DIY Borax Crystals with Kids

Valentine’s Day DIY heart crystals

We’ve been having a cold week here in Michigan. A dual winter craft/ science project was a much needed break from the monotony of a long week. Simple instructions and minimal ingredients are needed. We also did a little research and discovered the science behind the process of crystallization.

Ingredients

• Borax Powder

• Pipe Cleaners- We used white, blue, pink and silver

• String & Scissors

• Pencil

• Clear Jars

• Boiling Water

Borax Powder can be found here on Amazon.

For years we made this homemade laundry detergent and saved a ton of money.

Before using the Borax caution children to not ingest Borax Powder. It looks a lot like baking sugar or salt so it can be tempting! Also this activity requires the use of hot water. An adult should pre-heat the water in a microwave or stove.

Directions:

Step 1

1. First create your shape. We chose to make hearts and 6 sided snowflakes because of Valentine’s day and our wintery weather. Other shapes could include stars, candy canes, flowers etc.

2. Securely tie string to the pipe cleaner and attach to a pencil

Step 2 Create Super Saturated Solution

1. An adult should pre-heat the boiling water in a microwave or stovetop

2. Pour the hot water into a wide-mouth glass jar

3. Mix 1/3 C Borax : 2 C boiling water

   (double this ratio for quart size mason jar, single batch for pint size jar.)

4. Stir until Borax powder is completely dissolved in water.

5. Completely cover the pipe cleaner with solution. Make sure that the pipe cleaner’s edges do not touch the mouth of the jar or any sides. Factor in extra clearance for the thickened crystals that form around the pipe cleaner.

6. Now wait and watch the magic happen. Do not disturb. Sometimes this is the hardest part for children. Check back frequently over the next 6 hours as the crystals begin to form

7. Remove from solution

DIY Borax Crystals

Check out this Instagram reel to see this amazing transformation in action. Follow Discovering.anew for more activities and crafts ideas.

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A post shared by Marian Fink (@discovering.anew)

Science Lesson:

The process of crystals forming is called crystallization. In this case, first we need to create a supersaturated solution. By heating the water solution more minerals (salt) can dissolve into the liquid. This is because hot water molecules move farther apart and can hold more minerals than cold liquids. As the liquid cools very slowly the extra borax molecules must go somewhere, so they cling together attempting to become stable. Crystals form when they start to cool and harden.

Vocabulary Terms:

Molecule: the smallest physical unit of a substance that can exist independently.
Supersaturated solution: a solution that has been heated in order to dissolve more material than would be possible at room temperature.
Crystallization: The process of crystals forming

Just an FYI borax crystals should not be handled repeatedly for a prolonged time. So use the string that is tied around your crystal creations and display them in a window or even as an ornament for your Christmas tree.

Snowflake Crystal Science Activity

Make sure to save and pin for later, so you can have find the directions for a fun STEM activity! You may also enjoy these recently featured posts. Hope this activity and winter science experiment inspires you to get outside and enjoy the snow and winter days! Needing recommendations on clothing to keep your children warm this winter check out our top picks for Winter Essential Snow Gear.

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