They could have made Frosty the Snowman but instead they built a snow volcano. Just like one they made the year before.
All that is needed to make the volcano is kids, snow and water coloured with natural food dye. We used blue dye for ‘water’ around the volcano and red dye for ‘lava.’
It’s also a great opportunity to teach kids some facts about volcanoes.
Here are 10 facts on volcanoes:
- The word “volcano” originates from the name of Vulcan, the god of fire in Roman mythology.
- Hot molten rock underground and inside a volcano is known as magma but when it flows out of the volcano or crack it’s called lava.
- Volcanoes are openings or fissures in the Earth’s crust. When pressure builds up, ash, gas and hot magma is released often in grand eruptions.
- There are active, dormant and extinct volcanoes.
- Over 75% of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes are located in a horseshoe shaped area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean known as the “Ring of Fire.”
- There are also active and extinct volcanoes on other planets. Find out more about them here on Nasa Space Volcano Explorer.
- There are about 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth, including some on the ocean floor and under ice caps.
- The world’s largest active volcano is considered to be Mauna Loa in Hawaii.
- Mount Etna is thought to be the oldest volcano on Earth. It’s also the tallest and most active in Europe.
- There are 130 extinct and active volcanic mountains in Iceland.
Then the days passed and more snow fell. Two snowstorms in fact. And when the sky cleared at the end of the week it was time to rebuild. Plastic containers were filled with dyed water. Sticks were put in the top of the cone to look like an explosion.
So the volcano grew with a peak perfect for dancing feet.
And once again it erupted and the lava flowed.
And even a dinosaur came to visit.
Oh the joys of a snow volcano when you are a kid! But perhaps we’ll try to bring the wildlife to us with a snowman in the woods like here or head for a steep hill….
Ahhh I saw the red mountain of snow in your Silent Sunday pic and now it makes sense what it was 🙂 love the snowy pics!
What a great snow activity! I bet the kids loved making the lava hit the snow
What a cool idea! Kids really know how to make the best of whatever the weather is like. I would love to build a snow volcano!
Oh that photo of your son is just stunning!! x
What a great idea! If only we had all that snow to play with…my wee man would LOVE it! I love the freedom of just chucking the food dye at it 🙂
That is a fabulous volcano. Who needs neat streams of lava flow! We’ve used food colouring to paint pictures in the snow before. You’ve taken it to the third dimension. #CountryKids
Oh, brilliant – that’s next on my list if we still have enough snow when we get back!
Oh wow, the light in those pictures looks amazing. Colouring snow is so much fun but always feels a bit naughty somehow? Don’t think we’ll have any snow this year, it’s too wet over here.
Nipping over from Country Kids.
The bit my two liked the most was splashing the volcano…forget having pretty little lava streams!
such simple fun! a little bit more snow than us 🙂
a bit too much snow for me 🙂
Such a wonderful way to play with snow!
We have used water bottles and food colouring to spray patterns in the snow before – we will try this one though x
It’s fun discovering new ways to play in snow as we certainly have lots of it this year!
That is just brilliant Kriss, what great fun! I’m itching to do things in the snow but it seems we’re just destined for rain and wind with a glimmer of sunshine in-between! Beautiful photos 🙂
That’s a lovely snow volcano! #CountryKids
Such an inspired and fun idea for the children. It looks like they had some great creative play with their volcano. Thanks for linking up and sharing their fun with Country Kids.
It was the kids idea last year. Now I think it’s going to become our annual tradition as long as there’s snow 🙂
That looks like fabulous fun and much more original than a snowman!
(ah and not all the blogs joining Country Kids are in Britain – we’re in France ;)!!)
They had fun that was for sure! Glad you’re in France and would love ideas from there too!
I love it! So much fun, and it is great to see what kids come up with #CountryKids
Thanks Jocelyn – I think they like the volcano as they can do most of it themselves.