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STEM Lab: Make an Exploding Volcano

You probably already have all of the ingredients for this experiment at home

By Helen Partlow, publisher of Macaroni Kid Mt. Sinai & Port Jefferson, N.Y. January 20, 2021

We love STEM fun at our house! This simple volcano is colorful, fun, and a great experiment for toddlers and preschoolers. Best of all, you can conduct this experiment using ingredients you probably already have in the house!

My kids keep asking me to make the volcano again and again!

Here's how to do it:

At-home exploding volcano

What You Need:

  • 1 cup vinegar
  • 4 Tablespoons baking soda
  • Baking sheet
  • Plastic or paper cup
  • Food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon dish soap

What You Do:

1. Add baking soda to your cup. (Make sure to always keep your cup on the baking sheet to make clean up a breeze!)

2. Pick your colors and add a few drops of food coloring in the cup.


3. Add liquid dish soap to the cup. This will create fun bubbles!

4. Add the vinegar and...

watch your volcano erupt!

The science behind the experiment:

You can explain to your children that the vinegar is an acid and the baking soda is a base. When they combine, it's a chemical reaction that creates carbon dioxide, a gas that bubbles everything up and out of the cup! The food coloring and dish soap just add extra flair.

Check out the video of our homemade volcano erupting: