Make-your-own "Lava" Lamp

I'm embarrassed to even admit how much time I've spent on Pinterest this summer.  I always plan on just looking for a few cool ideas after the kids go to bed, but the next thing I know, it's 2 a.m. and my mind is spinning with all my new "pins" and the fun I'll have with them.  The downside is that the kids have to deal with a tired mommy the next day, but the upside is that I find cool ideas like THIS Lava Lamp.

As soon as I saw it, I knew it would make it onto our Summer must do list.  I suspected my kids would get a kick out of it and they did!

Here's how we did it:

1.  Gather your supplies ~ cooking oil, water, food coloring, an empty water bottle, and Alka Seltzer antacid tablets.

Oops, the Alka Seltzer tablets didn't make it in the picture.

2.  Fill your bottle about two thirds of the way with oil then fill the rest with water, leaving about an inch free at the top.

Partially filled with oil

It was fun adding the water and watching the layers separate.

** NOTE ** We liked watching the water layer "sink" to the bottom, but we had to wait awhile for the bubbles to disappear for the next step.  Adding the water first, then the food coloring and finally the oil, wasn't quite as fun, but it was a bit faster.

3.  Add several drops of food coloring.  (If you did the oil first, then the water, it'll take a little while for the drops of food coloring to "break through" and tint the water.)

Mommy adds the food coloring.

4.  Take an Alka Seltzer tablet and break it into 3 or 4 pieces.  Then drop a piece in and watch the magic. 

The kids are looking annoyed that I made them stop for a picture first!

5.  As soon as the tablet hits the layer of water, it will start to fizz and the colored water will erupt!

4.  The bubbles will stop as soon as the tablet dissipates, but it will start up again as soon as you add another tablet.  If the oil layer starts to become cloudy with tiny bubbles, just let it settle for awhile and then you can do some more.

My kids loved it so much they worked really hard to be good so they could "earn" more antacid tablets to do it over and over again.