Volcano Fruit Bowl

Dinosaurs lived in a world with plenty of volcanoes, so today's snack erupts! Your little one piles fruit into a mountain, then pours strawberry yogurt "lava" over the top and watches it ooze down.

What you need

• A small bowl or plate

• Chopped fruit: melon, banana, apple, grapes (quartered) and berries

• Strawberry yogurt, or plain yogurt stirred with mashed strawberries

• A small spoon or squeeze bottle for the lava

• Optional: a toy dinosaur to stand near the volcano (for looking, not eating)

How to make it

1. Build the volcano. Your child piles the fruit into a tall mountain shape, big pieces on the bottom and small ones on top.

2. Make a crater. Press a little dip into the top with a spoon.

3. Erupt! Count down from five together, "5, 4, 3, 2, 1... erupt!", then spoon the yogurt lava into the crater and watch it run down.

4. Dig in. Eat from the bottom up and see if the volcano falls over.

Why we love it

Counting down, building and pouring make snack time feel like an experiment. Stacking fruit into a tall shape is also a fun lesson in balance: wide on the bottom, narrow on top.

Make it your own

• Real fizz: For a separate, not-for-eating science moment, put baking soda in a cup and add vinegar with a drop of red food coloring.

• Dairy-free lava: Use mashed strawberries or a smooth fruit puree.

A quick safety note: For kids under 4, quarter grapes lengthwise and cut all fruit into small pieces. Remove any toy dinosaur before eating. Skip yogurt for a milk allergy. Always have your child sit while eating.

Shop these items

Everything mentioned in this post, in one place. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

• Toddler bowls

• Squeeze bottles

• Jumbo toy dinosaurs

• Shop everything for Week 5: Dinosaurs

• Starter supplies: the basics we use most weeks

• See every week in our Amazon storefront

More for this week: see all our Dinosaur activities, Letter E activities and Number 5 activities.

Every child is different. Please use your own judgment about what's safe and right for your family. Always supervise children during activities and while eating, and adjust foods for allergies, dietary needs and your child's age and chewing ability. Sprocket & Sprout shares these ideas for fun and learning only. We are not responsible for any injury, allergic reaction, damage or mess that may result from trying them. This post may contain affiliate links; if you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.