mini pumpkin volcano experiment

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Erupting Pumpkin Volcano Experiment

This simple pumpkin volcano goes way back! I set up this EASY fall science experiment for my son 10 years ago. The amazement of foaming pumpkins and a fizzy reaction is the perfect way to grow a kid’s love of science. Here, we make science activities simple. More fun and less frustration!

Pumpkin Volcano Experiment

Repeating experiments in different ways helps solidify understanding of the presented concepts. The erupting pumpkin volcano below is an excellent example of a chemical reaction .

💡 TIP: This pumpkin volcano can get a bit messy in a fun way! Make sure to have a surface or area you can easily clean up. You can start by placing your pumpkin in a pie dish or a large mixing bowl to catch the overflow.

• Small Baking Pumpkin
• Baking Soda
• Food Coloring
• Container (to catch the fizz)
• Knife to carve out the hole (for adults to do!)

💡 CHECK OUT: Pumpkin Slime Made Right in the Pumpkin

Pumpkin Volcano Instructions

STEP 1. Grab a pumpkin! You can use just about any pumpkin, white or orange. Baking pumpkins are usually a great size, and you can pick them up at your local grocery store. You can also use mini pumpkins.

STEP 2. An adult should use a knife to cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin. Next, you will want to clean out the guts. You can even use them for a pumpkin sensory bag or pumpkin investigation tray!

STEP 3. Then, have the kids put about 1/4 cup of baking soda into the pumpkin.

STEP 4. Add a squirt of dish soap if you want a foamier eruption! The chemical eruption will produce frothier bubbles and more overflow with dish soap added.

STEP 5. Add a few drops of food coloring. You can also add food coloring to the vinegar for a deeper color eruption.

STEP 6. You will want to pour your vinegar into an easy to use container for the kiddos. If you pour straight from a container into the pumpkin, you will produce a more dramatic volcano effect.

Now get ready to watch the fun as your pumpkin volcano erupts!

I think you will find a volcano science activity never gets dull… Go ahead and try it again! What happens if you make a Jack O’Lantern face in the pumpkin first. Check out our erupting Jack O’Lantern .

Get your FREE printable Pumpkin Science Activities!

Grab this free pumpkin science guide and pumpkin STEM challenge cards to plan a complete pumpkin lesson!

The Science Behind Pumpkin Volcano

Chemistry is all about states of matter including liquids, solids, and gasses. A chemical reaction occurs between two or more substances that change and form a new substance. In this case a gas called carbon dioxide.

The carbon dioxide escapes the mixture in the form of bubbles. You can even hear them if you listen closely. The bubbles are heavier than air, so the carbon dioxide collects at the surface or overflows the pumpkin because of the small vessel we have given it.

The dish soap is added to collect the gas and form bubbles that give it a more robust pumpkin volcano lave like flow down the side! That equals more fun!

You don’t have to add dish soap but it’s worth a try. Or you can even set up an experiment to see which eruption you like more.

💡 Check out more ways you can make a volcano here.

More Fun Pumpkin Science Experiments

• Make Oobleck in a Pumpkin
• Make Slime in a Pumpkin
• Learn About the Pumpkin Life Cycle
• Set Up a Rotting Pumpkin Jack

More Awesome Baking Soda and Vinegar Reactions

You can experiment with several pumpkin shapes to find your perfect volcano vessel or create a more traditional one. Check out some of the ways we have enjoyed this simple chemical reaction.

Printable Pumpkin STEM Pack

Perfect for K-2/3rd Grade and homeschool!  Many activities can be modified for preschool and older kiddos as well. 

Pumpkin is a festive and classic theme   for fall  and this pack is perfect for exploring pumpkins with a non-Halloween theme! Includes science, STEM, engineering, early math, and art projects.

The kids will have a blast trying 100+ pages of “totally doable” projects ! Read more here.

21 Comments

This is awesome!! We love vinegar/baking soda science!!

Hi there! I found you on Mom’s Library link up. This is way too cool! My kiddo is 7 and will just love this. Never would have thought of it, thank you. Pinned! 🙂

Thank you! So glad you found us. I imagine it will be a hit for years to come!

