If you’ve got a kid who loves space, we’ve got a perfect experiment for you – Sugar Crystal Galaxies!
This is a very fun and “sweet” way to teach your child about the science behind molecules and crystallization. You and your little one will create rock candy that you can even have fun eating afterward! Here’s what you need:
- Mason jars
- Sugar
- Food Coloring
Edible Glitter- Small Beads or Marbles
Boil 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Add 6 cups of sugar and stir it until it’s dissolved. Make sure to only heat the solution long enough to dissolve the sugar – otherwise, candy will begin to form, and crystallization will fail. Pour the solution into three separate jars and stir in food coloring, then sprinkle in some edible glitter. Add your small bead or marble so that the crystals want to form around the center of the jar.
Now comes the hard part… WAIT. You have to let the solution cool and sit for about a week. Once the crystals get as large as you want, pour out the extra sugar water and turn the jars upside down on a paper towel to dry. You can either leave the crystals inside the jar or heat up the sides of the jar to help them come out.
Before you enjoy your rock candy, make sure to examine the crystals with a magnifying glass!
Check out the full experiment 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!
