When people think of model volcanoes, one of the first things that come to mind is the science fair and all of the projects kids bring to show off. But model volcanoes can be more than just science fair projects and there can be many different creative twists. There are also many simple things you can do to improve your model volcano. Here are some ideas to get you started. <\/p>\n
An erupting volcano is one of the most popular kinds of model volcanoes to make, but they don’t all have to erupt. Making an erupting volcano can be very simple too. Start by lining a box of the appropriate size with foil or plastic wrap. Then pour wet sand into the box with an empty tin can in the middle with the opening facing up. Build the sand up around the can and conceal it completely if you can without getting sand inside it. Then pour about a quarter cup of baking soda into the can and put the box in a place that is either outside or protected by foil or plastic wrap. This will prevent making too big of a mess with your eruption. Then combine the following ingredients to make the formula that will activate the eruption: 1 cup of water, \u00c2\u00be cup of vinegar, \u00c2\u00bd cup of dish soap, and red and yellow food coloring. When you pour the formula into the can with the baking soda, it will cause an eruption and the lava will flow all over the volcano. <\/p>\n
Another easy option to make a volcano is actually edible too. You can make a volcano cake for a party or just for fun. And while this volcano isn’t going to be erupting anytime soon, it will be attractive and yummy too. Using a regular Bundt cake pan, make a chocolate cake from a mix or from any recipe you like. When the cake is done, turn it out onto the dish you will be serving it from. You can decorate the cake with plastic palm trees and even little dinosaurs. Then put a pint of your favorite ice cream in the hole in the middle of the cake and fill it as full as you can. Depending on what kind of look you are going for you can then pour strawberry flavored syrup over the top of the ice cream and cake to make it look like lava. You can also make variations to the theme and make a white cake that will them look like a snow covered mountain with white frosting. This can be a great cake for a birthday party or for a luau party as well. <\/p>\n
Another variation on the erupting volcano doesn’t involve baking soda or the other ingredients that many people may consider messy or even harmful. This is a non toxic and exciting way to make an erupting volcano. First, start with a 1 or 2 liter bottle of diet coke or other diet soda depending on what size you would like your volcano to be. For some reason, this only works diet cola and will not be nearly as effective with other types of soda. Make sure that you keep it closed until you are ready to make the eruptions happen. You will also need moldable plaster or putty for this volcano. Cover the bottle of diet soda until it is covered to the top of the bottle. When the plaster had dried, you can paint it or decorate it in other ways to make it look like a real volcano. When everything is dry, open the bottle and drop a few mentos mint candies into the bottle and step back and wait for the eruption. It will blast high into the air, so you always want to do this outside and in a place you aren’t concerned about making a mess with sugary soda.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"