose! Talk about the easiest volcano ever! Plus, the kids ask to do it over and over again.

Now, we’ve figured out how to make it color changing, and it is just as awesome! Maybe even better I would say…

We even made a video of this awesome color changing volcano that you can see later in the post!

Easy Color Changing Volcano with Baking Soda and Vinegar for Kids

This is going to be the easiest baking soda and vinegar volcano you ever make. So easy, in fact, that in addition to doing it at home I’ve also done it several times with my preschool classes! It’s an awesome way to include some STEM learning in my preschool curriculum .

• Plastic cup  (We tried a water bottle, but the plastic cup worked much better)
• 3-4 Tbs of baking soda at least (we usually do 4-6 which makes it extra foamy and will do 2-3 eruptions)
• 1 tsp of dish soap
• 1 cup (8 oz) of Vinegar to start with per eruption…then they’ll be asking for more 🙂

I know that traditional volcano recipes use water bottles, but I found that having a big opening made our volcano even better. I think the smaller height helped too.

Baking soda is also known as bicarb, depending on where you live.

Use whatever dish soap you like.

We use washable tempera paint because it comes out nice and bright. But if you prefer food coloring , then you can definitely use it. Food coloring does stain, so that’s why I avoided it.

In order to make it color changing, choose primary colors. We used red paint and then blue paint to make purple. Then we did blue and yellow. And of course you can do red and yellow.

For the vinegar, we get the big container of it at Costco or Sam’s because the kids love doing this over and over. And when my preschool classes do it, I have to find a way for lots of little hands to get their turns too.

Location: 

an area with pea gravel, sand, or dirt

I absolutely love making this color changing volcano outdoors! It’s soooo easy to clean up afterward! Find a sandbox, an area with pea gravel, or any place you can make a dirt mound. In fact, you can even do this with snow! I used to live in Colorado where we made snow projects all the time. Now we live in the desert of Phoenix, and I only wish I could make snow projects again!

Base Ingredients

You are going to combine what I call the “base ingredients.”

• Baking soda or bicarb
• Washable Paint (this is one of our favorite brands)

Start off by combining the “base ingredients.” Put the water inside of the plastic cup. Fill it about 2/3 full.

You can do this part in the kitchen or in the volcano mound itself — whatever is easiest!

By using washable paint, you don’t have to worry about any staining on the rocks (or little fingers) that food coloring might cause. I tried liquid watercolor as well, but it doesn’t work nearly as well as the washable paint.

While you mix the base ingredients, have the kiddos make a mound out of pea gravel (or you could certainly do this with dirt). Once you have a mound, put the cup on top of it, and turn it into a mountain.  How easy is that!

How to make a color changing baking soda and vinegar eruption for kids

Put the cup with the base ingredients into the mound of sand, dirt, pea gravel, snow, or whatever else you use.

We give it a good stir just before adding the last ingredient (the vinegar).

Now it’s time for the eruption!

Pour in the vinegar until it starts foaming over, pouring the lava all over the rocks.

Now time to make it color changing.

Add your second primary color.

Stir really well!

And watch it change color again!

Color Changing Baking Soda and Vinegar Eruption for Kids Video

And now here you can see it in action!

This is the best part! Usually, cleaning up volcanoes takes forever. Not this time.

Just pull out the garden hose, and wash it all away.

Almost all clean.

You can’t even tell we’ve spent the last 20 minutes having a blast!

Want to see some more ways to use baking soda as a great learning tool for children? Here are our favorite fun and easy baking soda and science experiments .

Easy Color-Changing Volcano

• Plastic Cup
• 12-14 oz water
• 4-6 TBSP baking soda
• 1 tsp dish soap
• 1-2 oz washable paint or food coloring
• 24 oz vinegar, divide

Instructions

• Place a plastic cup in a mound of dirt or rocks.
• Fill the cup 2/3 with water
• Add 4-6 tablespoons baking soda
• Add 1-2 oz paint or food coloring, depending on the intensity of the desired color
• Stir well to combine
• Add approx. 8 oz vinegar, or until the "lava" starts foaming over
• Enjoy the eruption!
• Add another color of paint or food coloring and mix well
• Pour on another 8 oz vinegar to erupt avain
• Add a third color and mix well
• Add the remaining vinegar to erupt a third time
• For clean-up, wash away with a garden hose

This works best with primary colors of paint or food coloring, but experiment to see what combinations you like best!

