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Summer is raging on and its getting hot out there! Want to cool down with a yummy treat, and still learn a new thing or two? Believe it or not, creating homemade ice cream involves a great deal of chemistry. Put your STEM skills to the test for this chilly science experiment with a sweet result!
Materials:
1 cup of half-and-half
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 cups ice
1/3 cup kosher salt
Gallon-sized bags
Sandwich-sized bags
Ice cream toppings of your choice
Step One
Using your sandwich-sized baggie, combine the half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Be sure to combine it well by shaking it, and then squeeze out the extra air and seal it well.
Ice Cream Chemistry: Even though the half-and-half might already be slightly cold, it isn’t enough to make the ice cream take its desired solid form. These three ingredients all need to be cooled down further. But how?
Step Two
Place the ice in the gallon-sized baggie and add the salt.
Ice Cream Chemistry: The salt lowers the temperature at which water freezes. This bag of salt ice will melt even when the temperature is below the normal freezing point of water. This is the same principle in the wintertime when trucks put salt on slick, icy roads.
Step Three
Place the small bag into the ice-filled bag. Shake it vigorously for 7-10 minutes.
Step Four
Check ice cream to see if its consistency has hardened.
Ice Cream Chemistry: You might need a towel or oven mitts when you shake the bag because it becomes so cold. Due to the vigorous shaking and the ice that is now several degrees below freezing, the liquid has been cooled enough to harden it.
If you tried this experiment without the salt, the liquid would have remained in that liquid state simply because the ice wasn’t cold enough. Who knew the most important ingredient in making bagged ice cream would be salt?
Summer is raging on and its getting hot out there! Want to cool down with a yummy treat, and still learn a new thing or two? Believe it or not, creating homemade ice cream involves a great deal of chemistry. Put your STEM skills to the test for this chilly science experiment with a sweet result!
Materials:
1 cup of half-and-half
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 cups ice
1/3 cup kosher salt
Gallon-sized bags
Sandwich-sized bags
Ice cream toppings of your choice
Step One
Using your sandwich-sized baggie, combine the half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Be sure to combine it well by shaking it, and then squeeze out the extra air and seal it well.
Ice Cream Chemistry: Even though the half-and-half might already be slightly cold, it isn’t enough to make the ice cream take its desired solid form. These three ingredients all need to be cooled down further. But how?
Step Two
Place the ice in the gallon-sized baggie and add the salt.
Ice Cream Chemistry: The salt lowers the temperature at which water freezes. This bag of salt ice will melt even when the temperature is below the normal freezing point of water. This is the same principle in the wintertime when trucks put salt on slick, icy roads.
Step Three
Place the small bag into the ice-filled bag. Shake it vigorously for 7-10 minutes.
Step Four
Check ice cream to see if its consistency has hardened.
Ice Cream Chemistry: You might need a towel or oven mitts when you shake the bag because it becomes so cold. Due to the vigorous shaking and the ice that is now several degrees below freezing, the liquid has been cooled enough to harden it.
If you tried this experiment without the salt, the liquid would have remained in that liquid state simply because the ice wasn’t cold enough. Who knew the most important ingredient in making bagged ice cream would be salt?
Scientific discoveries are as close as your backyard! As the weather warms up, the opportunities to explore and learn outside abound, bringing science to life. From insects and worms, to the composition of dirt and compost, to plants and flowers beginning to blossom and bloom, every square inch of backyards, gardens and neighborhoods are home to hundreds of interesting things just waiting to be discovered.Using the Outdoor Discovery Set and the Sand and Water Fine Motor Tool Set, my three daughters aged two, four and six and I set out on a mission to uncover the mysteries and treasures in our backyard. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that even in a small space there are plenty of things to unearth.
Insect Investigation
What will you find when you dig in the dirt or the compost?With dozens of organisms living underground, what will kids find when they start digging? After a few minutes working through the dirt in the garden, the girls found plenty of worms and an insect they’d never seen before.Using the handy scooper, my eldest daughter carefully placed the bug in the Bug View jar.With its handy twist top, the Bug View jar gives kids freedom and control to independently inspect their discoveries. The Bug View jar also has a built-in magnifying glass which means kids can examine and analyze what they’ve discovered up close and personal.We talked about what kind of insect we thought it was – most likely a Click Beetle larvae - and how it is different than other bugs we are familiar with. We also discussed the bug’s unique features and characteristics. Did it have eyes and legs? What other distinctive traits could we see?
