Volcano Magic

Begin by pouring a bit of paint onto a sheet pan and letting your child play with it with fingers or utensils.  Then, add a cup with a few tablespoons of baking powder, a squirt of dish soap, and a few drops of food dye.  Give your child another cup with some vinegar in it (1/4 c or so), and let him pour the vinegar into the baking soda mixture.  It will "erupt" like wonderful, colorful lava.  


Variations: 
There are many ways to set this up.  You can construct a volcano out of play dough (put a small bottle in the center to hold the baking soda mixture).  This can also be done in the sand box with a sand mountain.  For dramatic play, you could add small dinosaurs.  

What are we learning?
Your child is watching a chemical reaction.  He will likely delight in the magic of it, and it will engage his senses (touch, sight, sound (fizzing) and smell).