At-Home Science Camp

it's easy and simple, I promise 😉

Hello! Yesterday we talked about how being curious—and being in awe—is better than having all the answers. Today’s experiments are really cool things you can do quickly with household items that feel like magic tricks. (By the way, “Magic Trick Camp” and “Spy Camp” are also on deck for later months 🪄)

If you’re looking for explanations of why these chemicals react in the ways they do, there are plenty of resources. But around here, the main commentary is “Wow! Cooooool!” Kids tend to remember that more than facts. 😉

At the bottom of the email is a shopping list you can save to your phone that includes all the supplies for the seven experiments here. I call this “Science Camp” because I chose to have just one messy day. We set up a table outside, invited a neighbor to join, and knocked it all out in one day so there we only had to clean up once 😎 I also recommend buying a pack of clear cups, because we used those in half the experiments and it was nice to see everything.

Magic Milk

Pour a thin layer of milk on a plate or dish. Put drops of food coloring on top. Dip a Q-tip in dish soap, and press the Q-tip in the milk. The colors swirl around it and it’s super cool! (Detailed explanation by Steve Spangler here.)

Cabbage PH Testing

This one is really rewarding. You need to get some red cabbage water; chop it in small pieces and add boiling water or—my lazy method—just microwave it all together. Strain the cabbage and you should have a purplish liquid.

Pour it into multiple clear cups or beakers because you’re going to experiment with as many fluids as you feel like by pouring them into the cup and watching the color change. We used things like vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, etc. Whether you realize it or not, you’re testing PH levels! (Detailed explanation by Steve Spangler here.)

Traveling Rainbow

Line up a few clear cups or glasses. Fill every other glass with water and add a few drops of color. (In the above example, I did Red, Empty, Blue, Empty, Yellow, Empty.)

Fold up six half-sheets of paper towels into a narrow strip about an inch wide, then fold them in half to make an upside-down V that connects the cups together.

Slowly you’ll see the colored water spread up the paper towel and down into the empty cups, which will slowly be filled with purple, green, and orange! (Detailed explanation from The STEM Laboratory here.)

Skittle Spread

On a plate, line up Skittles in a circle. You can alternate the colors, too.

Pour some water onto the plate. If the skittle move, push them back in place quickly.

Watch the color spread! (More details and ideas from Science Sparks here.)

Wheel of Pringles

This little bit of physics magic requires patience but it’s quite rewarding to make a whole wheel with Pringles and no glue. Start with one chip on the bottom, then put two on the sides, then another on top to fortify it. Keep that base really strong. (Watch this 4-minute video for a demonstration and tips.)

Squishy Egg

It might not look pretty, but it’s still a cool experiment! Place an egg in a jar with white vinegar and leave it to soak for 24 hours. It’s so fun to squeeze!

To make it fully naked, change out the vinegar and soak it for another 7 days to achieve a naked egg. (More details from Steve Spangler here.)

Lava Lamp

The last experiment of the day is so rewarding!

Fill up a clear cup or bottle about a quarter-full of water. Then pour vegetable oil in the bottle until it’s almost full. Add a few drops of food coloring. Break Alka-Seltzer tablets into halves or quarters and drop them into the cup. Boom, wildly dancing blobs! (More details from Science Fun here.)

In the photo above, we added paint to the water instead of food coloring. This is similar to making a Snowstorm in a Jar.

These are the only items you need for all these ⬇️

I hope you liked all these!

Warmly,

Hope from Family Scripts

P.S. Feel free to share this in any of your Facebook groups that might benefit from it!