Borax Crystals

On the Friday before we left for vacation, we did this experiment at home.

You need the following:

Borax

Boiling water

Jars

Pipe cleaners

String

Popsicle sticks

Step 1: Create a shape out of the pipe cleaners. Each boy made a curly cue and Bekah made a heart.

Step 2: Tie string to the pipe cleaner and to the popsicle stick. This will suspend the pipe cleaner in the solution. *Hint - don't let them rest on the bottom of the jar.

Step 3: Boil 1 pint of water and dissolve 1/3 cup of borax.

I tried to dye the water but it didn't make the crystals colored.

*Hint - whatever color you want your shapes; choose that color pipe cleaner. Also use pretty string not ugly red yarn.

Step 4: Let them sit in the solution overnight.

Step 5: Display!!

Snow Ice Cream

We just had a huge snow storm this week which allowed Micah two extra days off from school. I sent him outside with a bowl and a scoop to gather snow before everyone when out to play in it. Once again, I already had everything in the pantry to make snow ice cream.

I simply poured a can of condensed milk into the snow and mixed.

For future reference, pour the can into an empty bowl and then add the snow. My snow to milk ratio was off and I ended up with left over snow around the edges.

Some happy customers!!

I put the left over snow ice cream in a plastic container and stuck it in the freezer. The snow ice cream keeps well and is fairly easy to scoop out and serve.

Fun With Baking Soda

Micah doesn't have school on Fridays so that makes it a fun day to do something as a family. I also have been accumulating a list of "homeschool crafts/activities." I would like to use our Fridays as days to do some of these fun activities without Micah missing out.

Our first activity was so simple, I already had everything in the pantry:
baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring. Each child was given a tray with soda in it and either a measuring spoon or a squirter (the medicine ones from the pharmacy). I would have preferred them all having squirters but I only had one and the logical choice was Bekah :)

Baking soda and vinegar create a chemical reaction which is why they are the ingredients used when you build a volcano.

Micah's

Josiah's