Model Magic Erupting Volcano

My son's preschool class had an entire week devoted to dinosaurs.  Each day they did a dino-craft and the pregressively built what would turn out to be a huge paper-mache volcano.  Come Friday the teacher made the volcano erupt and the kids went nuts.  This was by far the coolest craft his class did all year.  He's was talking about it for days and days.  I knew we would somehow replicate the volcano, but I wasn't ready to commit the paper-mache mess.  So, this little idea came about with Crayola's Model Magic (this stuff is cool if you haven't tried it yet) and a yogurt container.

Age: 3+
Time: 20 minutes
Cleanup: I just dumped the 'lava' into the sink and threw away the mini cup.  2 minute cleanup!  We saved the 'volcano' and made it erupted at least 10 more times until we tossed it in the trash.  Be sure when erupting the volcano to have a plate underneath to catch the mess.
What You Need:

• A couple packs of Crayola's Model Magic
• Large plastic yogurt container
• Mini paper cups (like bathroom cups)
• Baking Soda
• Vinegar
• Scissors
• Pen
• Paper Plate

Why I Like This Craft:
My son had a little playdate with one of his friends.  I figured this was the perfect timet to try out the volcano.  They loved seeing it erupt! This is a quite, fun activity that kids can work on in a group.  And the cleanup is a snap.

Step 1:
Turn yogurt container upside down.  With pen, trace the top of the cup on the bottom of the yogurt container.  Cut out hole.

Step 2:
Place container on plate. Cover yogurt container with model magic.  This kids used a few different colors to make it look like lava. If I had more stuff immediately on hand, I would add little trees and maybe my son's dinosaurs around the base of the volcano.

Step 3:
Get ready to erupt the volcano!  Place a few tablespoons of baking soda into the mini cup.  Pour vinegar into the cup and watch it bubble over.  The boys thought this was so cool.  We did the eruption over and over until the novelty wore off.

That's it.  Pretty easy, right?  Enjoy!

-Rose @-}---