Cleaning Volcano

Materials

*Baking soda (3-4 spoonfuls - if you’re exact 2-3 TBS)

*Liquid measuring cup/empty water bottle/cup (to pour liquid mixture)

*Vinegar (½ cup or I just pour a little in at a time - you can dilute with 2 parts water if you want a slower reaction)

*Large container, cookie sheet, clean sink, cooking tray, etc. (to hold the “overflow)

*Funnel, breast pump flange/shield, colander, empty water bottle, volcano

Bonus - food coloring

Directions

1. Place pile of baking soda in center of overflow tray

2. Put “volcano” on top

3. Pour dish soap, water, vinegar (food coloring), in liquid measuring cup

4. Pour in volcano

5. Pour mixture down drain (dubs as a mild drain cleaner) or reuse mixture (if it doesn’t have food coloring) as a cleaning solution.

Story

I originally to do this by memory without looking up the correct ratios. It failed miserably. I will post the video when I can blur out my daughter’s face.

Because baking soda is such a hot commodity right now (since everyone is baking during shelter in place), I suggest reusing your volcano lava as a cleaning solution - but if you just pour it down the drain it does have a benefit too.

I used my breast pump flanges because that’s what I had that resembled a volcano and I didn’t have the patience to do a paper mache for a volcano that only erupts for a few seconds.

If you have an older kid, definitely paper mache a volcano (use a toilet paper roll and build it up with scrap paper (junk mail in our case) with a glue/water mixture). This is not a slow constant erupting.

If you are lucky, you will get a minute of entertainment from it, which is why I’d rather have everything easy to clean up.

Little A ended up making her own volcanoes and enjoyed the test tubes the best. She liked scooping her own baking soda and spilling vinegar everywhere and watching the bubbles form.