• Recent Posts

• Rainbow Sensory Bottle - March 3, 2024
• Teaching Neurodivergent Children in Early Childhood Education - January 8, 2024
• Creating Musical Memories: Teaching Music in Preschool - October 6, 2023

April 14, 2018 at 6:09 pm

Have you done this in a classroom instead of outside? Would/is the smell of the vinegar too powerful for the classroom? My kids would love this!

April 22, 2018 at 7:16 pm

Hi Shelby, I’ve done a number of vinegar experiments in the classroom (although not this one), and the smell is never a big deal. Enjoy!

[…] Indonesia. Then, we watched part of this video about Jakarta. What is more fun than creating a volcano!! The kids enjoyed the volcano SO much we are going to do it again today! I just love watching the […]

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Save Your Favorite Ideas

Baking Soda Volcano

This classic baking soda volcano science experiment is a fun way to learn about the baking soda and vinegar reaction. Add an additional educational twist by making a color mixing experiment with it!

RELATED : Baking Soda & Vinegar Experiment

Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano

Kids love doing this easy science experiment. Not only is it a fun activity but it’s a great learning exercise too. They can also learn about color mixing if you mix some of the colors together!

To save a step, you can just add your favorite food coloring into the cups and do it that way too!

The Science

What happens when you mix vinegar and baking soda?

You see the bubbling and foaming but what is causing this reaction? The baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a base while the vinegar (acetic acid) is an acid and what you are seeing is an acid/base reaction. Initially, the reaction makes carbonic acid which is unstable and breaks down into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water which is what creates all of the fizzing and bubbles as the gas leaves the water.

Watch the Video Tutorial

Supplies needed to make a baking soda vinegar volcano.

• Baking Soda – we like this large 5 lb bag for activities since it’s more economical
• Concentrated Food Coloring – red, yellow, blue – or you can choose any color you’d like. We like to use this liquid food coloring gel since it’s concentrated and makes the colors really vibrant
• Squeeze Bottle
• Dish Soap – any kind should work
• A Popsicle Stick or Spoon
• A Tray – we like these plastic white serving trays for messy experiments or sensory play

How to Make a Baking Soda Volcano

1. Add 1/4 cup of baking soda to a bowl.

Make 1 bowl for each color you want to do.

2. Add a drop of food coloring into a tablespoon of water.

We made red, yellow and blue primary colors so we could mix them together to make secondary colors.

3. Add the food colored water to your baking soda and mix.

4. Add a spoonful of two colors into a cup for the experiment.

We did red and yellow, blue and yellow, and red and blue to mix primary colors to make secondary colors.

If you don’t want to do color mixing, you can use whatever color you’d like by following the same steps!

Note: Purple will come out more of a dark red color when mixing.

5. Add a drop of dish soap on top.

6. Add half vinegar and half water into a squeeze bottle.

You can use full vinegar also but we like to mix with some water so we don’t have to use as much.

If you don’t have a squeeze bottle, you can use a pouring cup instead.

7. Squeeze a little bit of the vinegar and water mixture into the cup (not enough for it to start exploding out).

Then use a popsicle stick or spoon to mix the two colors together. You should now start to see the new color forming – green, orange or purple.

8. Keep adding the water and vinegar mixture into the cup to make the whole mixture foam and erupt out of the cup like a volcano.

Kids can continue to squeeze more of the vinegar and water mixture until it no longer erupts. Add more baking soda in and continue the experiment!

You can also repeat the experiment by trying all of the color mixing options.

To make it look more like a volcano, you can use red or orange coloring and bury the cup in some sand outside.

More Science Experiments

Try this fun and easy Grow a Rainbow Experiment . You only need washable markers and paper towel!

For another fun experiment, make some oobleck! 

Try a rainbow rain cloud in the jar experiment!

More Science for Kids

Fluffy Slime Recipe

Ice Cream in a Bag

Oil and Water Experiment

Walking Water Experiment

Related ideas:.

How to Make Slime With Contact Solution

How to Make Oobleck

Grow a Rainbow Experiment

Share a comment.

We LOVE hearing from you! Submit your question or comment here.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cancel Reply

Sign up for my FREE newsletter and get new ideas to your inbox!

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Fun with Mama

Toddler and preschool activities

Written by Nadia T • Feb 8, 2024 • 8 Comments

FUN Baking Soda Volcano Experiment For Kids

Have you ever tried the Baking Soda volcano experiment? This has been amongst my children’s FAVORITE activities ever. It is simple to put together and you probably already have everything you need in your kitchen. (Minus the sand.) Read on to see how you can create a volcano science experiment for kids

Volcano Science Experiment

Have you ever tried the baking soda volcano for kids? Watching the volcano explore is truly one of the most surprising and exciting moments for a young child. I love that it can be a science experiment for 3-year-olds all the way to 13-year-olds. It doesn’t lose its excitement. I have started doing science experiments for kids from the time my children were 2 years old. The vinegar and baking soda science experiments are always so easy to put together and definitely have that wow factor!

