Play Dough and Erupting Volcanos

Have you ever made play dough? If not, it is high time you did. Even if your kids are too old for it, you have no kids, or are a kid yourself, you must experience it. My kids are experienced Play-Doh players, yet making and playing with this dough was almost a completely new experience. There's nothing like kneading warm, smooth dough and watching as the colors get worked into it. Here is the recipe I use, it is very easy and you probably have all the ingredients on hand.

1 Cup flour
1 Cup warm water
2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 Cup salt
Food Coloring

Directions: Mix all ingredients except food coloring in a medium saucepan over medium heat. It will be wet and goopy.


Stir until a dough forms. Remove from heat. Divide dough into however many colors you want. Add food coloring and knead until incorporated.

Now that you've got some dough, how about you make some volcancos? And while you're at it, make them erupt as well (we've been learning about volcanos in school). Here's what you'll need, and again, you'll most likely have everything you need on hand.

Small container like an empty yogurt cup (Iused old play-doh cans)
Plates
Tape
Baking Soda
Vinegar
Play Dough
Food Coloring (if desired)

Tape your container to the plate. This will make it easier to form the volcano.


I used red and green food coloring when making my dough to get brown.
Form your volcano with the dough, making sure to overlap the top so that the lava will come up and over the sides.




Pour 1/4 cup of water into the cup and stir in 1 Tablespoon of baking soda. Stir to dissolve. At this point you can add red food coloring if you'd like your lava to be red. Last step, pour 1/4 cup vinegar into the cup and watch what happens.



The eruption won't be explosive or long-lived, but my boys loved it and requested it be done over and over again. And then again. Until I ran out of vinegar.