Monthly Archives: July 2017

  1. Ink Chromatography

    Ink Chromatography

    Ink Chromatography Is black really black?

    Separate out all the colours that make up a black felt pen using a special technique called chromatography.

    Suitable for kids aged 7+

    You Need:
    • Filter or blotting paper (a coffee filter works well) cut into strips (approx. 1.5cm wide and just short of the length of the cup)
    • Transparent glass or plastic cup
    • Icy pole stick
    • 2 x black felt pens
    • Water
    What to do:
    1. Take a pen and draw a horizontal line near the bottom of two strips of filter paper. Use a different pen for each strip. You can test more than two pens on other strips if you
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  2. Lava Lamp

    Lava Lamp

    Make your own hypnotic lava lamp with oil and water and a secret ingredient that makes it fizz and bubble.

    Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision.

    CAUTION
    Remember Alka-Seltzer tablets are a medicine, do not ingest. Read the packet instructions for more information.

    You Need:
    • An empty soft drink bottle with cap, or clear jar/container with a lid
    • Vegetable oil
    • Alka-Seltzer tablets (from the supermarket)
    • Food colouring
    • Water
    What to do:
    1. Fill the bottle (or container) about full with vegetable oil.
    2. Carefully fill the rest of the bottle/container with water (nearly to
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  3. Disappearing Ghost Crystals

    Disappearing Ghost Crystals

    Disappearing Ghost Crystals

    Watch these hard crystals swell and grow into jelly-like pieces with water. Then amaze your friends when they disappear in water, or add some food colouring for cool effects. Welcome to the amazing world of superabsorbent polyemers!

    Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision.

    CAUTION
    Ghost crystals are generally considered non-toxic and are safe for use around young children unless ingested. If ghost crystals are swallowed do not give liquids. Seek medical advice.

    You Need:
    • Water absorbing crystals (available from your local nursery or garden supply centre)
    • Transparent cup, beaker or glass
    • Water
    • Food colouring
    Read more »
  4. Cool Coloured Milk

    Cool Coloured Milk

    Cool Coloured Milk

    Create an explosion of colour in a dish of milk!

    Suitable for kids aged 3+ with parental supervision

    You Need:
    • Milk
    • Dinner plate
    • Red, yellow, green and blue food colouring
    • Dishwashing liquid
    • Cotton swab
    What to do:
    1. Pour enough milk onto a plate to cover the bottom. Allow the milk to settle.
    2. Squeeze one large drop of each food colour into the milk. Keep the drops close together, but not touching and mixing.
    3. Place a drop of dishwashing liquid on one end of a cotton swab.
    4. Touch the coated swab to the milk in the center of the plate. Be patient,
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  5. Invisible Ink

    Invisible Ink

    Invisible Ink

    No Secret Agent can go without invisible ink. This is a simple invisible ink recipe using lemons.

    Suitable for kids aged 5+ (with adult supervision)

    You Need:
    • Lemon Juice
    • Heat Source: direct sunlight or a light globe. Use an iron, candle or oven as a last resort under strict adult supervision.
    • Paper
    • Cotton swab, fine paintbrush or matchstick
    CAUTION This experiment involves the use of a heat source that could result in a burn if not used correctly. The heating step must be performed by an adult only.
    What to do:
    1. Lemon juice is the invisible ink (freshly squeezed
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  6. Fizzy Sherbet Treat

    Fizzy Sherbet Treat

    Make a fizzy sherbet treat. So delicious, so easy!

    Suitable for kids aged 4+

    You Need:
    • 1 teasppon of citric acid
    • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
    • 3 tablespoons of icing sugar
    • 3 tablespoons of jelly crystals
    What to do:
    1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and stir. Too easy.
    2. Taste and adjust as needed. Too sour? Add a little more baking soda. Too bitter? Add more icing sugar. Not enough fizz? Add a little more citric acid and/or baking soda. But always in small amounts then re-taste.
    3. Best stored in a zip-lock bag or plastic container, away from moisture. Enjoy by dipping a lollipop
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  7. Lets Get Fizzy

    Lets Get Fizzy

    Make fizz and foam using a chemical reaction

    Compare two baking soda and vinegar chemical reactions (one with detergent, one without), and watch for salt crystal formation.

    Suitable for kids aged 4+

    NOTE
    • These reactions can overflow to make a little bit of a wet mess! But that's part of the fun!
    You Need:
    • Vinegar
    • Baking Soda
    • Detergent
    • Plastic cup x 2
    • Measuring cup
    • Teaspoon
    What to do:
    1. Put 20 ml of vinegar in each plastic cup. Measure the vinegar using the measuring cup provided.
    2. Put 3 drops of detergent in only ONE of the plastic
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  8. Popping Test Tube

    Popping Test Tube

    Popping Test Tube

    How many times can you make the stopper pop from the test tube?

    Suitable for kids aged 7+, with adult supervision

    CAUTION
    • The plastic stopper in the test tube is a projectile and must be aimed away from people and faces.
    • The alka seltzer tablet is a medicine. DO NOT EAT. Seek medical advice if ingested by a child.
    You Need:
    What to do:
    1. 1/4 fill the test tube with tap water.
    2. Break an alka seltzer tablet into pieces and put about 1/4 into the test tube of water.
    3. Push the stopper into the top of the tube. You can either hold the tube or leave it standing on
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  9. Grow Crystals

    Grow Crystals

    Grow Crystals

    Grow your own crystal icicle using baking soda and water in about a week

    Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision

    You Need:
    • Two glass jars
    • Two paper clips
    • A length of thick woolen thread
    • Baking soda
    • Shallow dish
    • Spoon
    • Very warm water
    What to do:
    1. Fill two jars with very warm water.
    2. Add spoonfuls of baking soda one spoon at a time and stir into each jar. Keep adding baking soda until you cant dissolve any more and you have a supersaturated solution.
    3. Attach a paper clip as weight to each end of the thick thread.
    4. Lower
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  10. Colourful Chemicals

    Colourful Chemicals

    Colourful Chemicals

    Use cabbage water to change kitchen chemicals different colours.

    Suitable for kids aged 4+ with parental supervision

    CAUTIONThe cabbage water must strictly be prepared by an adult as it involves the use of boiling water.
    You Need:
    • Small amount of red cabbage
    • Pot of boiling water (to be handled only by an adult)
    • Large container to drain cabbage water
    • Baking soda
    • Citric acid
    • Plastic spoons
    • Small plastic containers (labelled citric acid, baking soda, cabbage water)
    What to do:
    1. Important: have an adult chop half a red cabbage and
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