We gathered up the last remaining bits of snow this afternoon to make a Baking Soda Volcano using snow!
We piled up a heap of snow around a small glass jar, making the top of the snow level with the top of the jar, added the ingredients for the baking soda and vinegar reaction and stood back to watch the fizz!
How to make a snow volcano
What you need
MY LATEST VIDEOS2 spoonfuls of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda )
1 spoonful washing up liquid ( dish soap )
a few drops of red food colouring
30 ml vinegar
Snow
Small container
Method
Add everything except the vinegar to the container.
Carefully shape a volcano shape around the container using snow.
Stand back, get ready……add the vinegar and watch the eruption! If it doesn’t work so well, add a bit more washing up liquid and vinegar and give it a good stir.
I loved how easy this was to make and how great the red looked against the snow! It was also super easy to clean up,
What do you think of our Baking Soda Volcano?
Extension Task
Can you make a different coloured snow volcano?
How does a baking soda volcano work?
Vinegar (an acid ) and bicarbonate of soda ( an alkali ) react together to neutralise each other. This reaction releases carbon dioxide, a gas which is the bubbles you see, these bubbles make the washing up liquid bubble up to give the reaction shown above.
You could also try making a multi-coloured snow volcano. To do this we used thick card to divide the central container in half and added yellow food colouring to one half and red food colouring to the other half.
More experiments using baking soda
Don’t forget to try some of our other easy Baking Soda Experiments
Or how about one of these easy ideas for using baking soda?
Fizzing rocks with baking soda
This post was first published on 21st Jan 2013. Updated 3rd Feb 2019
ooh I like it with the snow…I like it even more that it’s outside!
I would have never thought to do this outside with the snow… what a fun idea! I love it!!
Right if I can get a snow day tomorrow I am trying this out!
I was going to get out to do this with the last of the snow today, but it’s all muddy 🙁
I love this version of the classic volcano! Will have to give it a go with my kids!!!
Now this is super fun and there isn’t the heart break of destroying a papier mache work of art 😉
Love this. Just need to get some more snow. We had a dismal show this year 🙁
oh no, I hope you get some soon. x
Going to try this next Winters, I think my kids would love to do this.
Hooray for snow in March. We’re trying this out later. Children (aged 3 and 6) very excited‼
Love these ideas, thank you!!!!
What is washing up liquid?
Dish soap 🙂
What is washing up liquid?