# Spooky Eruptions
> Line a shallow tub with black baking soda "sand" and black beans, fill Halloween test tubes and shot glasses with colored baking soda, then squeeze in lemon juice for fizzy spooky eruptions. When the fizzing ends, it becomes black spooky water play.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/halloween-sensory-activities-spooky-eruptions/
- Ages: 3–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: high
- Time: prep 30 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 2 kids
- Skills: science, sensory-exploration, fine-motor, language, pouring
- Cautions: citrus, food-dye, ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- Baking soda (household)
- Black powdered tempera paint
- 1 handful Dried black beans
- Lemon juice
- Food color
- Kool-Aid drink mix (optional)
- Halloween-themed test tubes and shot glasses
- Squeeze bottles
- 1 piece Shallow tub (household)
- Small containers for pre-mixing colored baking soda (household)

## Safety
- Lemon juice stings eyes and cuts. Keep squeezing low and away from faces, and wash hands after play.
- Dried black beans are a choking hazard. Supervise closely and leave them out for children who still mouth objects.
- Powdered tempera is paint, not food. An adult should mix the powder into the baking soda so kids don't breathe in the dust.
- Black tempera and food color can stain hands, clothes and surfaces. Use smocks and cover the play area.
- Use plastic test tubes and shot glasses, not glass.
- Supervise sensory and water play at all times.

## Before you start
- Mix Kool-Aid or food color into baking soda in several separate containers to make colored, scented baking soda for the eruptions.
- Fill the squeeze bottles with lemon juice.

## Steps
1. Mix baking soda with black powdered tempera and spread it across the base of a shallow tub.
2. Add a handful of black beans for extra sensory fun.
3. Let the kids feel the black "sand" and play with it first.
4. Fill the Halloween test tubes and shot glasses with baking soda, some of it colored, and stand them in the tub.
5. Squeeze lemon juice into the test tubes and shot glasses and watch them erupt.
6. Pour lemon juice over the black baking soda lining the tub for fizzes everywhere.
7. Look at all the bubbly eruptions together.
8. When the lemon juice is used up, use the containers to pour, dump and transfer the black spooky water.

## Tips
- Make your colored and scented baking soda in advance in several containers, then add it to the test tubes. That way the eruptions will be vibrant and scented!
- I just roughly added the Kool-Aid and food color to the baking soda, so only a few eruptions were nice and vibrant.
- Even my 5-year-old adores sensory activities. I always observe so much storytelling, lots of questions and major language development during sensory play.
- Give the children a tub full of black colored water, call it spooky water play for Halloween, and watch them engage in sensory play for hours!

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2013)

Just like many kids out there, mine adore a some fizzing activities. We have done simple [**color mixing fizzing activity**](https://www.funlittles.com/science-experiments-for-kids-color-mixing-kids-activities/), [**lemon suds eruptions**](https://www.funlittles.com/science-experiments-kids-lemon-suds-eruptions/) and recently [**rainbow lemon eruptions**](https://www.funlittles.com/science-experiments-kids-rainbow-lemon-eruptions/) on a salt tray. Today we share another fun eruptions activity - this time with a spooky Halloween twist. **Materials**

- Baking Soda
- Black Powdered Tempera
- Black Beans
- Lemon Juice
- Food Color/Kool-Aid
- Halloween themed containers

In a shallow tub I lined the base with baking soda mixed with black powdered tempera. I also added a handful of black beans for extra sensory fun. The kids first had fun feeling the black "sand" and engaged in some sensory play. At 5, even my older kid adores all kinds of [**sensory activities**](blogmemom.com/category/messy-play-2/)- I always observe so much story telling, multiple questions and major language development during sensory play. Back to the set up, I added a few Halloween themed test tubes and shot glasses I purchased for a $1/ pack.  All the test tubes and shot glasses have baking soda, a few of them colored with food color and Kool-Aid.



The squeeze bottles are filled with lemon juice ( lemon essence not the drinking lemon juice) The kids had a grand time making eruptions with the baking soda.

If you want to go step further, I'd suggest making Kool-Aid scented baking soda in several containers first and then add these to the test tubes. That way the eruptions will be vibrant and scented!



Since I just roughly added the Kool-Aid and food color with baking soda, only a few eruptions were nice and vibrant. So I strongly suggest making your colored and scented baking soda in advance- makes the activity even more exciting. C'mon fragrant eruptions?



The kids also enjoyed pouring (!) lemon juice over the black baking soda lining the tub. There were lemony fizzes everywhere in the tub. Once all the lemon juice was used up, it was time for good old messy play. The children used the containers to pour, dump, transfer "black spooky water" to extend their play.

Honestly, give the children a tub full of black colored water and call it spooky water play for Halloween and watch them engage in fun sensory play for hours!



Happy Halloween!



Thanks for reading

Check out:

### [Rainbow Lemon Eruptions](https://www.funlittles.com/science-experiments-kids-rainbow-lemon-eruptions/)

### [Sudsy Lemon Eruptions](https://www.funlittles.com/science-experiments-kids-lemon-suds-eruptions/)

### [Color Mixing Fizzing Activity](https://www.funlittles.com/science-experiments-for-kids-color-mixing-kids-activities/)