Grow Your Own Crystals
A sugar or borax solution grows visible crystals on a pipe cleaner over a few days of daily checking.
Thinking
8–13 years
15–25 min
Calm
Some mess
At home
What you need
- Jar
- Sugar or borax
- Hot water (adult to handle)
- Pipe cleaner
- Pencil and string
- Food colouring (optional)
Setup
- An adult dissolves sugar or borax into hot water until no more will dissolve
- Add food colouring if using, then let it cool slightly
- Hang a pipe cleaner into the jar from a pencil balanced across the top, so it doesn't touch the sides
Play prompts
- What do you predict will happen overnight?
- How has it changed since yesterday?
- Can you describe the shape of the crystals forming?
Ways to change it up
- Grow two jars side by side, sugar vs. borax, and compare
- Bend the pipe cleaner into a shape (star, initial) before dunking it
Safety notes
- Hot water and dissolving must be handled by an adult
- Borax crystals are not edible, supervise and wash hands after handling
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