DIY Lava Lamp

Cabin fever?  Yes, this is a constant problem in our house right now.  I do my best to keep them busy and occupied, but sometimes we just need to spice up our routine a bit. My favorite way to change things up is to do fun experiments with the kids. Not to mention, it's the most fun way to teach science when you unschool. My stepdaughter asked me the other day if I'd tried to make lava lamps with Alka-Seltzer. As a Pinterest addict, I couldn't believe I hadn't heard about this. So I looked it up and it looked super easy and super fun!

Today was a perfect day to try something new.  We already had all the supplies we needed, except the Alka-Seltzer. After a quick run to the store, we were good to go. I recommend you try this kooky experiment with your kiddos.

Supplies You Need-

empty plastic bottles (water bottles, pop bottles, etc)

water

vegetable oil (canola oil, olive oil, etc)

food coloring

Alka-Seltzer 

glitter or beads-optional

Directions-

1. Remove labels and wash empty plastic bottles

2. Fill bottle 1/3 full with water

3. Add 5-10 drops of food coloring, swirl to mix

4. Fill the rest of the bottle with oil, stopping an inch or two from the top

5. Take 6-8 Alka-Seltzer tablets and break them into smaller pieces

6. Add tablet pieces to the bottles and watch the reaction

 ***The reaction happens quickly and the tablet pieces are "used up" quickly

We decided just to put the lids back on the bottles and save it for another day when we want to try the experiment again. But the kids also had fun just shaking the bottles up and watching the oil and water swirl around and separate. I plan to do this experiment again adding glitter  and beads to one bottle and adding the liquid from a glow stick to one bottle. There are many different possibilities you could try out. I promise not only will the kids love it, but the parents will too! 

I hope you all enjoy this post and enjoy doing the experiment! Let me know in the comments how yours worked out and if you tried adding anything else to your lava lamps. Have a great day and make some kooky memories each and every day.