Oh yes! I am sure we will be doing it again. He was eyeing the huge pumpkin outside. Could you imagine what that would do?!

I LOVE IT! I know both my girls would really love this and want me to do it over and over again! Thanks so much for sharing on We Made That Wednesday!

We have a few pumpkins begging to be cut open. This looks like such a fun way to put them to use! Thanks for sharing at Discover & Explore. I’m featuring this post today.

Talk about a great way to kids involved! (especially those that may scrunch their nose at slimy seeds–they won’t be able to turn away from this!) Another great idea from you! Thanks for sharing at Magic Moments Monday.

My name is Lesli Richards and I am the author of The Homegrown Preschooler…I am writing some content for Old Schoolhouse Magazine’s Teacher website, and I’d love permission to use one of your photos (the one of the pumpkins at the top) and link up to your blog. Could you please consider it and email me and let me know? Blessings, Lesli Richards

Ohhh never seen this one before! Bet my boys would LOVE to try it with a pumpkin 🙂 x

Appreciation to my father who informed me on the topic of this blog, this website is truly awesome.

Hello, Just wondering why do you add the dish soap?? My mom is a science teacher and I have never seen her add dish soap to her volcanoes for class. Thanks for posting this fun idea. My neice will love it!!

Add it after baking soda and before vinegar. Or you can gently mix it into the vinegar. You don’t need it as the reaction happens with the other two ingredients. The soap makes it really froth!

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Pumpkin Volcano Experiment for Kids

How do you make a pumpkin volcano?

Pumpkin Volcano experiment for kids - Supplies:

• 1 cup white vinegar
• ¼ cup baking soda
• Food colouring, if desired
• 1 small pumpkin
• Melon baller
• Sharp knife

Pumpkin Volcano experiment for kids - Instructions:

Step 1: first things, first.

STEP 2: Prepare the pumpkin.

STEP 3: The magic ingredient.

STEP 4: Mix your magical concoction.

STEP 5: Watch the bursting result of this experiment.

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Pumpkin Volcano Science Experiment

Are you looking for ideas to spice up your science lessons? This pumpkin volcano science experiment is always a huge hit with little learners everywhere! There are also step-by-step picture directions in the freebie below, so keep reading to grab your copy.

Exploding Pumpkin Volcano Science Activity

If you’re looking for a super fun fall science experiment that uses simple ingredients, then you’re in the right place! While this pumpkin science activity may look like fun on the surface, there are actually age-appropriate learning goals and objectives that are being taught while conducting this lesson.

And those learning goals, they’re not what you may think. The goal of this activity is not for young children to understand chemical reactions and how they work. Instead, your kids will be learning how to make predictions and record their observations – which are important parts of the scientific process.

Those are the only two learning objectives for this science activity, and nothing more. Of course, if your kids are curious, you might talk a little bit about the term “chemical reaction” and the definition.

Mini Pumpkin Volcano Fall Science

Here are the tools and supplies you will need to gather to prepare this simple science experiment.

• Mini pumpkins
• Baking soda
• Food coloring
• Dawn dish soap
• Knife (to cut pumpkins)
• Spoon (to scoop out pumpkins)
• Measuring spoons
• Bowl (to put pumpkin pulp and seeds)
• Measuring cups
• Eye droppers
• Tray or shallow pan (to place the pumpkins)
• Prediction/Observation t-chart (Pumpkin Science Unit)

Pumpkin Volcano Experiment for Kids

Before you dive right in and start exploding your pumpkins, you’ll need to decide how you’ll prepare your space. Since this activity can be messy, you’ll definitely want to put your pumpkins inside of something like a tray, container, pan, or tub to contain the mess. Another idea is to take the activity outside if the weather permits to avoid any potential spills or stains.

Check out this research-based, playful learning unit in our curriculum shop!

Pumpkin Activities Bundle

The pumpkin activities bundle includes 6 of my most popular resources such as math, literacy, science - and more for plenty of hands-on fun!

Next, place all of your supplies and tools on a table along with your chosen container. Trust me, you definitely don’t want to be scrambling around trying to locate supplies, tools, or ingredients while your kids are waiting.