Related : Lemon Volcano Science Experiment for Kids

If you would prefer to purchase a Volcano set you can do that, but it is also very easy to do with materials you probably already have at home. (We’ve done it both ways… at home and purchased, both equally as amazing to see.)

Please note that affiliate links may be used in this post. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Volcano Experiment Ingredients:

• Sand (it’s in the red dish),
• A glass bottle for the volcano
• Beaker for pouring
• or plastic bottles (I used 1 glass bottle and one pouring cup)
• Red food coloring
• Bicarbonate of soda
• Paper plate or tray –  Basically something just to catch the liquid to prevent mess.

You can always find my favorite kids activity supplies here.

Please note: To make the sand mold to your required shape, mix in a little bit of water.

How to make a volcano science experiment

You can watch the video we created to show you how the experiment works.

First, we will learn how to build the volcano

Mix some red food coloring with vinegar.

Then place damp sand (add some water to the sand to make it moldable) on a tray or paper plate around an empty glass bottle/jar/beaker.

Add some bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to the empty glass bottle using a funnel.

Now you’re baking soda volcano is ready for eruption.

DIY Volcano

Now you are going to learn how to make a volcano erupt.

Pour the red-colored vinegar into the bottle (use a funnel if you need it).

Watch the magic unfold.

When vinegar mixes with baking soda you get the eruption.

Now you have a homemade volcano eruption

Let’s learn the science behind the volcano project

The baking soda and vinegar experiment demonstrates a simple chemical reaction between an acid (vinegar, which contains acetic acid) and a base (baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate). When the two substances are combined, they react to produce carbon dioxide gas, water, and a salt.

Here’s the chemical equation for the reaction:

• Vinegar (acetic acid): CH3COOH
• Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate): NaHCO3

When vinegar (acetic acid) reacts with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), it produces:

CH3COOH + NaHCO3 -> CH3COONa (sodium acetate) + H2O (water) + CO2 (carbon dioxide gas)

The carbon dioxide gas is what causes the fizzing and bubbling reaction you observe in the experiment. The reaction between the acid and the base releases the carbon dioxide gas, which creates bubbles and pushes the mixture upward, resembling an eruption.

This baking soda volcano is one of our favorite science activities for toddlers and preschoolers. It would be wonderful to add to a Dinosaur Theme Activities month.

I hope you learned how to make a volcano erupt with baking soda and that you try it at home or in your classroom.

The baking soda volcano activity makes a great science project for kids at home and should definitely be added to your at home science bucket list.

The volcano science experiment can also be adapted to many different themes and activities. Instead of doing a volcano theme you can incorporate the baking soda and vinegar and do Fizzing Easter Egg Dyeing .

You can find all of our Science Experiments for kids here.

Do you have a science loving kid? Here are more of my favorite science activities for kids:

• Easy Elephant Toothpaste Experiment
• Halloween Science Witch’s Brew Potions
• Pop Rocks and Soda Experiment

Have you tried the Volcano Experiment for kids before? Were your students or children as amazed as mine?

More Fun Baking Soda Science Experiments

The lemon volcano experiment is FUN!

Fizzing Heart Eruptions

Check out this colorful Baking soda and vinegar reaction experiment

Check out the fizzing ice cubes .

Nadia is a mom of 4, with a passion for making childhood education fun through play. She encourages parents to spend quality time with their kids through fun kids activities and enjoys art, traveling, and doing activities with her children.

View all posts from this author

You May Also Enjoy These Posts:

Get easy and instant access to ALL of our printable activities and resources by joining the Fun With Mama printables club.

Get all the details and join here.

Reader Interactions

August 29, 2009 at 2:33 am

I shouldn't let the kids read over my shoulder – now they want to make one too.

August 29, 2009 at 8:51 am

This looks like so much fun! 🙂 I'll have to try it with my son!

August 29, 2009 at 10:39 am

Such a good mama to do some experimenting with your little. All I think about is M-E-S-S! That is my control freak nature, but I'm trying to get over that.

That 5th picture of your son is priceless! You can't beat that!!

August 29, 2009 at 10:59 am

that really cool!

August 31, 2009 at 2:00 pm

Fun, Fun Fun!!!