Creating and Experimenting with Gardening
The Outdoor Discovery Set includes guided activity cards for experiments, tests and observations. We used the Growing Garlic activity card as a launching point. How fun to make the connection that some of the very things we eat and cook in our kitchen can be planted just as they are in our backyard and produce new food.For this experiment, we used garlic cloves from our kitchen!First, we filled one of the plant pots with soil.Next, we made a hole in the dirt larger enough to fit a clove of garlic. Then, we planted the garlic in the plant pot, making sure to pop the clove in the right way up.After planting the garlic, we covered it up with fresh soil, then watered it.Voila! The last step is to wait see what happens. How long will it take for the garlic to sprout?
Exploring the World of Water
For toddlers and children in the younger preschool years who may be less interested in gardening experiments and investigating insects, exploring outside with water and testing fine motor skills might be right up their alley. The Sand and Water Fine Motor Tool Set is a fun starting point to challenge a child’s dexterity while having fun.First, we filled a big bucket of water in the backyard. Then we used the droppers and scoops to squeeze, squirt and spurt water. The toys can be used with sand too! Do sand and water squish and spray differently?We found more than meets the eye as we explored our backyard. What new scientific discoveries will you capture, observe and create as you head outdoors?
Scientific discoveries are as close as your backyard! As the weather warms up, the opportunities to explore and learn outside abound, bringing science to life. From insects and worms, to the composition of dirt and compost, to plants and flowers beginning to blossom and bloom, every square inch of backyards, gardens and neighborhoods are home to hundreds of interesting things just waiting to be discovered.Using the Outdoor Discovery Set and the Sand and Water Fine Motor Tool Set, my three daughters aged two, four and six and I set out on a mission to uncover the mysteries and treasures in our backyard. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that even in a small space there are plenty of things to unearth.
Insect Investigation
What will you find when you dig in the dirt or the compost?With dozens of organisms living underground, what will kids find when they start digging? After a few minutes working through the dirt in the garden, the girls found plenty of worms and an insect they’d never seen before.Using the handy scooper, my eldest daughter carefully placed the bug in the Bug View jar.With its handy twist top, the Bug View jar gives kids freedom and control to independently inspect their discoveries. The Bug View jar also has a built-in magnifying glass which means kids can examine and analyze what they’ve discovered up close and personal.We talked about what kind of insect we thought it was – most likely a Click Beetle larvae - and how it is different than other bugs we are familiar with. We also discussed the bug’s unique features and characteristics. Did it have eyes and legs? What other distinctive traits could we see?
Creating and Experimenting with Gardening
The Outdoor Discovery Set includes guided activity cards for experiments, tests and observations. We used the Growing Garlic activity card as a launching point. How fun to make the connection that some of the very things we eat and cook in our kitchen can be planted just as they are in our backyard and produce new food.For this experiment, we used garlic cloves from our kitchen!First, we filled one of the plant pots with soil.Next, we made a hole in the dirt larger enough to fit a clove of garlic. Then, we planted the garlic in the plant pot, making sure to pop the clove in the right way up.After planting the garlic, we covered it up with fresh soil, then watered it.Voila! The last step is to wait see what happens. How long will it take for the garlic to sprout?
Exploring the World of Water
For toddlers and children in the younger preschool years who may be less interested in gardening experiments and investigating insects, exploring outside with water and testing fine motor skills might be right up their alley. The Sand and Water Fine Motor Tool Set is a fun starting point to challenge a child’s dexterity while having fun.First, we filled a big bucket of water in the backyard. Then we used the droppers and scoops to squeeze, squirt and spurt water. The toys can be used with sand too! Do sand and water squish and spray differently?We found more than meets the eye as we explored our backyard. What new scientific discoveries will you capture, observe and create as you head outdoors?
Looking for summer activities that will help beat summer brain drain? Look no further than your backyard. Using materials from home, these fun science activities are practical and deepen each child’s experience with the natural environment.
Looking for summer activities that will help beat summer brain drain? Look no further than your backyard. Using materials from home, these fun science activities are practical and deepen each child’s experience with the natural environment.
Does your kiddo love crafting with play dough? Save money and have some fun by making your own crafting play dough, together, at home! There are so many versions to try – from scented to textured to edible, there’s the perfect play dough recipe for every crafty kiddo. Follow our easy instructions below and give it a go today!