How to Make a Pumpkin Volcano

Now that you’ve prepared your space and gathered your supplies and tools, you might think it’s time to get started making those mini pumpkins erupt. But before the wild rumpus can begin, invite your students to record their predictions about what they think might happen when the ingredients are added to the pumpkins. You’ll need to show them all the ingredients first and name them.

After you’ve shown your students the ingredients, then give one prediction/observation t-chart to each students. Invite your students to draw a picture of what they think might happen when the ingredients are added to the pumpkins. You can fold the paper in half and hand them out with the prediction half facing up to prevent them from drawing on the observation side yet.

Pumpkin Volcano Science Activity

Gather the prediction sheets from your students to keep them save from the vinegar and food coloring. Finally, you can invite students to help you add the ingredients to the pumpkins one at a time. When it’s time to add the vinegar, present it to them in a bowl and invite them to use the eye droppers to fill the mini pumpkin with vinegar – then listen to them squeal with delight.

Here’s the tricky part, the amount of ingredients you need will depend entirely on the size of your pumpkins. You could conduct this experiment with one large pumpkin, or you could use several mini-pumpkins, the choice is yours. I like to use several mini-pumpkins so we can use a few different colors to make it even more colorful and fun.

Generally speaking, you’ll need the following amounts for one mini-pumpkin:

• 2 tablespoons of baking soda
• 4-5 drops of food coloring
• one small squirt of liquid dish soap
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup of vinegar

I recommend trying this experiment out without your students present first, just to get an idea of approximately how much of each ingredient you’ll need for your specific pumpkins. For large pumpkins, just adjust the amounts of each ingredient accordingly.

Picture Directions Free Printable

In the picture recipe below, I’ve laid out each step of the process for you. I prefer to have the students add the vinegar last because they can use their eye droppers to add the vinegar. Another added benefit of using eye droppers is that it is great fine motor practice! Your kids will be so highly motivated to use the eye droppers they will never even know they’re actually practicing an important skill like fine motor.

At the conclusion of the experiment, give each child their paper and invite them to record their observations of the right side of the page. Have a discussion about how their predictions and observations were the same or different and why. Explain that this is something scientists do, they make predictions and observations, and change their thinking when their predictions don’t match their observations.

There you have it, a fun, hands-on exploding pumpkin science activity that has age-appropriate learning goals and objectives- you’re welcome!

If you’re looking for more pumpkin science activities then you need my Pumpkin Science Unit !

Pumpkin Volcano

Fall is in the air so it’s the perfect time to make a magically erupting (surprisingly simple!) pumpkin volcano.

Check out the simple step-by-step below and then hop over and grab our mega pack of 30 Science Experiments that are kid-approved!

Getting Ready

To make our pumpkin volcano we needed to gather a few simple supplies:

• A small pumpkin with the top cut off and the inside hollowed out
• Liquid dish soap
• Food coloring or liquid watercolors (optional)
• Baking soda

Erupting the pumpkin volcano can be quite messy so we headed outside to enjoy the sunshine.

If the weather had been rainy, we could have gone with Plan B: staying indoors but placing the pumpkin in a casserole dish to catch the mess.

Pumpkin Volcano Eruption

To make our pumpkin erupt, the kids filled the inside about halfway with vinegar.

Then, to make the eruption extra foamy and colorful, they added a squirt of dish soap and a few drops of color just for fun.

The kids mixed up the liquids with a spoon and then got ready for the really exciting part…

I asked them to make a prediction about what would happen when they added the baking soda.

(After doing the exploding baggie trick and making a LEGO volcano erupt , they know all about what happens when vinegar and baking soda mix!)

They each measured out a heaping tablespoon of baking soda.

On the count of three, they dumped the baking soda into the pumpkin, stirred the mixture up, and stepped back to see what would happen next.

With a lot of giggling and cheers, we watched as a frothy bubbly mixture poured out the top of our pumpkin.

The kids LOVED it and repeated the science experiment several times.

They even experimented with making the pumpkin volcano erupt with the pumpkin top on, which was really cool, too!

The Science Behind It

When vinegar and baking soda mix together they react to form carbon dioxide bubbles. As these bubbles rise to escape the mixture they make the entire solution erupt like a volcano!

