Simple Preschool Science Activity that Makes a Volcano

Inside: Looking for a simple preschool science activity? This volcano idea involves apples, baking soda, and vinegar!

I do love classic, tried-and-true science activities.

EASY and FUN science activities.

You know, the ones that make your kids get all wide-eyed and curious? Nothing fancy, just plain fun?

Well, that’s just what this easy volcano science activity is all about! And the good news is that it’s part of an amazing collection of over 100 other easy and fun science activities!

Disclosure: I was given a copy of The Curious Kid’s Science Book to review. My review is honest and my own. This post also contains affiliate links for your convenience.

I love to pass on a wonderful resource when I find it! When Asia Citro asked if I’d review her latest book The Curious Kid’s Science Book: 100+ Creative Hands-On Activities for Ages 4-8, I jumped at the chance. You might recall when we made gingerbread ornaments using a simple recipe from Asia’s earlier book, 150+ Screen Free Activities for Kids. When I got my hands on her new science book, I showed it to the pre-kindergarten teachers in my preschool and they asked if they could try some with their science curriculum.

The Curious Kid’s Science Book: 100+ Creative Hands-on Activities for Ages 4-8

Asia Citro has an M. Ed in Science Education and was a classroom science teacher. She currently shares amazing ideas at her Fun at Home with Kids blog. In fact, that is where I first met Asia, as I was searching for creative activities to share on my Facebook page.

The first thing I noticed when I received The Curious Kid’s Science Book was how nicely organized it is, complete with colorful photos. While the book is geared for children older than the ages I teach, many of them can be easily adapted for younger children. However, I’ve barely seen the book since I shared it with the pre-kindergarten teachers in my preschool. When I finally asked if I could have the book back, they asked me to please not remove all the torn pieces of paper that were serving as bookmarks, as they intend to use Asia’s book often for their class science activities. Now that is pure love for a book!

Simple Preschool Science Activity that Makes a Volcano

The very first activity of Asia’s that they chose was the baking soda to vinegar experiment on page 170.

Do you think adding baking soda to vinegar or adding vinegar to baking soda will make a bigger reaction?

Only two ingredients are needed for this activity! The teachers set them up on the table. (Note all the torn paper bookmarks. These teachers might not ever give The Curious Kid’s Science Book back to me!)

Before starting the experiment, the teachers asked the children what they predicted would explode more. They wrote each child’s name under their prediction.

Because their theme that week was apples, they chose to hollow out a red and a yellow apple to use as containers for the volcanoes. After making their predictions and writing them on the white board, the children gathered around the science table.

In one apple, the baking soda was placed first, then the vinegar was poured on top. In another apple, the vinegar was poured inside, and then the baking soda was added.

Eyes grew wide as the volcanoes erupted.

We won’t spoil the fun and give you the answer, but most of the children’s predictions were correct!

Fun, right? You can see how simple yet educational these types of science activities are. Our pre-kindergarten teachers do, too, and that is why they have bookmarked many more ideas, such as: