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PSPKK12320 Comments

Make your own volcano: Sensory fun for the Letter V

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We’re working our way through the alphabet, and we include a sensory bin idea for each letter.  This week we took advantage of the (finally!)  beautiful spring weather and made a volcanic sensory bin outdoors.  Do you know how to make your own volcano?  It’s a fairly common science activity — but throw in some mud and it’s extra fun.

V is for Volcano Sensory Play - the measured mom

 Here’s what we used to create a volcanic sensory bin for three kids (ages 2,4, and 6).

supplies for volcano

  • large container of dirt (we got it from our garden)
  • 3  pint mason jars (you don’t need the lids, as I found out)
  • old play dough
  • warm water
  • dish soap
  • food coloring
  • baking soda
  • vinegar
  • a container that kids can use for pouring

pressing jars into dirt

1. Set the jars in the dirt.

forming playdough around jar

1. Use the playdough to form a volcano around the mason jars.  I thought my kids would like this part, but they had a hard time getting the play dough to take the shape of a volcano. I helped.

pouring warm water into jar

2. Add warm water to the jars.

squeezing dish washer soap into jar

3. Squeeze in about six drops of dishwashing liquid.

adding food coloring to jar

4. Add food coloring (just for fun).

dumping baking soda into jar

5. Add about two tablespoons of baking soda.

adding vinegar to jar and volcano erupts

6. Slowly add vinegar – and watch your eruption!

adding more things to jar

We removed the icky play dough, and the kids had fun repeating the experiment five more times – that’s when our baking soda and vinegar ran out!

erupting volcano

The kids loved experimenting with different combinations of food coloring.  This was an exceptionally pretty result.

By the way, I did explain that the “volcano” is the result of a chemical reaction between the baking soda and the vinegar which produces carbon dioxide — leading to bubbles.

I don’t think anyone heard me.

muddy jars

Afterward, they were left with all this glorious mud.

child scooping out mud

They got right to work scooping it out.

children playing with mud

Mud soup was on the menu!

Messy play is not my favorite thing in the world, but now that the weather is so nice I’m ready for the kids to start enjoying this sort of fun in the great outdoors.  After six years of parenting I finally invested in rain boots this year (what took me so long??), and now I can stop freaking out about nice shoes getting ruined.  Also, right after I snapped this picture, I sent my daughter inside to change out of her nice school clothes.

The fun continued for quite some time!

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Filed Under: General Tagged With: kindergarten, sensory play, Pre-K, preschool, first grade, second grade, third grade

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Reader Interactions

20 Comments

  1. annageig

    May 16, 2013 at 5:33 pm

    Ha! So glad I can read your mind. 🙂 Thanks so much for the feature!

    Reply to this comment
  2. Ann @ My Nearest and Dearest

    May 11, 2013 at 8:02 am

    Oh this looks soooo fun!! We’ll have to give this a try.

    Reply to this comment
    • annageig

      May 16, 2013 at 5:33 pm

      Yes, my kids have been begging to do it again! Loved your physics post 🙂

      Reply to this comment
  3. Karyn

    May 10, 2013 at 4:57 pm

    This is great! I love that you did it in the mud! I am featuring your post at Share It Saturday tomorrow. Thanks for linking up!

    Reply to this comment
    • annageig

      May 10, 2013 at 5:06 pm

      I actually thought a long time about how to make it a sensory bin until I thought of all our good old garden dirt :). Thanks so much for the feature!!

      Reply to this comment
  4. Allison

    May 10, 2013 at 1:08 am

    I had to LOL at you explaining the reaction and that no one heard you. 😉 I love this activity and will be featuring it on The Sunday Showcase this weekend.

    Reply to this comment
    • annageig

      May 10, 2013 at 5:07 am

      The mud was too much of a distraction. 🙂 Thanks so much for the feature, Allison!!

      Reply to this comment
  5. Melissa @ Honey Bee Books

    May 8, 2013 at 6:56 am

    What fun! The mud soup looked delicious 🙂

    Reply to this comment
    • annageig

      May 8, 2013 at 7:17 am

      I wasn’t brave enough to taste it – but I had lots of offers :). Thanks for stopping by, Melissa!

      Reply to this comment
  6. Angelue'

    May 7, 2013 at 11:40 am

    I think we will try this during our outside play in our mud kitchen. Looks fun!

    Reply to this comment
    • annageig

      May 8, 2013 at 6:30 am

      Yes, my kids have been asking to do it again! Thanks so much for stopping by, Angelue’!

      Reply to this comment
  7. Dollie @ Teachers of Good Things

    May 2, 2013 at 7:36 pm

    This looks like a WONDERFUL thing for even my 10 year old to enjoy. Thanks for linking up with Tender Moments with Toddlers & Preschoolers.

    Reply to this comment
    • annageig

      May 3, 2013 at 6:09 am

      Yes, I’m sure he’d love, it Dollie — thanks for stopping by!

      Reply to this comment
  8. Monica (Mo)

    April 30, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    I will have to try this with my daughter! Thank You for sharing!

    Reply to this comment
    • annageig

      May 3, 2013 at 6:09 am

      Thanks for checking it out, Monica! It’s one of those “so easy but so fun” science experiments that you just have to do.

      Reply to this comment
  9. Mollie

    April 30, 2013 at 9:38 pm

    Awesome post! I think we may have to try this one. 🙂

    Reply to this comment
    • annageig

      May 3, 2013 at 6:08 am

      My kids keep asking to do it again… this may become a regular summer activity!
      Thanks for stopping by, Mollie!

      Reply to this comment

Trackbacks

  1. 365 Fun Activities for Kids - Here Come The Girls says:
    February 20, 2022 at 1:31 am

    […] Volcano Sensory Fun from The Measured Mom […]

    Reply to this comment
  2. 101 Summer Activities for Kids says:
    March 27, 2019 at 12:14 am

    […] Make a volcano […]

    Reply to this comment
  3. 101 Summer Activities for Kids | 7 on a Shoestring says:
    June 6, 2013 at 11:01 am

    […] Make a volcano […]

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