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Scientist's Cake. Use one of the cake recipes included or your own recipe.

Scientist's Ice Cream. Make your own ice cream too.

Scientist's Ice Cream Sodas. Fill glasses half full with a favorite soda. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Watch. What happens? (It bubbles.)

DECORATIONS-VOLCANO CENTERPIECE

Make a "volcano" for a centerpiece. Here is how: Take a large roasting pan and fill it with wet sand. Shape most of the sand into a volcano-like mountain, making a hole in the center that is big enough to hold a large empty frozen-juice can. Make sure the can is not visible. Put 1/4 cup baking soda in the can. Cover the table with newspapers. To make the volcano erupt, have the birthday child pour into the hidden can a portion of "magic solution," which is made by mixing 1 cup water, 3/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup dishwashing liquid, and 10 drops of red food coloring. Watch the volcano erupt and the lava flow. Let the children take turns pouring. In a bit of the magic solution to make the volcano erupt.

FAVORS, PRIZES, ITEMS FOR TREAT BAGS

Magnets, small magnifiers, printed instructions for making a volcano at home, balloons, seeds, small plants, goldfish in water in double baggies or plastic cup sealed with plastic wrap, with a starter envelope of fish food.

INSIDE ACTIVITIES, NONCOMPETITIVE

1. Make a cake.

2. Make homemade ice cream.

3. Make homemade ice cream sodas.

4. Make a volcano erupt.

INSIDE GAMES, COMPETITIVE

1. Candy Hunt. Weigh bags to see who has the most.

2. How Long Is a Minute?

3. Camouflage

4. Hot Potato

OUTSIDE ACTIVITY, NONCOMPETITIVE

Make magic formulas. Give each child a pot or pan and help him collect dirt, twigs, leaves, and flowers to mash and mix with water to make magic formulas. Supervise closely so the children don't pick poison ivy or other harmful plants, or eat or drink what they make. Stress that the magic formulas are only make-believe. Write down each child's "recipe" for him or her to take home.

OUTSIDE GAMES, COMPETITIVE

1. Scavenger Hunt

2. The Blob

3. Sardines

4. Stone