Simple science experiments

A couple of simple experiments we've had fun with recently.

The floating egg.
Half fill a glass jar with water. Put a raw egg into the jar. It sinks.
Take the egg out.
Add a couple of teaspoons of salt to the water. Now the egg floats.
The egg floats in salt water because of density.


Slime.
Mix 1 teaspoon borax in 1 cup of water. Stir until the borax is dissolved.
In a separate container, mix 1/2 cup white glue with 1/2 cup water. Add food coloring if you want.
Combine the dissolved borax and the diluted glue. Stir.
Stir, stir, stir.
Stretch, knead, pull, shape..lots of fun.


How plants drink.
Add a celery stalk to a cup of food dyed water. Leave it for some time and then have a look.

Slime

We love making batches of slime (or gooey goo as we call it)  on bright, sunny days.  It is a wonderful sensory experience for children and mamas too.  Sometimes I add swamp creatures to surprise - a few toy plastic snakes, frogs, lizards, crocodiles. Sometimes the children strip off and cover themselves all over to become slime monsters.

The slime feels solid when you punch it but runny when you hold it.  It is like a solid and a liquid. A bit like being stuck in quicksand.

In a large tub, mix 2 cups of water and a little food colouring with 6 cups cornflour/cornstarch. Mix really well.

Prepare to get messy and have lots of fun!