Rudolph Volcanoes

 

My oldest son asked this year to make volcanoes.  We started with some in the bathroom sink and have been finding more fun ways to explore and play with them since.  With the Christmas holidays approaching, I set out to come up with a “Rudolph Volcano” for him and his brothers.  Creating volcano activities for the kids is a great way to go over simple science and have some sensory play fun too.  These 2 things are always a hit at my house.

 

 

 

 

 

What we used:

 

red tray

 

cherry kool aid and vinegar ( I recycled this from some dry pasta I dyed for the kids)

 

small plastic cups

 

sharpies

 

droppers

 

baking soda

 

soap

 

 What we did:

 

Simple is always a hit at my house.  Less is more type of thing.  I started out with simple drawings of Rudolph on the plastic cups.  I used sharpies to do this.  I then filled them with baking soda.  You can have the kids help.  I put this together while my kids were not home.  I got a tray out and a measuring cup for the cherry kool aid and vinegar mix.  I added a little soap to the mix as well.  I then placed it all in the tray and waited for them to get home.

 

 

 Once they saw it they knew what it was.  Big brother exclaimed “volcanoes”!  We do a lot of activities on the deck but we took this one out in the yard this day.  I laid a plastic tablecloth down.  The wind was blowing on and off and the tablecloth did not stay in place.  It did come in handy for clean up though.

 

 

 

 The kids used the droppers to collect the vinegar mix and then drip it into the Rudolph cups.  Now we had Rudolph Volcanoes!  The kids had fun adding more and more vinegar to the baking soda.  It would fizz and fizz some more.  Once big brother was through exploring and playing he went to running through the yard.  Little brother was happy to stay behind and keep playing.  He poured vinegar into the cups and then poured the cups into the vinegar that was left.  It was one huge fizzy and foamy mess but worth it all the way!  This simple reaction between the baking soda and vinegar just never gets old at my house and we look forward to trying it out again soon.