AboutMaryAnn F. Kohl Expertise I am an expert in anything about art for children, but not crafts. I have written over ten books of art ideas for kids, using materials found commonly in most homes. I like easy ideas!
maryann@brightring.com
MaryAnn F. Kohl, author
Experience began writing in 1985 after teaching elementary aged kids for ten years
Question my son wants to make a volcano...we tried the salt dough but it is too heavy, it keeps sliding down the bottle.....we want something that will completely harden so he can keep it....what do you suggest?
Answer When we were kids, my brother made the "volcano" out of papier-mache over wads of newspaper. It was magnificent, built up over wads of newspaper around the bottle!! Looked real. He painted it gray like rocks, and then glued tiny trees to it.
I have made a volcano with moist dirt mounded around the bottle in a baking pan. It was okay, but not permanent.
Most doughs will just fall apart. It's too much dough to pile up. But if you first build a newspaper-and-masking-tape mounded base around the bottle, and then cover it with salt dough, that might work. I haven't tried it.
I'm not so much into this kind of thing as I am into actual art, so I'm just giving you my best advice based on experience with my own kids and my own childhood. I hope this helps.
I would suggest you do some volcano searches on the internet and see what others do. For example here are two I found, though I haven't tested either:
Build a Volcano! http://cns.utexas.edu/uteachoutreach/kids/volcano.html
What You Need:
* 6 cups flour
* 2 cups salt
* 4 tablespoons cooking oil
* warm water
* plastic soda bottle
* dishwashing detergent
* food coloring
* vinegar
* baking dish or other pan
What to do:
1. First make the 'cone' of the volcano. Mix 6 cups flour, 2 cups salt, 4 tablespoons cooking oil, and 2 cups of water. The resulting mixture should be smooth and firm (more water may be added if needed).
2. Stand the soda bottle in the baking pan and mold the dough around it into a volcano shape. Don't cover the hole or drop dough into it!
3. Fill the bottle most of the way full with warm water and a bit of red food color (can be done before sculpting if you don't take so long that the water gets cold).
4. Add 6 drops of detergent to the bottle contents.
5. Add 2 tablespoons baking soda to the liquid.
6. Slowly pour vinegar into the bottle. Watch out - eruption time!
Tips:
1. The cool red lava is the result of a chemical reaction between the baking soda and vinegar.
2. In this reaction, carbon dioxide gas is produced, which is also present in real volcanoes.
3. As the carbon dioxide gas is produced, pressure builds up inside the plastic bottle, until the gas bubbles (thanks to the detergent) out of the 'volcano'. http://chemistry.about.com/cs/ht.htm
Erupting Volcano - Easy http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/volcano1.html
This would be a fun experiment for classrooms, daycares, Girl Scouts, and Cub Scouts.
Parental supervision is recommended.
Note: As in all recipes, results can vary depending on humidity, conditions, etc. Please try any recipe out before attempting in a group setting.
This project is rated EASY to do.
What You Need
For the Volcano:
* Large paper plate
* Bathroom disposable cup (3 ounce is best)
* Aluminum foil
* Scotch tape
* Scissors
To Make the Volcano Erupt:
* Water
* Baking soda
* Vinegar
* Tablespoon
* Cup
* Pan or tray
How To Make It
Erupting Volcano
1. Attach the paper cup to the plate by taping the bottom of the cup to the middle of the plate.
2. Tear off a piece of foil large enough to completely cover the cup and plate.
3. Place the foil over the cup and plate and turn the foil under the plate edge.
4. Tape the foil in place.
5. Poke a hole through the foil into the middle of the cup.
6. Use scissors to make slits from the middle of the cup to the inside edge of the cup. Tape the foil to the inside of the cup. (see photo)
7. Now make your volcano erupt! (see below)
To Make Your Volcano Erupt:
1. Place the volcano on a pan or tray (or you'll get lava all over the place!)
2. Fill the volcano with 2 tablespoons of water and stir in a tablespoon of baking soda until it dissolves.
3. Measure 2 tablespoons of vinegar into a separate cup.
4. Pour the vinegar, all at once into the water/baking soda mixture and watch your lava bubble up!
WHY'D THAT HAPPEN??
The bubbles that are created are filled with carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is a gas that forms when the vinegar (an acid) reacts with the baking soda (a base). For all you bakers out there, this is also what makes cakes and quick breads (the no yeast kind) get all nice and fluffy.
Tips
A thank you goes to Leanne Eldridge who supplied the "lava" instructions for this craft. Leanne has a site called DLTK's Crafts for Kids. She invites you to visit her site.