The addition of liquid dish soap makes the solution more bubbly and frothy and it makes the reaction happen a little bit slower and last a little bit longer.

More Fun for Little Scientists

Save time piecing together science lessons! Get DOZENS more easy-prep science experiments in our shop with our 30 Science Experiments!

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Pumpkin Science Experiments – Pumpkin Volcano for Kids

My kids love hands-on Science Activities, and  Pumpkin Science Experiments  are one of our favorites. You can get the kids outside, and it doesn’t matter how messy they are. That’s a win for the kids and for you. 

Pumpkin Activities are the perfect fall theme for children of all ages. We started this for a toddler and preschool Volcano Science Experiment years ago, and now it’s become a yearly tradition. Baking Soda and Vinegar Science Experiments are so easy. Why not put it in a pumpkin for extra fall fun? Your children will love this Erupting Pumpkin Science Activity.

Pumpkin Science for Kids

Pumpkin Science Experiments – Pumpkin Volcano

If you are looking for simple Science experiments and activities , add this to your fall list. Kids love bubbly, fizzy, erupting, and fun, which makes this Pumpkin Volcano Activity perfect every time you do it.

affiliate links can be found on this blog at no cost to you.

Exploring science through pumpkins is the perfect fall activity for curious kids. There are plenty of pumpkin-related science learning activities to explore : float them, weigh them, cut them open, measure the circumference, and explore what’s inside. 

Pumpkin science experiments and exploration give you a unique opportunity to teach your kids how to think like a scientist. Explore the scientific method and encourage kids to be curious and ask lots of questions.

Encourage your little learners to make observations, form a hypothesis, and collect data about their pumpkins. You can even use this amazing and helpful Charlotte Mason and Montessori inspired all about pumpkins unit to introduce your preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary learners to pumpkins and all their parts.

Pumpkin Books for Kids

Are you looking for fall picture books to explore with your kids this season? Check out these great pumpkin read-aloud books, perfect for storytime this Fall:

• How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara – This book adds some pumpkin themed fun to learning about counting skills like skip counting and estimation. It’s the perfect book to share after creating your pumpkin volcano to add a little extra math to your pumpkin exploration.
• Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White – I love this book for many reasons! It allows children to learn many important lessons through a beautiful story they won’t soon forget. With mentions of the Great Depression and lessons that focus on thinking about others rather than focusing on yourself, White’s story is a perfect Thanksgiving read-aloud this Fall.
• Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell – Get ready for more science with this creative book about the pumpkin life cycle. In this book, kids can see what happens to a pumpkin after Halloween. Add these pumpkin life cycle cards, and you’ve got yourself a fantastic Fall science lesson!
• The Pumpkin Runner by Marsha Arnold – Kids will love the illustrations and Joshua Summerhayes, the loveable hero, in this book. This Fall must read is based on actual events, so you won’t want to miss finding out what happens at the end of this important race.

Pumpkin Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten

Planning a pumpkin themed unit for your preschool or kindergarten classroom this fall? Then, you won’t want to miss these pumpkin lesson plans .

These early learning bundles cover lots of important skills including: counting and number recognition, phonics and literacy, and fine motor skills. Keep scrolling to discover even more fun activities for your kids to explore this fall. 

How to Make a Pumpkin Volcano

What you will need to make your  Pumpkin Volcano  is in this picture below. However, I have it displayed in list form towards the bottom of the page.

Pumpkin Science Experiments for Preschoolers

Begin by carefully cutting around and removing the top of your pumpkin. Adults should do this step for children because pumpkins can be very hard to cut, and it will take a sharp knife.

Remove the top from the pumpkin, and use a spoon to scrape out all of the seeds and pulp, until the inside of the pumpkin is mostly cleaned out. Kids love helping with this part. If you don’t mind a little mess, let them get their hands in the pumpkin to clean all of the seeds out.

When the pumpkin has been cleaned out, you are ready to start erupting pumpkins.

Next, fill a few small cups with vinegar and add green food coloring to one cup and red and yellow food coloring to the other cup to make orange.

You can use a popsicle stick or spoon to stir the colors and disperse them entirely into the vinegar. Your children will love adding color to the vinegar , and making it a little more festive adds to the excitement!

