Holiday weekends are all about relaxation and simplicity, so on this STEAM Saturday, we’re going to keep it simple with and edible STEAM project you and your child can do at home in your jammies! Today, you’ll be making homemade butter!
Fair warning: this does require some exercise, so you might want to save it for a time when your kiddo has energy to burn… and start those arm stretches now, because you might need to get in on the act!
To make your butter, you only need two things:
- A glass jar with a lid (like a mason jar)
- Heavy whipping cream
Fill your jar about halfway with heavy whipping cream. Put the lid on the jar and make sure it is tight. Start shaking! This is going to take a while, so you may need to pass the jar back and forth, or make it a full family activity.
Check your jar every 5 minutes and see the changes. What do you notice as you continue shaking? What do you see inside the jar? What do you hear? Does the sound change as you continue shaking the jar? How long does it take until your butter is done and ready to eat?
To make this extra scientific, have your child write predictions and observations on a piece of paper!
So, what is the science behind this simple yet action-packed experiment? Your butter is made with heavy whipping cream, which has a high fat content. When you shake the cream, it causes the fat molecules to separate from the liquid. As you continue to shake the jar, the fat molecules clump together, forming butter! Once your butter is formed, there will still be liquid leftover in the jar… This is called buttermilk!
As always, be as creative as you want, and above all, have lots of fun learning together!
We’ll see you right back here next Saturday for another STEAM Saturday activity! Scroll through the rest of our website to learn how Critchlow Adkins is Building Brighter Futures for the children and families we serve!
