July 27, 2024

How to Make a Lava Lamp with FREE Experiment Worksheet

Kids will be amazed with this DIY Lava Lamp that is really fun and EASY to make! I will show you how to make a lava lamp in just 5 minutes for a truly memorable chemistry experiments for kids. This homemade lava lamp is a fun oil and water experiment for kids from toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th gradeers, and up! Lots of pictures and ideas for a lava lamp experiment. Simply print lava lamp experiment worksheet pdf and you are ready to play and learn with this really cool diy lava lamp for kids.

Lava Lamp Experiment

I am always eager to find creative, new, and fun things for kids. As part of our summer bucket list we decided to make a lava lamp. It was a really fun summer science activity that was so EASY I knew you’d want to know how to make a lava lamp for kids. This lava lamp experiment is so simple and uses everyday materials you probabaly already have on hand! Try this preschool science experiments with parents, teachers, grandparents, planning for Vacation Bible School, working on a science Summer camp, daycare, or planning a science birthday party . This is a MUST TRY science activities for preschoolers, toddlers, kindergartners, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, and up!

Plus don’t miss our pop rocks and soda experiment, 100 fun kindergarten science experiments, and best slime recipes

Lava lamp experiment worksheet

Start by scrolling to the bottom of the post, under the terms of use, and click on the text link that says >> _____ <<. The lava lamp science pdf file will open in a new window for you to save the freebie and print the template.

for this easy science experiment you need oil, clear bottle, food coloring, and alka seltzer tablets

DIY Lava Lamp

To make this easy science experiment you will need the following supplies:

Empty bottle – clear pastic bottle like a water bottle, soda bottle, etc.
oil – any kind will work. I suggest getting oil that is as clear as possible for it not to affect the coloring. Being stuck at home we used darker yellow oil when we recentrly redid one of our favorite science experiments
food coloring – any color you like such as blue, yellow, red, green, etc.
Funnel to minimize the less
Alka Seltzer Antacid Tablet (you will need 1 tablet per bottle you make)

pour water and oil into recycled plastic container using a funnel

How to Make a Lava Lamp

Start out by pouring water about 1/3 of the distance up your recycled plastic container using a funnel to avoid mess. Now add cooking oil (vegetable oil, walnut oil, canola oil, etc.) the rest of the way to go just 2″ from filling your container.

I love crafts, science projects, and activities that reuse items we have laying around the house! For this project, you probably have everything you need to make it laying around your house!

use this oil and water experient to explain to kids why these 2 substances don't mix

Lava lamp experiment for kids

Children will be fascinated by how the oil & water didn’t mix! They can shake up the jar and watch as the two substances will go back to oil at the top and water at the bottom. You can give them this simple explanation on why oil and water don’t mix:

Oil molecules are only attracted to other oil molecules and water molecules are attracted to water molecules. So they don’t mix together. The reason the oil floats on top is because the oil is less dense than water.

put in 4-5 drops of food coloring into the oil and water bottles

Homemade Lava Lamp

Add 4-5 drops food coloring. It really doesn’t matter how much food coloring you use – you can add as much as you want to get the desired color at the bottom of the jar.

HINT: You can even have children explore mixing colors. Have kids add yellow and red drops to make, orange, blue and yellow to make green, blue and red to make purple, etc.

Watch how the red food coloring goes straight through the oil with out mixing. Use this step to work on color mixing with kids

lava lamp for kids

Notice how the food coloring falls through the oil in balls without mixing at all. Once it gets to the water section it will mix.

fun science project to make with toddler, preschool, pre k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade students

how to make lava lamps

Start at the beginning to prepare any other bottles so your other children can enjoy this fun science projects too! We opted to try different colors so we neded up with a homemade lava lamp for all the primary colors – red, blue, and yellow.

drop 1 alka seltzer antacid tablet into your science project

how to make a lava lamp for kids

Next add 1 tablet Alka Seltzer Antacid Tab, broke up into several pieces, into the jar.

step by step directions for making your own DIY Lava Lamp

Make your own lava lamp

It will start to bubble and and create a lava lamp. You will be amazed as the chemical reaction of the water and antacid tab bubbles and shoots the bubbles of colored water up through the oil.

