Monthly Archives: July 2017
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July 26, 2017
Disappearing Ghost Crystals
Watch these hard crystals swell and grow into jelly-like pieces with water. Then amaze your friends when they disappear in water, or add some food colouring for cool effects. Welcome to the amazing world of superabsorbent polyemers!
Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision. CAUTION
Ghost crystals are generally considered non-toxic and are safe for use around young children unless ingested. If ghost crystals are swallowed do not give liquids. Seek medical advice.You Need:- Water absorbing crystals (available from your local nursery or garden supply centre)
- Transparent cup, beaker or glass
- Water
- Food colouring (optional)
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July 26, 2017
Make your own hypnotic lava lamp with oil and water and a secret ingredient that makes it fizz and bubble.
Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision. CAUTION
Remember Alka-Seltzer tablets are a medicine, do not ingest. Read the packet instructions for more information.You Need:- An empty soft drink bottle with cap, or clear jar/container with a lid
- Vegetable oil
- Alka-Seltzer tablets (from the supermarket)
- Food colouring
- Water
What to do:- Fill the bottle (or container) about full with vegetable oil.
- Carefully fill the rest of the bottle/container with water (nearly to the top but not overflowing).
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July 26, 2017
Ink Chromatography Is black really black?
Separate out all the colours that make up a black felt pen using a special technique called chromatography.
Suitable for kids aged 7+You Need:- Filter or blotting paper (a coffee filter works well) cut into strips (approx. 1.5cm wide and just short of the length of the cup)
- Transparent glass or plastic cup
- Icy pole stick
- 2 x black felt pens
- Water
What to do:- Take a pen and draw a horizontal line near the bottom of two strips of filter paper. Use a different pen for each strip. You can test more than two pens on other strips if you like.
- Tape the strips
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July 26, 2017
Gas Flame Detection
Detect Carbon Dioxide gas with a candle flame. Will the flame get smaller, bigger, snuff out, change colour? How the flame behaves tells you the type of invisible gas present.
Suitable for kids aged 10+ with parental supervisionCAUTIONThis experiment requires use of an open candle flame. Please exercise caution, and only perform under adult supervision. It also requires the use of a knife to cut a candle. This task should only be undertaken by an adult.You Need:- 2-3cm candle piece with wick (have an adult cut the piece using a knife from an ordinary household candle)
- Aluminium foil patty pan
- Piece of wire about 40cm in length
- Chop Stick or similar
- Scissors
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July 26, 2017
Make A Gelatin Disc
Best known for making jelly, gelatin is a fascinating substance that is used as a gelling agent not just in food, but in many other things. Heres how to make your very own gelatin product that can be used in further experiments or in some very cool artwork.
Suitable for kids aged 5 +CAUTION This experiment requires the use of a small amount of hot water. This should be handled with care under the supervision of an adult.You Need:- Small round mould (the underside of a jar lid works well)
- 3 x teaspoons of gelatin
- Cup or glass
- Spoon or icy pole stick
- Food dye
- 40mls of hot water
What to do: -
July 26, 2017
Chocolate leaves
Make some stunning chocolate leaves as a novel and delicious way to learn about the changing states of matter.
Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervisionCAUTIONThis science activity involves the use of boiling water. Hot water must only be handled by an adult.You Need:- Metal or heat resistant bowl
- Saucepan
- Wooden spoon or similar
- Chocolate
- Large non-poisonous leaves (rose, ivy, mample or lemon leaves work well)
- Boiling water
- Clean paintbrush
What to do:- Wash the leaves and dry them gently, careful not to damage or bruise them.
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July 26, 2017
Glowing Water
Make water glow eerily under a black light using the fluorescent dye found in highlighters. Glowing water can create some exciting special effects when used in fountains, or use it to transfer glow to bubbles, ice and slime.
Suitable for kids aged 8 + with parental supervisionCAUTIONThis science activity involves the use of a sharp knife to cut open a highlighter pen and the ink-soaked felt inside the highlighter. This must only be done by an adult.You Need:- Yellow highlighter felt pen
- UV light, or black light
- Gloves
- Clear glass or container
- Water
What to do:- Prise off the back
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July 26, 2017
This COOL chemical reaction spews froth and foam everywhere. Just like a gigantic tube of toothpaste fit for an elephant.
Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision.You Need:- An empty soft drink bottle (600mL size works best)
- cup of 6% hydrogen peroxide solution (purchased from a hairdresser/beauty supply store or chemist)
- Squirt of dishwashing liquid
- 4 drops of food colouring
- 1 teaspoon of dry bakers yeast dissolved in approximately 2 tablespoons of warm/hot water
- Funnel
- Safety goggles
- Lab smock (optional)
- Tray or foil cake tin to contain mess (optional)
NOTEThe best part of this chemical reaction is that it -
July 26, 2017
Chip Bag Shrinkies
Shrink your chip bags to less than half their size, then use them as a bookmark or keychain. Polymer chemistry fun!
Suitable for kids aged 10+ with parental supervisionCAUTIONThis activity strictly requires supervision by an adult. It involves the use of a hot oven and handling hot plastic. Ensure that the room is well ventilated, so all fumes given off by the heated plastic chip bag dissipate as quickly as possible.You Need:- Empty bag of chips (plastic outside, aluminium inside)
- Baking tray x 2 (or oven proof plates)
- Sheets of baking paper x 2 (bigger than the chip bag)
- Towel
- Oven mitts
- Oven
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July 26, 2017
Milk Plastic
Make plastic from milk easily using vinegar. Then mould your milk plastic into fun shapes!
Suitable for kids aged 6+ with parental supervisionCAUTIONThis activity involves heating milk in a microwave or on a stove top, and requires adult supervision.You Need:- One cup of milk
- 4 teaspoons of white vinegar
- A microwave safe bowl
- A strainer fine sieve or cloth
- Spoon
- Microwave oven
What to do:- With an adults help, heat the milk in a microwave for a minute or so. It needs to be hot, but not boiling. If you have a liquid thermometer, a good temperature to aim for is about 50 degrees
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Energy Stick
Completely safe to touch and handle, simply complete the circuit by touching both electrodes at the end of the stick simultaneously.
