Glitter Volcanoes

There’s something about volcanoes that all kids seem to love. But when you add glitter and food coloring to them, it becomes a whole new kind of love!

This glitter volcano experiment is a variation of the basic baking soda and vinegar volcano that has been a favorite chemistry project for kids of all ages. It simulates a real volcano erupting, using an acid-base reaction that seems to never get old!

Supplies Needed

The supplies needed for this experiment are fairly simple.

Baking soda
Valentine’s Day fine glitter or chunky glitter, or both!
Food coloring, such as red or pink
Distilled white vinegar
2 small vases or glasses

The chemicals in this experiment are non-toxic. Therefore, this is a great project for scientists of all ages.

Glitter Volcano Experiment

To begin the experiment, first mix the baking soda and glitter in a small vase or glass. In a separate small vase or glass, combine the vinegar and food coloring.

Quickly pour the vinegar solution into the baking soda mixture and watch the glittery volcano erupt!

The red “lava” is the result of a chemical reaction between baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid), which produces an unstable carbonic acid. The carbonic acid immediately separates into water and carbon dioxide, which is actually present in real volcanoes. As pressure builds up in the glass or vase, the gas bubbles out of the “mouth” of the volcano and fizzes escape the solution.

It would be wise to have your little scientists perform this experiment on a tray or in a shallow baking dish of some sort, as the erupting volcanoes tend to get a little messy.

Extra Science Twists

If you are looking to make the volcano experiment even more educational, here are some ideas for different ways to experiment with a baking soda volcano. Don’t forget to record your hypotheses and analyze the effects.

Predict what will happen if you change the amount of vinegar.
Predict what will happen if you change the amount of baking soda.
What happens if you use a different kind of chemical or paint to color the lava? Consider using tempera paint powder instead of food coloring.
Try adding tonic water to get a volcano to glow under a black light.
Predict what will happen if you use lemon juice as an acid, instead of distilled white vinegar.
Predict what will happen if you use laundry detergent as a base, instead of baking soda.
In what way(s) can you change the volcano to make the eruption go higher or last longer? Consider changing the chemicals or the volcano vessel.

Volcanoes are fun to experiment with at anytime of the year. But these glitter volcanoes seem to be especially fun to experiment with around Valentine’s Day. They also make great Valentine’s Day gifts for kids to give away at school. Consider having your child give away the glitter and baking soda mixture in ziploc bags with directions on how to do the experiment at home, instead of candy for a change. What kid wouldn’t love the gift of science?