Things You'll Need
Vegetable oil
Food coloring
Glitter
Clear bottle
How to Make a Lava Lamp. Have your kids make a lava lamp out of materials around the house to introduce them to this groovy relic from the past. Unlike real lava lamps, these homemade lava lamps are non-toxic and unheated.
Step 1
Pour oil into a jar or bottle. Fill it up about one-third of the way.
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Step 2
Add eye-catching decorations. Beads, sequins, glitter, sprinkles or anything else small and pretty can be dumped into the mixture.
Step 3
Add food coloring. Just a drop or so of food dye will give the lava lamp a colorful tint.
Step 4
Fill the rest of the jar up with water. Top off the jar or bottle with regular tap water.
Step 5
Seal the jar or bottle. Screw a lid on tightly and securely.
Step 6
Shake. Get the liquids moving to create the lava lamp effect.
Tip
To illuminate the lamp, place it on top of a floodlight or place it in front of a strong flashlight. You can add Alka-Seltzer or Airborne to create bubbles.
Warning
Do not heat a plastic bottle. Even the heat from the light could melt the plastic, so don't leave it sitting for too long. Although the mixture is non-toxic, keep it away from small children as the floating objects could be a choking hazard.
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