Grow Your Own Crystals

My 3rd grader loves science projects.  She is starting a rocks and mineral unit at school this week so I knew this would be perfect.  This is a great boredom buster activity any time of the year.  Even better you only need 2 ingredients.

You need:
2 cups boiling water
6 tbs Borax (found in the laundry section)
pipe cleaner white works best
thread or string
pencil (or something similar)
Jar (heat resistant,wide mouth-we used a canning jar)

Instructions:
1. While water is boiling bend, twist, or cut pipe cleaner into desired shape.  (snowflake or bird nest work well)
2. Tie pipe cleaner to string.
3.  Pour boiling water into jar.
4. Pour Borax into jar and mix well.

5. Lower pipe cleaner into the water.  You do not want any sides or the bottom to touch the glass (make sure you have enough room at the top to remove safely)

6. Tie other end of the string so the pencil is sitting on top of the jar and pipe cleaner is at the level you want.

7. Leave in water over night or about 24 hours.
8.  Pull out of the water and you should have some beautiful crystals.  cut the string close and enjoy.

Note: If you want to used a different color of pipe cleaner like we did with the red, add some food coloring while you are mixing the water and borax.  It kind of worked but still turned out pretty.

For ease you can print out the instructions here