This month in My Messy Mom Life, we tried an age-old kitchen experiment that is so easy, even I can pull it off. We made baking soda and vinegar volcanoes with ingredients from the dollar store. We even made them candy corn-colored to add a little seasonal spirit. Thanks to my friend Amy for inspiring this great activity! 

Here’s what you need:

  • A wide-mouth funnel (I got one from the dollar store and cut it to widen.)
  • 3-4 tbsp baking soda
  • Vinegar
  • A small cup to put under the funnel (or a water bottle with the top cut off)
  • Orange, yellow and white play dough
  • A kitchen tray to catch the lava

» Wrap your play dough around the funnel to form a volcano. We made ours outside while eating candy corn. Hello, perfect fall weather activity. 

» Put baking soda in the cup (if desired, you can add food coloring to make colorful lava). Place the volcano over the cup.

» Pour vinegar into the spout and watch the lava flow!

If you want to get into the details of why there is a chemical reaction, it’s because when an acid (vinegar) is exposed to sodium carbonate (the baking soda), carbon dioxide gas is released and causes a reaction.

A great kids book to accompany this activity and turn it into a real learning opportunity is Volcanoes: Why Do They Happen? by Baby Professor. And if you want to watch a great short video on volcanoes, check out the Clarendon Learning Volcanoes for Kids video on YouTube.

And just a quick tip, it’s super easy to make your own play dough. All you need are two cups of flour, ½ cup of table salt and ¾ cup of water. Combine and add food coloring as needed.

Hope you are all surviving virtual learning. The only advice I have given myself is to relax and try to enjoy the ride. We are still all in this together.

Katelyn Young Meyer is a local mom of three (her #crumblycrew) who shares real moments of motherhood as it relates to fashion, food and fun! Follow her on Instagram @_katelynyoung_ or follow her blog at thebejuledlife.com.