Spooky season is underway, and today, we’re sharing a science experiment that is sure to get your little mad scientist in the Halloween spirit. They will learn all about the science behind crystals, ionic bonds, and evaporation when you work together to create Salt Crystal Pumpkins!
Here’s what you’ll need for this fun fall activity:
- Salt
- Water
- Small decorative pumpkins
- Plate
- Pot
- Stove or hot plate
Step one is to boil a cup of water in your pot (safety first – you should perform or heavily supervise this task). Next, add enough salt to your water so that a thin sheet of ice crystals form on the top of the water. Once your crystals start to form, take the water off the heat.
Place your mini pumpkins on a plate and pour the water over them, making sure that some of the salt at the bottom of the pot ends up on the top of each pumpkin.
Set your pumpkin aside in a dry place. Now, we wait! In two to three days, when you come back to check on your pumpkins, they should be covered in salt crystals! What do the crystals look like? Do they take a particular shape, or are they all different shapes? Would the crystals grow differently if they were left in a wet environment instead of a dry one?
This is a great activity to do together, and the bonus is that you will have created some very cool Halloween decorations to put around your house!
Check out the full experiment and the science behind it from STEAMSational HERE.
As always, get 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!
