The Snow Volcano

shovel build snow volcano

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.

snow volcano blue moat 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.

 

dancing snow volcanoSo the volcano grew with a peak perfect for dancing feet.

throwing red dye on volcanothrowing red waterAnd once again it erupted and the lava flowed.

dinosaur and snow volcanoAnd even a dinosaur came to visit.

the snow volcanoOh 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….

21 thoughts on “The Snow Volcano”

  1. 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 🙂

  2. 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.

  3. 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

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