Traditional Dough
Ingredients:
1 Cup water
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
½ Cup salt
1 Tbsp. cream of tartar
1 Cup flour
Food coloring
In a medium-sized saucepan, mix the water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and a few drops of food coloring. Stir over medium heat until the mixture is warm and the salt is mostly dissolved, then remove from heat and blend in the flour. The better the flour is blended, the smoother the dough will be, so take your time. Then drop the mixture onto a sheet of wax paper and knead until smooth and soft. Now sculpt! This batch will last for several weeks, if not months. If it begins to dry or crumble, mix in a few drops of vegetable oil. Adding texture to your dough creates the perfect substance for tactile play. To make a textured dough, follow these Traditional Dough instructions, adding glitter, sea salt, or even sand to the saucepan before mixing with flour.
Scented Dough
Ingredients:
1 Cup water
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
½ Cup salt
1 Packet KOOL-AID in the scent you want
2 Tsp. cream of tartar
1 Cup flour
This version uses KOOL-AID to add color and scent to traditional dough. Whisk together the flour, salt, KOOL-AID, and cream of tartar in a saucepan, then mix in the water and oil. Heat over medium for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. The mixture will start out really runny, but will begin to clump as it heats up. When the dough is mostly stuck together, dump the mixture onto a sheet of wax paper. Allow it to cool, then knead, play, and sniff your scented dough!
Silky Smooth Lotion Dough
Ingredients:
1 Cup hair conditioner or hand lotion
2 Cups corn starch
Food coloringlder text.
This simple, 3-ingredient recipe is totally kid-friendly – no heating on the stove! Pour the lotion into a bowl and mix in a few drops of food coloring. Next, blend in the corn starch with a little at a time, adding more corn starch until the mixture is silky smooth and not at all sticky. You may have to play with the ratios, adding more lotion to make the mixture less crumbly and then more starch to be less sticky, but this super soft, super smooth dough is worth the trouble. Added bonus – your hands will be silky soft after every session!
Edible Dough
Ingredients:
1 Bag large marshmallows
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Cup cornstarch
Food coloring
Technically, all of the recipes we’ve shared so far are edible, they just might not taste very good. Made with marshmallows, this recipe is not only edible – it’s delicious! Don’t let the corn starch fool you – when finished, this dough tastes just like taffy. In a pan, warm your oil over medium heat. Add about 30 large marshmallows, stirring until they’re completely dissolved. Add a few drops of food coloring, then move the mixture to a bowl. Quickly add the cornstarch and knead until soft. If the mixture still feels sticky, knead a bit more corn starch in until it’s smooth. This may take a bit of back and forth work – knead, corn starch, knead, corn starch. But once you’ve got the consistency just right, it’s time to play – or eat!
Glittery Galaxy Dough
Playtime is out of this world! With so much in the news lately about NASA’s latest missions, not to mention the first ever image of a black hole recently released, space talk is certainly on the rise. How about making some play dough sure to spark otherworldly conversations about our galaxy?
What is the Milky Way?
Our home galaxy is called the Milky Way, and it contains hundreds of billions of stars that burn just like our own sun. That means there are most likely billions of solar systems out there just like ours. The Milky is believed to be 13.51 billion years old.
Just how big is the Milky Way?
The Milky Way is about 100,000 light years in diameter. A light year is the distance light travels in one year. But according to scientists, the Milky Way is small compared to other galaxies. M87, another elliptical galaxy, is 980,000 light years in diameter.
Ingredients:
2 cups of flour, plus extra to sprinkle on
½ cup of salt
1 ½ cups boiling water
2 tablespoons of baby oil
1 tablespoons of cream of tartar
5-7 drops of glycerin
Glitter colors of your choice
Adults only: get the water boiling on the stovetop. Have the kids mix the flour, salt, and cream of tartar Once your water is boiling, turn it off and remove it from the heat. Add the black food coloring. To get the deep, galaxy-black color, be prepared to use lots of food coloring, about half and ounce. The kids will love to see the food coloring billow into the hot water. Next, pour in the glycerin and baby oil. These two ingredients will prevent your dough from being too sticky. Adults only: pour the water mixture directly in to the bowl of the flour mixture and stir. Be aware of splashes since the water mixture is hot. Add glitter of your choice, and once again give it a good stir. Next, knead the dough for several minutes, really working it through. Dry hands work best. You might find that the dough is a little sticky. Throw the dough back in the bowl and sprinkle a little flour over the top and re-knead. This Milky Way dough is a blast to pull a part, twist, and pound out.
Does your kiddo love crafting with play dough? Save money and have some fun by making your own crafting play dough, together, at home! There are so many versions to try – from scented to textured to edible, there’s the perfect play dough recipe for every crafty kiddo. Follow our easy instructions below and give it a go today!
