Spontaneous eruption

I have to be honest, I'm really not the most spontaneous mama. I'm good at hemming and haw-ing at requests until I have a chance to think out the details.

But there's something about Sunday afternoons. I was still feeling the Love from church when we got home and Littlest immediately asked to make a volcano.

Being the youngest, I sometimes forget that he hasn't done everything his brothers have. And really, it's such an easy, fun project -- how could say I say anything but, "Sure!"?

The last time we did this most-classic-of-all-classic elementary science experiments was at a homeschooling conference. (The kids used red clay to shape the volcanoes -- unfortunately, we left them in the trunk of our rental car! Oops!)

We did a super-easy version. Here's what you need:

A wide bowl or pan.
A tall cup.
Newspaper or paper towels.
Aluminum foil
Washable paint and brushes
Baking soda
Vinegar
Food coloring

Put the cup in the pan. Wrap some paper around the outside of the cup. Tuck foil inside and down the sides of the cup to shape the mountain. Paint the foil.

Wait for the paint to dry. (That's the hard part!)

Add a few drops of red and yellow or orange food coloring to a cup of vinegar. Spoon a few tablespoons of baking soda into the cup.

Slowly pour the vinegar into the volcano and watch it erupt! (And just see if you don't end up using all the baking soda and vinegar in the house! ;)