Science for kids - Mini Volcanoes & Cloud Dough

Simple Science projects for young kiddos

***BEWARE: These are messy!***

Saw a few homemade science project recipes on Pinterest and thought it would be fun to do with the kiddos on a day we could not play outside.  As much as I look forward to Fall, not being able to play outside is really hard on my sanity and the house.

First project we started with – MINI VOLCANOES

Supplies Needed:

·         Baking Soda (about 1 cup per child)

·         White Vinegar (About ¼ cup per color)

·         Cookie sheet

·         Small container to hold Baking Soda

·         Cups to hold vinegar

·         Food coloring

·         Droppers to pick up vinegar or just use spoons

1.       Pour Baking Soda into container (use about 1 cup for each child)

2.       Mix food coloring in cups with white vinegar, I did two colors for each child and maybe used about ¼ each color

3.       Give them a dry spoon to scoop out baking soda into piles on the cookies sheet

4.       Give them a dropper or spoon to put vinegar onto piles

5.       Delight when they are amazed at the bubbling, fizzing mini volcanoes J

6.       You can even get fancier and make a volcano out of playdough, pour baking soda inside then vinegar – I will try this next time to make it even more fun.

To make the fun last even longer I gave them cornstarch and let them mix that in and pour all the vinegar on it to make gak.  That was the messiest part but they loved the feel of the ingredients and the fact that it looked like a solid till you tried to pick it up and it oozed out their fingers.

Our next experiment was really messy and I will remember to do it outside next time – sort of like moon sand and all the reasons I don’t like it in the house, including the fact that we have carpet under the dining table.

CLOUD DOUGH

The recipe I found called for 8 cups of flour and 1 cup of baby oil.  I was not willing to used that much flour so I cut it in half.  But as I mixed in the ½ cup baby oil into 4 cups of flour it was no where near holding together like dough.  So, I just kept adding baby oil till it was like sand castle building consistency, divided it into two containers and let the kids have at it.

This would work really well as a type of moon sand and I will do it with the kiddos next summer for sure, outside.