Description
Create a fascinating homemade lava lamp to explore concepts of density and chemical reactions in a fun, educational craft.
Ingredients
- Clear plastic bottle with cap (empty soda bottle works great)
- Vegetable oil (about 2/3 of the bottle)
- Water (1/3 of the bottle)
- Food coloring (any color you choose)
- Alka-Seltzer tablets (or any fizzing tablet)
- Optional: Glitter or small beads for extra sparkle
Instructions
- Start with a clean, dry plastic bottle. Fill the bottle with vegetable oil, leaving a little space at the top (about 2/3 full).
- Carefully pour water into the bottle until it is approximately 1/3 full. Observe how the water settles at the bottom and does not mix with the oil.
- Add about 10 drops of food coloring to the water layer. Watch as the color moves through the oil, creating beautiful swirls.
- Break an Alka-Seltzer tablet into smaller pieces. Drop one piece into the bottle and watch the reaction unfold. Enjoy the swirling “lava” as bubbles form and rise through the oil!
- Secure the cap on the bottle, if desired. Place your lava lamp in a safe spot and watch it dance!
Notes
Experiment with different colors and fizzing agents for unique effects.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Craft
- Method: Educational Craft
- Cuisine: N/A
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 lamp
- Calories: 0
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 0mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg