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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.

prepare pumpkin volcano experiment for kids

STEP 4: Mix your magical concoction.

STEP 5: Watch the bursting result of this experiment.

Halloween pumpkin volcano science experiment for kids

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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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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.

How to make a volcano inside of a pumpkin! Turn the classic baking soda and vinegar experiment on its head with this fall-themed pumpkin volcano!

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:

The pumpkin science volcano experiment is a fun twist on a classic experiment that wows every time! Use it in the classroom or at home for science learning and fun! #stemed #stemactivities #scienceexperiments #scienceforkids #fallactivities

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.

The fun never stops with a pumpkin volcano activity. Explore pumpkin science with this pumpkin science activity and keep the learning going all season long! #stemed #stemactivities #scienceexperiments #scienceforkids #fallactivities

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

If you can’t get enough of pumpkins this fall, try a volcano science experiment in a pumpkin! It’s so much fun and there is a lot for kids to learn, too! #stemed #stemactivities #scienceexperiments #scienceforkids #fallactivities

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

How much fun will the kids have with this pumpkin volcano? This fun pumpkin science experiment is perfect for a Halloween party activity or fall party activity for kids! #stemed #stemactivities #scienceexperiments #scienceforkids #fallactivities

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.

pumpkin volcano science experiment 3 of 8

DOING THE PUMPKIN SCIENCE VOLCANO EXPERIMENT

pumpkin volcano science experiment 5 of 8 1

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.

pumpkin volcano science experiment 7 of 8

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

Share this project with a friend!

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.

Fall is the perfect time to make a pumpkin volcano using simple kitchen ingredients. The kids will jump and cheer as they watch their volcano erupt!

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.