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.)

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Volcano Experiment Ingredients:

• Funnel
• 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
• Vinegar,
• 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:

1. Vinegar (acetic acid): CH3COOH
2. 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.