The Volcano

Maisie is crazy fascinated with volcanoes (or anything science related for that matter). It stems from our very first visit to Great America in Santa Clara. By a ride entrance there's a pyrotechnic volcano that spits out fire and smoke while simultaneously letting out a ground shaking rumble. When Maisie first saw it she was a little scared (hah, more like terrified) but we reassured her as we sat on a bench across the way and we talked about volcanoes. About how interesting they are and how they are like a mountain except that lava comes out. We had her at the word lava. Every time after that first visit she would look for the volcano and tell us about the lava and smoke. For months after she would tell us every morning that she had a dream about one. So I made a mental note to make a volcano craft in the near future so in January we finally did just that.

We took a recycled Gatorade bottle and started to paper mache (or for the French folk, papier-mâché which means chewed paper...yum) that bottle up until it roughly resembled a volcano. After a couple days of drying and a quick paint job it was ready for some chemistry action. I mixed up dish soap with red, orange and a little yellow food coloring, and then a couple tablespoon or so (who really measures any way) of baking soda and poured in some slightly watered down vinegar and braced ourselves for an explosion. At first it was a little lack luster, but with a little agitation we got the geiser effect we were looking for. It may or may not have sprayed the ceiling, walls and Maisie's cute pajamas.

 Maisie loved it. Today she asked if we were going to paper mache something really soon. So I think our next paper mache adventure will be making a globe since that's totally up her alley.

Without further ado, I give you the volcano...

Maisie, do you know what's going to happen?

Her answer: