The Volcano Activity: Holy Spirit Lesson for Kids

This is the best way to teach children how to be filled with the Holy Spirit! Use it in church or for a revival family at home.

Enjoy a teaser of my own kids going through this lesson illustration for the 1,000th time. Still smiling!

I love this activity because it's exciting, colorful, and memorable. You probably guessed it: This is the simple baking soda and vinegar experiment but with a couple of twists to make it work for teaching kids (and adults) about the Holy Spirit's transformative power.

This activity shows the difference between being saved and being filled with the Holy Spirit. There is a difference!

I was trying to think of a good analogy to teach our church kids about being filled with the Holy Spirit. My then six-year-old had the idea to do "volcanoes." He was really into experiments, which kept him engaged indoors during our hot Texas summers. I laughed at first, but realized it was a perfect analogy! Jesus's salvation makes us pure, like the baking soda. But, we need the vinegar of the Holy Spirit to overflow!

I've used this activity in multiple lessons at home and church since then and each time, it creates a big WOW!

Here is the basic set up so that you can do this, too:

Step #1 - Gather your supplies

The supply list is so easy! You probably have these things at home and maybe even at your church. If not, a quick email to your parents or team (or a trip to the store) should work!

• Baking soda

• Vinegar

• Two + Jars or Vases (glass cynlinder vases work best)

• Food Coloring (optional)

• Glitter

• Tarp (if doing indoors)

• Rags (for cleaning afterwards)

Step #2 - practice and set up

I can't emphasize this enough - don't let your first time doing a new demonstration be in front of a class of children. Try it once (or more times) beforehand. I used to ask my teacher to come early to practice in our church kitchen. If I was doing an activity new to me, I'd try it during the week before sending the lessons out so that I could tweak or explain as necessary.

This extra step can sound like a hassle when you have a long list of things to do but the extra 10 minutes will make a huge difference on the Sunday.

And, practice it with the Bible verse you plan to use! Here is one that I used with this activity in the Who is the Holy Spirit Curriculum.

"There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit... the same God who produces all of them in everyone." 1 Cor 12:4-11 (NLV)

Step #3 - set it up

You'll do the set up without the kids seeing! Before class time!

Outdoor setup with a large crowd of children.

1. Place glitter of your choice and preferably a matching food coloring on the bottom of the jar. About a tablespoon of glitter and ten drops of food coloring.

2. Place a different color of glitter and food coloring in the second jar.

3. Carefully spoon a layer of baking soda on top of both the jars of glitter. It will end up being around 1/4 of a cup of baking soda when you've fully covered it. However, it will depend on the base of your jars and the size of their necks (and this is why you'll need ot practice, first). It needs to be enough to jump out of the sides, but not too much that the vinegar can't interact.

4. Prepare a jar of vinegar. It should be around three to four cups of vinegar. More is fine. You can wrap it in a paper that says, "Jesus" on it, or "Holy Spirit," depending on your lesson.

5. Set up the table for presentation (see pictures above and below).

Note: We have set up in both a classroom and outside before. Personally, I prefer being outdoors on the grass at home (no need for cleaning up!). However, when we showcased it on the day I captured photos, we opted for old cookie sheets to avoid any mess on the floor. Unfortunately, it didn't work, and we ended up giving the floor a thorough mopping afterwards!

Step #4 - Teach!

Prepare all the ingredients on a table and create an exciting atmosphere! Remember, the kids wont know that there are different colors in each jar!

You can make this your own, but basically, tell the children that the cylinder glass represents the child! Each child is made by God on purpose. We all need Jesus to make us pure and righteous. That is represented by the baking soda. However, there is a lot more to being a Christian than just being saved. God has made us to be filled with the Holy Spirit and overflow with His fruit and unique gifts!

When we ask the Holy Spirit to fill us up, it is like pouring vinegar into a jar of baking soda. It overflows! If you use different colors for different jars, you can teach the children that we all have different gifts but the same God made them all!

Step #5 - Activate the kids to be filled with the Holy Spirit!

The volcano activity setup in a small classroom.

After the lesson, ask the children questions about what is coming up for them about the topic. Be sure to emphaze that we don't "muster up" gifts or fruit. The Holy Spirit produces them.

I'd always end with an invitation for the children to ask the Holy Spirit to fill them up!

If this is awkward for you, just ask them to repeat after you, "Holy Spirit come!"

Intrigued, but not sure how to use this?

Everytime we've done this lesson, the kids love it! Its fun, its messy, its memorable. Best of all, its versitle. The truth of the matter is that the Holy Spirit does change us! God's word says that we are "transformed by His power." He has hidden Himself in nature in ways that demonstrate this fact. The Bible mentions yeast, and I think baking soda and vinegar is similiar. He is speaking to us that we are changed becuase of Jesus!

If you'd like an example of how to use this activity in a lesson, check out our curriuclum: Who is the Holy Spirit. It and many other hands-on examples like this are included in that series.