September 2, 2009 at 2:20 pm

Ooh, the famous soda and vinegar thing. That's what made me want study chemistry – too bad my parents were dead set against it. I read that this project is simpler (and less messy :)) with play-doh, but I haven't tried it out myself yet.

September 7, 2009 at 11:21 am

my son is gonna sqeal with delight if he gets to make this!

[…] in and you might see it on GMSA @ 9 a.m.!Here’s what you’ll need:This activity is courtesy of Fun with Mama.Copyright 2021 by KSAT – All rights reserved.Kaiti Blake is a child […]

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Have you grabbed the latest FREE printables?

• Science Notes Posts
• Contact Science Notes
• Todd Helmenstine Biography
• Anne Helmenstine Biography
• Free Printable Periodic Tables (PDF and PNG)
• Periodic Table Wallpapers
• Interactive Periodic Table
• Periodic Table Posters
• Science Experiments for Kids
• How to Grow Crystals
• Chemistry Projects
• Fire and Flames Projects
• Holiday Science
• Chemistry Problems With Answers
• Physics Problems
• Unit Conversion Example Problems
• Chemistry Worksheets
• Biology Worksheets
• Periodic Table Worksheets
• Physical Science Worksheets
• Science Lab Worksheets
• My Amazon Books

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 .

Related Posts

Enjoy our range of fun science experiments for kids that feature awesome hands-on projects and activities that help bring the exciting world of science to life. Use baking soda and vinegar to create an awesome chemical reaction! Watch as it rapidly fizzes over the container and make sure you've got some towels ready to clean up.     The baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a base while the vinegar (acetic acid) is an acid. When they react together they form carbonic acid which is very unstable, it instantly breaks apart into water and carbon dioxide, which creates all the fizzing as it escapes the solution. For extra effect you can make a realistic looking volcano. It takes some craft skills but it will make your vinegar and baking soda eruptions will look even more impressive!   Science Kids ©  |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |  Updated: Oct 9, 2023 411 IMAGES Cool Volcano Science Experiment with Vinegar and Baking Soda Easy Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano Eruption for Kids Volcano science experiment for Kids to do at home with Vinegar and Baking Soda!!! Colorful Volcano using Baking Soda and Vinegar How to Build a Baking Soda Volcano Science Fair Project Volcano Making & Eruption Experiment Baking soda and Vinegar COMMENTS Easy Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano Eruption for Kids 1 cup (8 oz) of Vinegar to start with per eruption…then they'll be asking for more 🙂. Location: an area with pea gravel, sand, or dirt. Start off by combining the "base ingredients.". Put the water inside of the plastic cup. Fill it about 2/3 full. Add the baking soda, dish soap, and washable paint. Baking Soda And Vinegar Volcano Kitchen Science Experiment Fill the plastic water bottle about halfway full with baking soda. Add a squirt or two of dish soap to the bottle. Pile the sand up around the plastic water bottle to make it look like a volcano. Be sure to leave the mouth of the bottle open and unobstructed. Measure out ½ cup of vinegar. Add a drop or two of red food coloring to the vinegar. Baking Soda & Vinegar Exploding Chemical Volcano The baking soda and vinegar volcano is a fun chemistry project you can do to simulate a real volcanic eruption or as an example of an acid-base reaction.The chemical reaction between baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid) produces carbon dioxide gas, which forms bubbles in dishwashing detergent. How to Make a Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano at Home Steps. Mold your volcano around a 20-ounce soda bottle. (Follow step 1 above to create your volcano structure.) Mix 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of warm water, a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent, and ... How To Make A Volcano For Kids Make Volcanoes Erupt In Your Backyard With The Volcano Science Experiment. The best way to help your child learn puzzling acids and base concepts is by conducting a simple volcano experiment for kids at home. A baking soda vinegar volcano is the best way to teach children about the chemical reaction between acids and bases. Help your child ... Volcano Science Experiment Materials: 10 ml of dish soap 100 ml of warm water 400 ml of white vinegar Food coloring Baking soda slurry (fill a cup about ½ with baking soda, then fill the rest of the way with water) Empty 2 liter soda bottle Instructions: NOTE: This should be done outside due to the mess. Combine the vinegar, water, dish soap and 2 drops of food coloring into the empty soda bottle. Use a spoon to mix ... Baking Soda Volcano Experiment: How-To Plus Free Worksheet Baking soda volcano experiment steps: 1. To start, place a tiny paper cup into the hole at the top of the plastic volcano mold. 2. Once your volcano is set up, pour 1 to 2 teaspoons of baking soda into the paper cup. 3. Next, add about a half cup of vinegar into a plastic measuring cup. 4. Add a few squirts of dish soap to the vinegar solution. 