Students can make a mud volcano using a few items found at home. Items needed are an empty film canister, 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Using a mixture of dirt and water, combine until mud is made, then mold it around the film canister to create a miniature volcano. Place baking soda at the bottom of the film canister, adding vinegar when it is time for the eruption.
Make a mud mask using 1 1/2 teaspoons of green clay with 1/2 teaspoon of kaolin clay. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel with 1 tablespoon of rose water. Consider adding 2 drops of an essential oil, such as rose, if desired. After mixing it all together, pour into an airtight container and put it in the refrigerator for the next four weeks before using the mask as a facial treatment.
Create mud that acts as a solid and a liquid. Place 5 tablespoons of cornstarch in a small, plastic container. Add 3 tablespoons of water, stirring until the substance is difficult to mix. Place a few drops of food coloring in the mixture. Once this is done, experiment with the mixture by feeling it between your fingers and discussing the results. Next, strike the container with force and note the lack of movement. Being a colloid, the magic mud ingredients won't properly mix, creating a suspended state for the cornstarch and water.
Recreating a mud brick is a practical way of teaching a first-grader about the warming effects of the sun with natural elements. Using a mold, such as an ice cube tray, add a mixture of water and dirt which has been sifted clean for rocks. The mixture should be packed tightly and the mud should be free of air bubbles. Make the miniature bricks stronger by adding straw into the mixture before pouring into a mold. Remove the bricks from the mold, allowing two weeks for drying in the sun.