Volcano Books and Gift Ideas for Kids
Volcanoes are such an interesting topic for kids to learn about. Their explosive and creative eruptions help shape our planet. People are fascinated by them. Learn more about volcanoes with this collection of volcano books for kids. You’ll find both non-fiction and fiction book recommendations in this post. I’ve also included volcano science kits and toys to round out the list of gift ideas for volcano loving kids. I get commissions for purchases made through the affiliate links in this post.
Books about Volcanoes for Kids
There are a lot of non-fiction books written about volcanoes. Many of them have similar information. Some are super simple and geared for beginning readers. Others are quite complex and are full of loads of information.
My kids and I like to read a variety of volcano books. It is an interest that they all three currently share. My 12-year-old has aspirations to be a volcanologist so he’s soaking up every bit of knowledge about volcanoes he can find. My 7-year-old and 5-year-old are just as fascinated by them.
Volcano Ultimate Sticker Book – This book tops my list. It has great photos and lots of cool information about volcanoes. The best part is the stickers are reusable. We first saw this book in the gift shop of the Pompeii Exhibit at the St. Louis Science center. I bought the book for then 5-year-old Lily. She loved it. Destructive toddler brother eventually tore the book up, so I’m buying them both new copies this year for Christmas.
Absolute Expert: Volcanoes by Lela Nargi and Arianna Soldati – National Geographic explorer and volcanologist, Arianna Soldati is your guide for this book. She writes an introduction letter talking about how she got interested in volcanology. She also pops up throughout the book with sidebars of additional information.
DK find out! Volcanoes – I like this book for its illustrations and diagrams. It’s geared toward 6-9 year olds.
Erupt! 100 Facts about Volcanoes by Joan Galat – I like the way this text is organized. It’s also more accessible than some science texts. However, Level 3 is still designed for a fluent, independent reader (ages 9-12).
Volcano Rising by Elizabeth Rusch – This book has two layers of text. One simple layer that describes a story of how the volcano erupts. A second layer of text goes into more detail. I like how you can just read the story portion to younger children while older children can read the details.
The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top: A Book About Volcanoes – This book is formatted like the TV show. It is not like typical Magic School Bus books with all of the extra information on each page. This is a good choice if you’re looking for a story about a volcano rather than a fact book.
You Wouldn’t Want to Live in Pompeii! – Learn about what happened to Pompeii in this story where you are a character living at the time Mt. Vesuvius erupted.
I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79 – This popular series takes the reader to Pompeii as well.
I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980 – This time you are transported to witness the eruption of Mount St. Helens, which didn’t happen all that long ago.
Volcanoes (Ultimate 10) by Jayne Keedle – This volcano book focuses on 10 volcanoes. Each volcano is labeled with its notoriety.
Hot Lava: Fiery Facts about Volcanoes: We got this book at a recent Scholastic Book Fair. It doesn’t appear to be on Amazon, so I’m including a link to Scholastic. It comes with metallic slime.
To see all of my volcano book recommendations, visit my Amazon shop.
Volcano Toys and Science Kits for Kids
This section include volcano science kits and volcano toys that are perfect for kids.
Pocket Volcano – This tiny volcano is pocket-sized fun. See it in action below.
Volcano Making Kit – This kit includes plaster, paint, and a mold to create your own volcano. You supply the materials for an eruption.
The Magic School Bus: Blasting Off with Volcanoes Science Kit – This kit has a few different volcano-themed activities. The coolest activity is making your own lava formula.
Igneous Rock Collection – Set of 12 volcanic rocks. I have this set in my science classroom. At home, we have a set from Scholastic that came with a book. I’d share the Scholastic link but it doesn’t seem to be currently available.
Beaker Creatures Bubbling Volcano Reactor – A volcano-themed version of the Beaker Creatures that you dunk to reveal. You can reuse the volcano to make it erupt again and again.
Volcano Dinosaur Playset – This volcano only requires water (and batteries) to erupt. It comes with the volcano, dinosaurs, and a fence.
Play-Doh Slime Dino Crew Lava Bones Island Volcano Playset – This looks like fun although it’s probably messy.
More Ideas to Try
10 Ways to Make a Volcano – Once you’ve read about volcanoes, you’ll surely want to make one. This collection includes a variety of ways to build one.
DIY Science Kit – Pair a volcano book with a DIY science kit. They make a great gift idea.
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