Place your small pumpkins into a baking dish with high sides, a clear bin or another container.

This will help to catch the mess when the fizzing effect overflows, and it makes for easy cleanup. We all love the easy cleanup.

Pumpkin Science Activity

Pour some baking soda into the bottom of each pumpkin. You can use at least 2 tablespoons. I usually have a set of bowls or measuring cups filled with your ingredients ready to use. This way the kids can spend their time doing science and discovering what will happen as they add more.

Pour the colored vinegar into the pumpkins over top of the baking soda. Watch as a fizzing reaction occurs and bubbles over.

Fall Activities

You or your children can stir the baking soda left in the bottom of each pumpkin to cause another smaller reaction, or even pour more baking soda on top.

You can even set this up at a  Kids Science Table so they can spend the day discovering what kind of reaction vinegar and baking soda make.

Children can spend an hour playing like this and experimenting with their erupting pumpkins.

Pumpkin Volcano Video

Fizzy pumpkin experiment.

• Baking soda
• Green, red and yellow food coloring
• Popsicle stick or spoon for mixing
• Sharp knife
• Large baking dish or container for eliminating mess

Instructions:

• Begin by using a sharp knife to carefully cut around and remove the top of your pumpkin. Adults should do this step for the children.
• Remove the top from the pumpkin, and use a spoon to scrape out all of the seeds and pulp, until the inside of the pumpkin is mostly cleaned out.
• Fill two cups up with vinegar.
• Add green food coloring in one cup, and add red and yellow food coloring to the other cup to make orange. You can use a popsicle stick or spoon to stir the colors and disperse them entirely into the vinegar.
• Place the two small pumpkins into a baking dish with high sides or another container. This will help to catch the mess when the fizzing effect overflows and makes for easy cleanup.
• Put some baking soda into the bottom of each pumpkin. You can use at least 2 tablespoons.
• Pour the colored vinegar into the pumpkins over top of the baking soda. Watch as a fizzing reaction occurs and bubbles over. You can stir the baking soda left in the bottom of each pumpkin to cause another smaller reaction, or even pour more baking soda on top.

Pumpkin Volcano Science Experiment

You can find our Watermelon Volcano (that’s super cool) by clicking here . This was one of our first science experiments with toddlers, and it was so much fun. 

Pumpkin Books

Pumpkin lesson plans preschool .

Science for Kids

Studies have shown that if you like this, you will also love the following articles. I have pulled them together for you right here!

Lava Lamp Science Experiment 

Magic Milk Experiment 

EXPLODING PUMPKIN SCIENCE

This Fizzy Exploding Pumpkin Volcano Science Experiment is the Perfect Fall Activity

• Food Coloring

Fill two cups up with vinegar. Or use as much as you want for exploding fun.

Add food coloring to your cups of vinegar. You can use a popsicle stick or spoon to stir the colors and disperse them completely into the vinegar.

Place small pumpkins into a baking dish with high sides or another container. This will help to catch the mess when the fizzing effect overflows and makes for easy cleanup.

Easy Explosive Pumpkin Volcano Experiment

Categories Fall STEM Activities

You’ve probably already tried the classic volcano experiment for kids, but during the fall, we like to transform our science classroom into a fall haven filled with fall science experiments and STEM activities for fall 

This time, we decided to transform the classic baking soda and vinegar volcano into a pumpkin volcano!

The kids were thrilled with the science experiment, and everyone had a blasts learning about chemical reactions and pumpkins.

Thrill your students and follow Next Generation Science Standards at the same time when you make this exciting pumpkin volcano!

Pumpkin Science NGSS Application

This experiment can be used to meet the following NGSS standards:

NGSS standard 5-PS1-4

Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances

NGSS standard MS-PS1-2

Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

NGSS standard MS PS1.B

Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants.

 NGSS standard K-2

Plan and conduct an investigation collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence to answer a question. (NGSS standard 2-PS1-1)

Analyze data from tests of an object or tool to determine if it works as intended.  (NGSS standard 2-PS1-2)

Make observations (firsthand or from media) to construct an evidence-based account for natural phenomena.  (NGSS standard 2-PS1-3)

Construct an argument with evidence to support a claim. (NGSS standard 2-PS1-4)

VOLCANO PUMPKIN SCIENCE

The classic baking soda and vinegar reaction works because baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid. When these two substances mix, they create a chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide gas.

