What is the life cycle of a volcano?

A volcano goes through different stages in its life, just like a person grows from a baby to an old man.

Imagine you have a big jar of bubbles, that’s like the inside of a volcano. When it’s full of pressure and hot stuff, poof! It bursts open and starts spitting out lava, ash, and rocks, just like when you shake up your bubble jar and let all the bubbles fly out.

Over time, the volcano gets tired from all that bubbling. It might not erupt as much, or it might take long breaks between eruptions. Sometimes, the lava cools down and becomes rock, like when you leave melted chocolate to harden on your plate.

Eventually, the volcano might stop erupting altogether, becoming a sleepy mountain, just like how some people go to bed and never wake up again. But even then, it could still be hiding more pressure underneath, ready for another eruption one day!