The DIY Lava Lamp with be in constant motion as bubbles keep moving up and down through the oil, but notice how the colored water and oil don’t mix! Kid will be amazed and impressed by this science experiment!

after you've followed direction on How to Make a Lava Lamp, try shaking the bottle to see what happens to the water molecules

lava lamp diy

You can cause your colored water molecules (think size of balls) to be bigger or smaller molecules by shaking the bottle to break apart the molecules. You can also impact the size of the colored bubbles by trying to putting a smaller portion of the antacid tab in at a time.

this science experiment for kids is great for summer learning, a rainy days, or kids activity any time

homemade lava lamp for kids

This easy-to-make kids lava lamp is sure to be a project kids remember for year to come!

When the antacid tablet is no longer causing the lava lamp effect you can repeat the process. If your child shakes the jar violently and the oil, water, and food coloring appear to have made one big colored mess – don’t throw it out. Give it a couple hours and you will see the oil & colored water separate again. Then go ahead and repeat the science experiment again.

lava lamp science project

Minnie wanted to make a multi colored lava lamp. Instead of explaining why it wouldn’t work (the colors would all mix together in the water to make black) I decided to just let her test her hypothesis. We added several different colored drops and tested it out. While her hypothesis was incorrect, the lava lamp effect was just as cool in black.

fun activities for kids where they will learn about chemical reactions, color mixing, and density of oil and water while having fun

how to make a homemade lava lamp

This is a MUST try kids activity for sure! I love when kids can learn while having FUN! This activity will help kids learn about chemical reactions, color mixing, and density of oil and water all while doing a (sh, don’t tell them) educational activity for preschoolers, toddlers, kindergartners, first graders, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, and grade 6. For older children use this as a springboard into one of those topics and dive deeper reading some scientific texts to supplement your project.

Kids will have fun learning about our solar system with these free printable Solar System Worksheets for kids. You’ll find solar system vocabulary, planets, sun, stars, moon phases, and so much more! These free worksheets are great for Kindergarteners, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, and grade 6 students.

If you are learning about simple machines for kids and looking for some fun,hands-on STEM activities for kids, you are going to love these simple machine projects. With over 30 creative simple machine activities, we will show you how to make a simple machine as you learn about the 6 simple machines: inclined planes, wheel & axle, wedges, levers, pulley, and screws. We have simple machines project ideas for kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade students.

Whether you are diving into an astronomy unit in your homeschool / classroom or your child just has a natural curiosity about space, here are 24 EPIC Solar System Projects for kids. These solar system project ideas are perfect for preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade students. Whether you want to make a solar system project out of fruit, playdough, bottle caps, yarn, clothespins, snow globe, or more - we've got the most creative solar system activities to make learning abou tthe plants in our solar system FUN for kids. So pick you favorite solar system craft and make the solar system for kids come alive!

Help kids learn about what is under their skin with this fun, interactive, and hands on human body project for kids from toddler, preschool, pre k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade students. This can be a simple life size human body project or use our free printable templates to add bones of the body, organ templates, and more. This engaging science project is EASY and LOW PREP too.

100 Amazing Food Experiments for Kids - so many clever edible science projects for kids of all ages to explore chemistry, biology, physics, and earth science! #scienceexperiment #scienceproject #kidsactivities

Get ready to amaze your kids with walking water science experint. This easy, colorful capillary action activity is prefect for preschool and up!

Kids will be WOWED with this hands-on, fall science experiment where they will learn about chromatography for kids in this Why do Leaves Change Color Experiment. This why do leaves change color for kids is such a fun leaf activity that preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade students will enjoy. This leaf science is the perfect EASY science experiment for September, October, and November.

This fun hands-on human body for kids activity is such a fun way to learn about our amazing bodies! These free printable Human Body Playdough Mats are a fun way for kids of all ages to learn about what is inside our body. Children will make a play doh human body with these playdough mats to learn about our bones, skeletal system, muscles, organs, play doh digestive system, and more! Use these playdough mats as part of a study of the human body for kids study with toddler, preschool, pre k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade students. Kids will love that they can add the body parts to the free playdough mats making it a truly hands on science activity.

