Easy Volcano Making Kit: Kids Art Project or Science Experiment? You Decide!

Making a volcano is practically a rite of passage for early childhood. There is nothing quite as satisfying as watching the volcano come to life as it oozes its bubbly lava. But you know what I love even more? When a kids art project comes in a nice neat kit that has all the instructions you need to make the process fool-proof! Enter the KidzLabs Volcano Making Kit! This is the perfect kids art project for a rainy day or a learning from home science class.

Wait, did I just say kids ART project?? Shouldn’t I have had said kids SCIENCE project?? Let me explain!

Thinking Like a Scientist

So many kids art projects require the same critical thinking skills that foster a love of science! When my son and I work on art projects together, we tend to use the word “experiment” a lot:

• “What happens when I mix these paint colors?” Let’s experiment and find out!
• “What happens when I press harder or lighter with my paintbrush?” Let’s experiment and find out!
• “What happens if I try painting on a different type of surface?” Let’s experiment and find out!

KidzLabs Volcano Making Kit

The KidzLabs Volcano Making Kit is the type of STEAM (Science. Technology. Engineering. Art. Mathematics.) project that combines the best of both creative and critical thinking. With this kids art project, young children will learn about the science of volcanos, while also exploring the time honored art making technique of plaster mould casting.

Included Supplies:

• fast drying plaster
• volcano mold
• small paint set (colors included: black, red, green, blue, yellow, and white)
• paint brush

Additional Supplies Needed:

• vinegar
• baking soda
• liquid dish soap
• large bowl for mixing
• spoon or spatula for mixing

Directions (Day 1):

1. Construct the volcano mould with eruption chamber.
2. Combine the 2 bags of plaster powder with designated amount of water.
3. Stir until the mix becomes a smooth paste.
4. Pour paste into the mould.
5. Gently shake the mould to remove any air bubbles.
6. Leave the plaster to set and dry completely (We left ours to dry overnight).

Kids Art Project Tip: Mixing the plaster is actually a pretty good arm and shoulder workout for young kids! It’s a bit like mixing a very thick cake or brownie batter.

Directions (Day 2):

1. Paint the volcano (hint: the kit includes paint mixing tips to create more colors, like reddish-brown).
2. Leave paint to dry (approximately 20 minutes).
3. Make the volcano erupt! Put a teaspoon of baking soda into the eruption chamber and a few drops of liquid dish soap and a bit of red paint.
4. Slowly pour vinegar into the eruption chamber and watch the eruption happen!

Kids Art Project Tip: Make sure that your volcano eruption happens either outside or on a protected surface! We did our project on an old baking sheet that I set aside specifically for art projects.

Kids Art Project Tip: You can enjoy the eruption fun over and over again! The plastic eruption chamber can be refilled, so we did this several times in a row, experimenting with different amounts of the ingredients (ie. What happens if we add more dish soap? What happens if we add more red paint?). Set the plaster volcano aside and pull it out again on another rainy day. Additionally, you can save the mould itself and try making another volcano. Just head on-line to order more plaster powder.

Want to try this volcano making art project and science experiment at home? You can purchase the KidzLabs Volcano Making Kit from Amazon HERE.

Looking for more kids art project inspiration? DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THESE OTHER GREAT POSTS:

• 10 Art Inspired Gift Ideas that Will Spark Your Child’s Imagination and Encourage Creativity
• Splash of Color: A Painting and Coloring Book the Whole Family Will Love
• Children’s Art Books: 10 Gift Ideas for Art Loving Kids
• Matisse Paper Cut-Outs: Easy Art Project for Kids

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