Our science fair volcano (it actually erupted!)

For the science fair this year my friend and I built a volcano.

Yes — that science fair volcano. The one everyone makes. We didn't care. We wanted to do it right.

How we built it

• A plastic bottle for the inside
• Newspaper soaked in flour-and-water paste, layered on top (papier-mâché)
• Brown and red paint when it all dried
• And of course: baking soda + vinegar + a few drops of red food coloring

The hardest part was waiting for the papier-mâché to dry. We had to leave it overnight, and I kept poking it to check. (Don't poke it. It just leaves dents.)

The big eruption

When we poured the vinegar in, the bubbling started right away. Whoosh. The "lava" rolled down the side and onto the table. The judges' eyebrows went up. ✨

We won the "Most Creative Presentation" ribbon. I'm keeping it on my desk forever.

What I'd do differently

Next time, I want to add a tiny papier-mâché town at the bottom for the lava to flow toward. A doomed cardboard village. Drama. Storytelling. Science. Cinema. 🎬