Volcano!

This week we are learning about the letter R and rocks.  The lesson plans suggested we make a volcano and watch the liquid "rock" flow.  Well that is exactly what we did.

You can not imagine the excitement this brought on.  It was a little cool yesterday morning so we waited until lunch time to make our homemade volcano. The boys could barely wait! We quickly grabbed our supplies and off we went to the dirt pile under their fort.

Just a few supplies for this experiment.
Supplies:
Plastic bottle
Tinted vinegar
Baking soda
DIRT!

We dug a small hole under the fort.  We added the baking soda to the bottle and then placed the bottle in the hole.  We then started piling the dirt around the bottle until only the top was showing.

Then we started pouring in the vinegar and waited for the eruption and lava to start coming.

As it came up and out of the bottle the boys were screaming with delight and saying COOL! Then we added more baking soda and tinted vinegar. And over and over again.

This is where you insert, "COOL!!!" And SCREAMS!

They LOVED this, but soon we were out of vinegar and had to call it quits.  Earlier in the day I had picked them up each a bottle of bubbles.  It is no secret I do not like bubbles(among other fun things kids love)and this is exactly why.  With nice weather I had a few windows open so I could hear them playing in the back.  I heard those screams of delight again and went to see what was going on.  Yep, sure enough they had poured their entire bottle(both of them)of bubbles into the volcano. These bottles did not even last an hour!  By now they were adding dirt into the volcano.  They were having a BLAST!  It wasn't exactly erupting this time.....just overflowing.  I headed back in because I remembered I had some spray bottles of vinegar for cleaning. 

 Mom saved the day!  Once again the volcano was erupting.  I am sure the bubbles helped too!  They were filthy from head to toe!  Dirt, now mud, bubbles all in their hair, all over their hands and shoes and clothes.  I turned around, went back inside and left them there to play.  Thank God for little boys!

When it was time to come in I had to literally strip them down and put them in the tub.  It was a fun day for them as they learned about volcanoes. Check out this short video of the boys and their homemade volcano. 

I love hearing their excitement when it erupts.