Travis has been obsessed with volcanoes ever since we made one a couple of weeks back… so much so that if he sees me cooking with vinegar now, he asks if we’re about to make another. The only problem? We ran out of playdough!

No playdough? No problem! Set up this neat “volcano” in any old plastic container. If anything, the bubbles are even more spectacular, even though you don’t have an exact volcanic shape for your “lava” to run down.

First, fill a baking pan with cornstarch (about 1 to 2 cups) and set aside.

In your container, have your child help you combine 1/3 cup water, 6 teaspoons baking soda, and 2 teaspoons dish detergent.

Next we added pink glitter for a fiery and sparkly effect. Isn’t every project better with a little glitter?

Now for the explosion! Carefully pour 1/2 cup vinegar into the mixture – and watch it erupt.

There were lots of bubbles:

First we had fun scooping off the foam, and mixing that into the cornstarch around the pan.

In fact, as the lava mixture combines with the cornstarch, you’ll get something pretty close to… ooblek!

Then we had to do it a second time; luckily we had just enough ingredients for round two. If you like, keep repeating until your vinegar runs out!