The goal of an amazing science experiment for kids is to grab kids attention and make them wonder why did that happen, how could that work, and I want to try that! This leak proof bag is such a simple science experiment for kids that explores polymers. What's best is this amazing science experiment with everyday materials! Try this water experiment with kids of all ages from toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th graders too.

Simple and FUN water cycle in a bag project helps kids visualize this weather phenomena with a hands-on weather activity!

Kids are always fascinated by baby animals and the cycle of life. If you are learning abou the huge variety of plant and animal life cycles, you will love these life cycle printables that cover what is a life cycle! Use these printables to learn about life cycles for kids. We have FREE life cycle worksheets that cover everything from butterfly to salmon, penguin to turkeys and shark life cycles too! Use these life cycle activities to make learning easy and fun for preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th graders too.

Teach students about electricity for kids with this simple and amazing light bulb experiment! This light bulb science project only requires a couple simple materials and you can make an incandescent light bulb just like Thomas Edison did! This electricity experiments for kids is fun for kids of all ages from kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th graders too.

There are certain science projects that make you go WOW! This color changing flower activity is one of those! Children learn about capillary action for kids with this amazing, colorful flower experiment. Try this colour changing flower experiment with toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade and 4th garders too. Simply download pdf file with food coloring flower experiment worksheet and you are ready to play and learn with flower science!

Have you ever tried making a Rainbow in a Jar project? If you haven't tried this classic density experiment, I'm going to show you how easy it is to make with a few common household items! This rainbow science experiment is so pretty and will amaze your preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade students. Try this rainbow experiment as part of a weather theme, St Patricks Day activity, a rainbow theme or a spring activity for kids.

Even your reluctant learner will get excited to try this easy science experiment where you will product a HUGE erruption! In this classic Mentos and Soda Experiment you will mix a couple simple materials to produce a chemical reaction. This mentos in Coke project is a MUST TRY for kids of all ages from preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th graders too. Even adults love trying the coke and mentos experiment. Don't worry, we'll give you the diet coke and mentos experiment results explained so you get all the learning out of this fun summer activity for kids!

Children will love learning about the periodic table of elements with this free printable periodic table bingo! Students from elementary school to junior high and high school will enjoy learning about different elements and their symbols with these fun Periodic Table Bingo game. This periodic table game is a great hands-on learning activity for kids to do at home, for busy bags, or in the car during a family roadtrip. Simpy print periodic table activity and use with 4th grade, 5th garde, 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade, 9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, and 12 graders too.

If you are ready to learn about the types of clouds, we have lots of fun cloud activities and cloud worksheets to add to your weather unit! Simply print the free cloud printables and you are ready to learn about, review, and make a cloud craft by making clouds with cotton balls. Get ready to play and learn wih these cloud activities for preschoolers, kindergartners, grade 1, grade 2, grade, and grade 4 students.

Looking for fun, engaging, and easy science experiments for toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, and elementary age students? You will love these good science experiments to try all year round. We have lots of fun projects to do at home for every season! From fall science experiments to winter science, summer experiments to spring science - we have a whole year's worth of homeschool science to help children study everything from chemistry, physics, biology, and more! Plus the science activities for kids are super CUTE, simple, and engaging too!

Fun Science Experiments

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Lava lamp experiment worksheet pdf

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Beth Gorden

Beth Gorden is the creative multi-tasking creator of 123 Homeschool 4 Me. As a busy homeschooling mother of six, she strives to create hands-on learning activities and worksheets that kids will love to make learning FUN! She has created over 1 million pages of printables to help teach kids ABCs, science, English grammar, history, math, and so much more! Beth is also the creator of 2 additional sites with even more educational activities and FREE printables – www.kindergartenworksheetsandgames.com and www.preschoolplayandlearn.com. Beth studied at the University of Northwestern where she got a double major to make her effective at teaching children while making education FUN!