Have a Bean Race OR Grow a Crystal Star!

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Sep 28, 2001

I have been getting a lot of favorable email regarding the quick and easy experiments. Here are some more fun experiments to try.

Jack VS the Giant, Plant Beans Indoors, and Have a Race

Materials Needed:
2 Baby food or pint size canning jars
Paper Towels
2 Beans
2 Straight Sticks
Paper
Markers
Scissor
Tape
Water

Wash jars.
Draw a picture of Jack and a picture of the Giant on paper, color them in and cut them out.
Tape Jack on the outside of one jar and the Giant on the other jar.

Draw two castles, color them and cut them out. Tape one castle to the end of each stick.
Tape each stick to the outside of one jar.
Wet a paper towel and tear it in half. Place one half in each jar.
Nestle one bean down inside each jar, and in the paper towel.
Put your jars in a warm area of the house, like in a window.
Keep the paper towel moist by watering it daily.
As the beans sprout, guide them to the stick and watch them climb up.
The first bean stalk that climbs to the castle is the winner!

Grow a crystal Star!

Materials Needed:

4 cups Water
1 Cup Borax (in laundry in at the grocery store- 20 mule team)
Pipe cleaner
8 Inch Piece of String or Thread
Coffee Can
Pencil
Sauce Pot

Fashion your pipe cleaner into a star, heart or what ever you like. I found an easy way to do this is to print out a shape from computer clip art, place the pipe cleaner on the paper and bend it using the clip art as a guide.

Tie the string to the top of your shape.

Tie the pencil to the string. The pencil is going to keep the shape from falling into the bottom of the coffee can. The shape should be able to fit fully into the can, without touching the bottom.

Boil the water in Sauce Pot.

Pour water into coffee can.

Stir in Borax

Immerse the shape in the coffee can of liquid, balancing the pencil on the rim of the can.

Allow to sit overnight.

Remove the star and hang.

Crystals will turn white over time.

Variation: add food coloring to make a colored crystal star.

Explanation: see the experiments on salt water, rock candy, and stalactites for a complete description of why this occurs.

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