5. Baking Soda Vinegar Volcano STEP 1. Fill the water bottle about a third full (mix in optional food coloring) and a dd about 5 teaspoons of baking soda to it. Put the water bottle cap back on until you are ready. STEP 2. Build a sand mountain or sand volcano around the bottle. STEP 3. Uncap the bottle and p our a good amount, probably a cup of vinegar into the bottle. Volcano Experiment These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely. Easy volcano experiment using a baking soda and vinegar to make the volcano erupt. Make a papeir mache volcano, modroc or sand ... Volcano experiment for kids Ignite their love for science! Making a volcano experiment is a fun and easy way to teach your kids of all ages about science. All you need is baking soda, vinegar, and a little creativity! This is a great simple science experiment for kids of all ages, including pre-schoolers. And the best part is that it never gets old - You can make simple volcanoes with an empty soda ... How to Make an Erupting Volcano Mix vinegar, dish soap, a few drops of water, and a few drops of red food coloring in a plastic cup. Add 1 teaspoon ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda into a small, empty plastic cup. Place this cup into the volcano crater. Quickly pour vinegar mixture into the ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda cup in the crater. Enjoy the "lava" as the volcano erupts. How to make a volcano 7. In a cup, mix together the vinegar and food colouring. 8. When you're ready, pour the vinegar into the bottle with the bicarbonate. Wait for it to erupt and watch how the lava flows. 9. Experiment with different amounts of bicarbonate and vinegar and see how the volcano's eruption changes. How To Make A Volcano For Kids STEP 4: Once your volcano is ready to erupt, you need to prepare for the eruption. Add a tablespoon or two of baking soda, food coloring, and a squirt of dish soap to the opening. STEP 5: Time for the volcano to erupt! Make sure your volcano is on a tray to catch the lava flow. Pour the vinegar into the opening and watch. Volcano Eruption Experiment The volcano eruption experiment is a classic and exciting way to simulate a volcanic eruption using household items. By combining baking soda and vinegar, you can create a visually captivating eruption that mimics the explosive release of gases and lava from a volcano. This experiment provides a hands-on introduction to chemical reactions and ... Easy Outdoor Color Changing Volcano with Baking Soda and Vinegar Fill the cup 2/3 with water. Add 4-6 tablespoons baking soda. Add 1-2 oz paint or food coloring, depending on the intensity of the desired color. Stir well to combine. Add approx. 8 oz vinegar, or until the "lava" starts foaming over. Enjoy the eruption! Add another color of paint or food coloring and mix well. Baking Soda Volcano 1. Add 1/4 cup of baking soda to a bowl. Make 1 bowl for each color you want to do. 2. Add a drop of food coloring into a tablespoon of water. We made red, yellow and blue primary colors so we could mix them together to make secondary colors. 3. Add the food colored water to your baking soda and mix. 4. Cool Volcano Science Experiment with Vinegar and Baking Soda Erupting volcano science experiment is such a classic and a great one to support teaching in chemical reactions. Now we show you just how you can do it yours... FUN Baking Soda Volcano Experiment For Kids Let's learn the science behind the volcano project. The baking soda and vinegar experiment demonstrates a simple chemical reaction between an acid (vinegar, which contains acetic acid) and a base (baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate). When the two substances are combined, they react to produce carbon dioxide gas, water, and a salt. Easy Peasy Volcano Science Experiment for Kids Mix up to a cup of baking soda and 1-2 oz of paint together along with a small amount of dish soap, about 1 tsp. The dish soap will help the volcano erupt slower, making this easy volcano experiment last longer. Add a touch of water if the mixture is too thick. Pour 1/2 cup to 1 cup baking soda mixture into the beaker. Step 2: Volcano Experiment with Baking Soda and Vinegar Combine baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring for an explosive science lesson on chemical reactions! Build your volcano outside with dirt and rocks or crea... Volcano Challenge! Classic Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano Try your hand at a DIY kitchen science experiment! Inspired by POMPEII: THE EXHIBITION, I cover all you need to make a classic baking soda and vinegar volcan... 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. Baking Soda & Vinegar Volcano Baking Soda & Vinegar Volcano. Use baking soda and vinegar to create an awesome chemical reaction! Watch as it rapidly fizzes over the container and make sure you've got some towels ready to clean up. A container to hold everything and avoid a big mess! Place some of the baking soda into your container. Watch as the reaction takes place! essay homework paper phd project resume review speech study thesis