Make an Erupting Volcano!

The papier-mâché volcano is a science project classic and a blast for kids of any age. Follow these simple instructions for a long-lasting masterpiece that will teach your kids about geology, chemistry, and even history for years to come.

Note: This volcano may take up to a month to construct, paint, and dry, so plan ahead! The time you put in will pay off. This volcano is super-durable.

Making the Papier-Mâché (part 1 of 3)

What You Need:

• 2 full sheets of newspaper
• Large bowl
• Water
• Measuring cup (or two)
• Blender
• Nylon stocking
• White school glue

What You Do:

1. Have your child tear thenewspaper into pieces about 2" wide or smaller. Encourage her to have fun with it! These pieces are going to be turned into a pulp, so there's no need to make them perfect.
2. Soak the newspaper in a bowl of water for 1-8 hours.
3. Ask your child to scoop 1/2 cup of newspaper and 2 cups of water into the blender. The water is necessary so that the blades of the blender don't jam up and burn out the motor.
4. Put the lid on the blender and puree on high power until you have a nice newspaper pulp.
5. Have your child hold a nylon stocking open for you and put the newspaper mixture into it. Now she can squeeze the extra water out!
6. Repeat until you have about 4 cups of relatively dry pulp.
7. Mix in about 1/4 cup of glue. Your child will probably want to help with this step, since it works best if you use your hands.

The papier-mâché is ready! Now it's time to construct the volcano.

Making the Volcano (part 2 of 3)

What You Need:

• Papier-mâché mixture
• More newspaper
• Plastic juice bottle
• Scissors
• Hot glue (for adult use only)
• Film canister (or other small container)
• Acrylic paint (brown and red are good volcano colors)
• Paintbrush
• Polyurethane (for adult use only)
• Hill of Fire by Thomas P. Lewis

What You Do:

1. Lay some newspaper down before you start. Papier-mâché and paint can get very messy!
2. Cut the pastic juice bottle in half. The cone-shaped top half will be the base for the volcano.
3. Use the hot glue to attach the film canister inside the top of the juice bottle. This is where the chemical reaction will take place and the lava will flow! (For a mini volcano, use the film canister alone and cover it with papier-mâché to make it cone-shaped.)
4. Let your child construct the volcano by applying the papier-mâché mixture to the outside of the plastic bottle. It should be about half an inch thick, but don't worry about making it smooth! Volcanoes are always lumpy and bumpy.
5. Let the volcano dry for about a week before painting. (Also, remember to wash the paintbrush.)
6. When you're sure that the papier-mâché is dry, it's time for your child to paint it. Let the paint dry for about a day.
7. Since polyurethane is flammable and can irritate the eyes and lungs, you (not your child) will be responsible for waterproofing. Use the paintbrush to coat the volcano and let it dry for at least a day.
8. Before the eruption, read Hill of Fire by Thomas P. Lewis with your child. This easy reader is a true story set in Mexico, and it's a great introduction to volcanic activity.

As soon as the volcano is dry, it's ready for action. Your child will be glad to help you gather the materials; this is the fun part.

Erupting the Volcano (part 3 of 3)

What You Need:

• Your new papier-mâché volcano
• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Red food coloring (optional)
• Small scoop or measuring spoon
• Small pitcher or cup
• Towels and a bucket for clean-up

What You Do:

1. Have your child scoop a little bit of baking soda into the film canister.
2. For realistic red lava, let her add a few drops of food coloring to the film canister as well.
3. Pour some vinegar into the cup or pitcher. As your child what she thinks will happen when she mixes the liquid vinegar with the dry baking soda. Then, hand her the pitcher and let her see for herself!
4. Watch as the ingredients react. Ask your child what happened to the vinegar and baking soda. What does the lava look like? Is it runny? is it bubbly or smooth?
5. Chances are, she'll want to do it again. Go for it!

This do-it-yourself eruption sure is fun, but it's also jam-packed with science! Try discussing these scientific concepts with your child:

• Changing states of matter (Chemistry): Is baking soda a solid, liquid, or gas? What about vinegar? What happened when she mixed the two together? Was the mixture solid? Liquid? What about the bubbles?
• Volcanic rock (Geology): When real volcanoes erupt, rock melts to form the magma or lava and re-solidifies (changing states of matter again!). If our lava could solidify into rock, what would it look like? Show your child pictures of igneous rock to extend the discussion. Why do the rocks look the way they do? Why do they have holes in them? (Hint: bubbles!)

Keep your volcano for the science fair, just for fun, or for "historical reenactments." This little project has a lot to give!