How to Grow Crystals at Home

My preschoolers' new favorite thing this week has been how to make crystals -- they have been growing a new set almost every day, so I thought I'd share how to grow crystals with anyone else who might want to give it a try!

 

There are a lot of ways to grow crystals, but I'm sharing the easiest, fastest, most satisfying way here. It's the only one that gives you awesome, "big," results in less than a day!

Growing salt crystals or sugar crystals are both fun because they are common kitchen items, but using borax let's you see the results sooner!

PARENT WARNING: This method involves hot water. This is a child-assisted experiment, where you (the adult) does all the dangerous hot-water handling, and the kids help with the safer parts. Don't worry--they still feel very invested, involved, and they love the process!

SUPPLIES:

** Mason jars

** Hot pad or tongs

** fuzzy craft stick, cut in half

** wooden craft stick or pencil

** string

** powdered borax

** water

PROCESS:

1- Wad half a fuzzy craft stick up into a tight ball. Tie it to a string. Tie the other end of the string to a wooden craft stick or pencil.

2- Pour 1 cup of water into a mason jar. 

3- Cook the water in the microwave until it is a rolling boil.

4- Remove the mason jar with tongs or hot pads.

5- Add 4 tablespoons of powdered borax to the hot water and stir until it is dissolved.

6- Dip the tip of the fuzzy stick in borax so the crystals have a "starter" to grow on. Then drop the fuzzy stick into the water/borax and prop the craft stick or pencil up on the top of the mason jar like this image:

If your fuzzy stick is touching the sides or bottom of the jars, your crystals will grow attached to the jar as well. We try to center the fuzzy stick.

7- Place the jar in a place where it will not get bumped for 5-24 hours.

You should be able to see crystals growing after about 5-6 hours! If you want to leave it for a whole 24, they will look even bigger and more awesome!

One fun thing we talked about is that borax crystals are clear, but when they grow on a colored fuzzy stick, they will look like they are the color of the fuzzy stick! (So, of course, we have had to experiment with different colors every day!)

Older kids can experiment with using different materials, different concentrations of water and borax, and growing different types of crystals. Some of the easiest-to-get-supplies for are these (borax), sugar, salt, and liquid bluing (usually in the laundry isle). Growing crystals is a great little hands-on lab to demonstrate some of these science topics for older kids too:

* solutions

* super-saturated solutions

* solutes and solvents

* solubility and how temperature affects it

* properties of minerals

I'd love to see pictures of your crystals!! Tag me at @PreschoolPowolPackets on Facebook or @CarlaMaeJansen on IG!! <3 

Happy Educating,

Carla

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This awesome book introduces the rock cycle with dinosaurs, volcanoes, and more!

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Have you seen HEEP? It is a preschool homeschool curriculum! Learn more here!

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