Growing Green

One of my fond memories of childhood and of school was doing experiments. I always like (and still do!) when they turn out all sparkly! Lucky for me my mom is eighth grade science teacher and amateur scientist. She brought home this crystal growing kit for us to try out. Jackson thought he was Sid the Science Kid with his goggles and magnifying glass. My cousin Austin helped Jackson with his crystal growing adventure. After about a week, we had sparkly, spiny, green crystals. I thought we were teaching Science, Jackson claims it was magic!

What You Need:
•1/4 cup epsom salts (magnesium sufate)
•1/2 cup water
•shallow bowl or dish
•sponge (optional)
•food coloring (optional)

1.Boil the water in a microwave or on the stove.
2.Remove the water from heat and add the epsom salts. Stir the mixture until the salt is fully dissolved. If desired, add food coloring.
3.Pour the mixture over a piece of sponge (optional) or into a shallow container. You need just enough liquid to cover the bottom of the container.
4.Place the container in a warm or sunny location. Crystals will form as the water evaporates.
Tips:
1.The sponge provides extra surface area to allow the crystals to form more quickly and helps make them a bit easier to view and handle.
2.Compare the appearance of the epsom salts before stirring them into the water with the appearance of the crystals that are produced.