DIY 3 Ingredient Lava Lamps Inspired by Big Hero 6

I took my kiddos to go see Big Hero 6 on Christmas Eve as a way to take our minds off of my husband being deployed for the holidays.  We were looking for something light and happy that would leave us all in a great mood.  And honestly, we all cried during the movie…

Big Hero 6 is a sweet and funny movie that had us crying happy tears and laughing at the adorable, lovable Baymax.  We all really connected with the idea that is continually shown throughout the movie that loving science doesn’t label you as a “nerd,” it can label you as a hero!  It is probably my favorite Disney movie of this decade (sorry, Frozen!) and the message that is sends to our youth is unbeatable.  My kids and I have been waiting patiently to own our own copy since that day so that we can watch it again and again.

In anticipation of the release date tomorrow, the kids and I decided to do a science experiment of our own.  We created our own lava lamps using just three simple ingredients.

To make you own, you will need a bottle or jar, vegetable oil, food coloring and Alka Seltzer.  (We all loved the bright and exciting colors of “San Fransokyo,” which is where Big Hero 6 takes place, so much that we chose to use neon food coloring.)  One quick trip to Walmart to grab our supplies and we were ready to go.

Start with an empty bottle or jar and fill it about 3/4 of the way full with vegetable oil.  Add tap water to fill the rest of the bottle, leaving about an inch at the top.  My kids were already impressed and having fun just seeing the water and oil react with each other.

Now add 10-15 drops of food coloring in to the bottle.  They will stay in their original shape and land on the bottom of the oil as little balls.  But here comes the really fun part!  Break one tab of Alka Seltzer into 2-4 pieces and drop them into the bottle one at a time.

The color will immediately start to disperse and move around the bottle.  My kids were absolutely in awe over this!
Make sure to allow each piece of Alka Seltzer to dissolve before adding another, or it might just bubble over on to you.

The colors shoot up the sides, form bubbles and float all over and move in all kinds of interesting and exciting ways.

And good news…once the color settles back down to the bottom, you can repeat this as many times as you like by just adding another piece of Alka Seltzer.

My kids had such a great time with these DIY lava lamps that we are now looking for more fun experiments to try at home.  And we cannot wait to purchase our Big Hero 6 Blu-Ray/DVD + Gift With Purchase Set at Walmart tomorrow so that we can get The Science of Big Hero 6 DVD as well!  Bonus, the set includes a digital movie on Vudu while supplies last if you scan your receipt with the Walmart app Savings Catcher!

I think the part that excites us most about owning our own copy of Big Hero 6 (aside from spending time with Baymax whenever we want) is that we will be watching it so very soon with my hubby!  We love to have movie and dinner night as a family once a week and this will be first on the list!

Have you seen Big Hero 6 yet?  If not, what are you waiting for?!  Do you have any plans for a craft, recipe or experiment to go along with the movie?  I’d love to hear about it, just leave a comment below!