How do volcanoes make new land by spitting out lava?

Volcanoes make new land by spitting out lava like a giant, hot, sticky cookie dough maker.

Imagine you're playing with clay. When you press your hands into it and push it out, you’re making something new. That’s what volcanoes do, they push lava out of their mouths, which are called craters.

When a volcano erupts, it's like opening a big, hot oven door. The lava flows down the sides of the mountain, just like melted chocolate pouring from a cookie tray. As the lava cools, it hardens into rock, forming new land.

If this happens in the ocean, the cooled lava can pile up so much that it creates islands, like building with blocks in water until there's enough to stick out above the surface.

So next time you see a volcano, think of it as a giant cookie dough maker making new land one hot, sticky batch at a time!