This is a form of endothermic reaction, because it uses more energy than it produces.

The carbon dioxide gas gets trapped in the remaining water and dish soap, making foamy bubbles that are fun to watch for kids.

When the pH of the mixture has stabilized and the conversion is complete, the mixture stops reacting and the bubbles deflate.

Adding the dish soap makes the reaction last longer, because the soap bubbles hold air longer than the liquid vinegar alone.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN PUMPKIN VOLCANO

The classic volcano experiment for kids becomes new again when you put it inside a pumpkin! Here is how you can make your own pumpkin volcano.

Use our science experiment worksheet to record your results from this experiment.

Follow along with these instructions to make your own pumpkin volcano!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A PUMPKING VOLCANO

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from one of my links, I will earn a small commission on the sale. 

• Foam carvable pumpkin or real pumpkin
• Baking soda
• Red food coloring

SETTING UP YOUR VOLCANO EXPERIMENT FOR KIDS

You’ll want to open up your pumpkin in advance and remove the guts if you’re using a real pumpkin. If not, you may want to go ahead and cut the top off just so you don’t have to have knives in class.

DOING THE PUMPKIN SCIENCE VOLCANO EXPERIMENT

Fill the inside of the pumpkin with vinegar. Place the pumpkin on a tray or plate.

Dye the inside of the pumpkin red with the food coloring.

Add a few drops of dish soap.

Add baking soda to the pumpkin and watch the reaction happen!

Keep adding baking soda until the bubbling stops.

More Fall Science Experiments

Sticky, Oozy Fall Leaf Slime That Will Make You a Slime Fan

13 Fall Chemistry Experiments for Kids

Easy Fall Science Activities for Elementary Students

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Pumpkin Volcano Science Experiment for Kids

By Katie Femia

Sharing is caring!

This fantastic Pumpkin Volcano Science Experiment for Kids contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission off these links at no cost to you. To learn more visit my About Me page.

Pumpkin Volcano Tutorial: Everything you need to make your own pumpkin volcanoes can be found at your local dollar store. That makes this science experiment one that anyone can enjoy. I was able to snag everything I needed for just a few dollars, and there is nothing spooky about that.

Supplies Needed: – plastic pumpkin candy containers – baking soda – white vinegar – food coloring – measuring spoon – squirt bottle

As mentioned, all of these items can be found at your local dollar or discount store. The squirt bottle makes it easier to add the vinegar to your volcano, but isn’t required. You can use any type of dropper or pitcher if you can’t find bottles like these.

A few tips before you begin: Before you start put a plastic tablecloth down. This will help keep your surface clean when your pumpkins start to explode! It is also a good idea to keep paper towels nearby. Having these two items will help make clean up easier, allowing you to enjoy the activity as it unfolds.

What can kid’s learn through this spooky science experiment? Kids will have the chance to learn cause and effect as well as witness a cool chemical reaction. Just assembling the experiment in general is a great chance to strengthen hand/eye coordination as well as fine motor skills.

Directions: 1. Line your plastic pumpkins up. You want to space them so they have room to overflow without running into each other. 2. Place 1 tablespoon of baking soda in each pumpkin. The pumpkins I used are quite small. If you are using larger pumpkins, use an extra tablespoon. You want the container to be about 1/4 full.

3. Add in a few drops of food coloring. I added 2 drops of red and 2 drops of yellow to make orange. You can do the same or use any color you wish. Even green would look really cool! Take a chopstick and mix the food coloring into the baking soda well.

4. Now space your pumpkins out and get ready for some action!

5. Pour some vinegar into your squirt bottle. Go ahead and fill it up!

6. Squirt the vinegar directly into the top of the pumpkin. In just a few seconds, the chemical reaction will unfold and you will have an overflowing pumpkin!

Try making these pumpkin volcanoes using different hues of food coloring and see what kind of results you can get. This would be the perfect science experiment for kids in both the classroom or home school setting. It also makes a fun Halloween party activity!

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