On Friday we made a start on one of Huwyl’s christmas presents, a volcano making kit. He mixed the plaster and poured it into the mould and then waited (sort of) patiently for it to set. Next he painted it, graciously allowing his little brother some creative input, and allowed that to dry. I think it was a longer process than he’d originally imagined.
Neirin had his own little experiment tray to play with, water, baking soda and some drops of food colouring kept him entertained for quite a while! When it came to the big explosion we exchanged the water for vinegar and fun was had by all.
I love how serious Neirin is when he works on things, his little frown and teeny pout are so cute. The boys had a blast working on their ‘science’ this morning, wearing their Darth Vader costumes that Huwyl made for them yesterday. He’s been working on a Star Wars project for a while now and that was the culminating task he’d set himself. I thought the black made them look like little alchemists!
After several rounds of volcano eruptions we watched a couple of videos, made some drawings and then made an explosively themed snack for ourselves…popcorn!
Emmalina and Her Unfeasibly Large Bonnet 
We used that same kit a few years back when we were studying Geology. I loved that it can be used over and over again. They ended up doing the same experiment several times and after that it became a piece of sculptural artwork for our bookcase. Definitely got our money’s worth!
I definitely think it’s a keeper! Plus it weighs a ton so can be used as a handy science themed doorstop!
Your pictures are beautiful! And volcanoes are awesome. What a great science lesson!
Thank you so much! We really enjoyed the kit and the fun thing is it can be reused : )
I can do this, and be seen from space, with a tin of heinz beans and a pint of Barnsley Bitter!!
Yes but you know you are no longer allowed those kinds of explosive concoctions after that court order was imposed!
Oh, man! I always wanted to make a volcano when I was a kid, and never did! That’s it. I’m going to have to do this. I’m calling in sick at work!!!
If you haven’t built a 6 ft high volcano of icing by the weekend I will be seriously disappointed!