Science Fun!

My 5 year old is crazy about science and loves to do experiments. We went to the Kids Fringe this past weekend and I got the idea from an experiment there to make an erupting volcano. As soon as I told him about it, he was all in, totally concentrated and ready to learn, which doesn't always happen! Now at the Fringe festival, they did 2 tablespoons of vinegar, food coloring, and 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a cup and it fizzed a little in the cup. Now that's all fine and dandy, but I decided to kick it up a notch and threw all caution to the wind and threw out the measurements (by the way, you may want to do this outside, I'm talking from experience, just trust me on this one!) We used a water bottle and I had the kids take playdoh and shape it all around the bottle to look like a "volcano" so that only the opening of the bottle was showing. My son even came up with the idea to get some sticks and grass from the outside to stick in the playdoh so it looks like a real volcano, love it! Then filled the water bottle about halfway full of vinegar followed by some red food coloring. Then we poured some baking soda in and stepped back and watched it "erupt". And oh my, did it erupt! Like, an "all the way to the ceiling" kind of erupt! I'm not sure I have ever heard my son laugh so hard in all of his little life, and I have to admit, I was cracking up myself! While the clean up was a little much, the learning and laughter were definitely well worth it, and both my kids are already asking when are we going to do it again!