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Science experiment
Dinosaur Baking Soda Volcano
Dinosaur Foam Volcano
Make a foaming volcano with baking soda and vinegar in a dinosaur setting. Draw a prediction first, then draw what happened.
- Age 5
- 20 min
- Easy
- Small group
- Science experiment
Learning areas
About this activity
Create a dinosaur scene and make a foam volcano with baking soda and vinegar. Your child draws what they think will happen, then records what they see.
At age 5, comparing a prediction with an observation helps children ask questions and talk about their discoveries. The foam comes from a reaction between the ingredients; it is not real lava.
Learning objectives
- Say or draw a prediction before mixing.
- Observe and describe the bubbles and foam.
- Compare the prediction with what happened.
The printable
Print
What you need
- Printed page and colored pencils or crayons
- Deep tray
- Small, stable cup without a lid
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- Measuring spoons
- Paper and a pencil for drawing the dinosaur scene
- Cloth for cleaning up
Safety notes
An adult should supervise throughout and manage the ingredients. Do not taste the mixture, and keep it away from eyes and faces. Use an open cup; never seal the mixture in a container. If it gets in the eyes, rinse with plenty of water. Wash hands and clean the surface afterward.
How to do it
- Place the open cup in the center of the tray. Draw dinosaurs on a piece of paper and put it next to the tray.
- Introduce the cup as a pretend volcano and show your child the ingredients.
- Ask what they think will happen when the ingredients are mixed.
- Invite them to draw their idea in the “I think...” box on the page.
- Put the baking soda in the cup. Help your child add the vinegar, keeping their face away from the cup.
- Watch the foam together. Invite your child to draw what they saw in the “I saw...” box.
- Compare the drawings together, then clean the tray.
Teaching suggestions
- Before mixing, say, “We don't have to be right. Let's find out together!”
- If drawing is difficult, let your child point, tell you their idea or dictate it for you to record.
- Name what happens: “I see bubbles and foam rising.” The reaction releases a gas that makes the bubbles.
- In a group, invite each child to share a prediction before doing one demonstration.
Variations
Make it easier
Offer two possibilities, such as “It will make bubbles” or “It will stay the same,” and let your child point to or say their choice.
Make it harder
After the first mixture, repeat with the same amount of baking soda and half as much vinegar. Ask what changed about the foam.
Extend the play
Invite your child to make up a story about the dinosaurs who saw the pretend volcano.
Talk about it
- What do you think will happen when we mix the ingredients?
- What did you notice when the vinegar went into the cup?
- How was what happened like or different from your idea?
- What might the dinosaurs in your scene think when they see the foam?
What to look for
- The child shares a prediction before mixing, through drawing, words or gestures.
- The child points to or describes bubbles or foam while observing.
- The child identifies a similarity or difference between their prediction and the result.
Shapes
Scavenger hunt