Traditional Dough
Ingredients:
1 Cup water
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
½ Cup salt
1 Tbsp. cream of tartar
1 Cup flour
Food coloring
In a medium-sized saucepan, mix the water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and a few drops of food coloring. Stir over medium heat until the mixture is warm and the salt is mostly dissolved, then remove from heat and blend in the flour. The better the flour is blended, the smoother the dough will be, so take your time. Then drop the mixture onto a sheet of wax paper and knead until smooth and soft. Now sculpt! This batch will last for several weeks, if not months. If it begins to dry or crumble, mix in a few drops of vegetable oil. Adding texture to your dough creates the perfect substance for tactile play. To make a textured dough, follow these Traditional Dough instructions, adding glitter, sea salt, or even sand to the saucepan before mixing with flour.
Scented Dough
Ingredients:
1 Cup water
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
½ Cup salt
1 Packet KOOL-AID in the scent you want
2 Tsp. cream of tartar
1 Cup flour
This version uses KOOL-AID to add color and scent to traditional dough. Whisk together the flour, salt, KOOL-AID, and cream of tartar in a saucepan, then mix in the water and oil. Heat over medium for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. The mixture will start out really runny, but will begin to clump as it heats up. When the dough is mostly stuck together, dump the mixture onto a sheet of wax paper. Allow it to cool, then knead, play, and sniff your scented dough!
Silky Smooth Lotion Dough
Ingredients:
1 Cup hair conditioner or hand lotion
2 Cups corn starch
Food coloringlder text.
This simple, 3-ingredient recipe is totally kid-friendly – no heating on the stove! Pour the lotion into a bowl and mix in a few drops of food coloring. Next, blend in the corn starch with a little at a time, adding more corn starch until the mixture is silky smooth and not at all sticky. You may have to play with the ratios, adding more lotion to make the mixture less crumbly and then more starch to be less sticky, but this super soft, super smooth dough is worth the trouble. Added bonus – your hands will be silky soft after every session!
Edible Dough
Ingredients:
1 Bag large marshmallows
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Cup cornstarch
Food coloring
Technically, all of the recipes we’ve shared so far are edible, they just might not taste very good. Made with marshmallows, this recipe is not only edible – it’s delicious! Don’t let the corn starch fool you – when finished, this dough tastes just like taffy. In a pan, warm your oil over medium heat. Add about 30 large marshmallows, stirring until they’re completely dissolved. Add a few drops of food coloring, then move the mixture to a bowl. Quickly add the cornstarch and knead until soft. If the mixture still feels sticky, knead a bit more corn starch in until it’s smooth. This may take a bit of back and forth work – knead, corn starch, knead, corn starch. But once you’ve got the consistency just right, it’s time to play – or eat!
Glittery Galaxy Dough
Playtime is out of this world! With so much in the news lately about NASA’s latest missions, not to mention the first ever image of a black hole recently released, space talk is certainly on the rise. How about making some play dough sure to spark otherworldly conversations about our galaxy?
What is the Milky Way?
Our home galaxy is called the Milky Way, and it contains hundreds of billions of stars that burn just like our own sun. That means there are most likely billions of solar systems out there just like ours. The Milky is believed to be 13.51 billion years old.
Just how big is the Milky Way?
The Milky Way is about 100,000 light years in diameter. A light year is the distance light travels in one year. But according to scientists, the Milky Way is small compared to other galaxies. M87, another elliptical galaxy, is 980,000 light years in diameter.
Ingredients:
2 cups of flour, plus extra to sprinkle on
½ cup of salt
1 ½ cups boiling water
2 tablespoons of baby oil
1 tablespoons of cream of tartar
5-7 drops of glycerin
Glitter colors of your choice
Adults only: get the water boiling on the stovetop. Have the kids mix the flour, salt, and cream of tartar Once your water is boiling, turn it off and remove it from the heat. Add the black food coloring. To get the deep, galaxy-black color, be prepared to use lots of food coloring, about half and ounce. The kids will love to see the food coloring billow into the hot water. Next, pour in the glycerin and baby oil. These two ingredients will prevent your dough from being too sticky. Adults only: pour the water mixture directly in to the bowl of the flour mixture and stir. Be aware of splashes since the water mixture is hot. Add glitter of your choice, and once again give it a good stir. Next, knead the dough for several minutes, really working it through. Dry hands work best. You might find that the dough is a little sticky. Throw the dough back in the bowl and sprinkle a little flour over the top and re-knead. This Milky Way dough is a blast to pull a part, twist, and pound out.
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With dozens of organisms living underground, what will kids find when they start digging? After a few minutes working through the dirt in the garden, the girls found plenty of worms and an insect they’d never seen before.Using the handy scooper, my eldest daughter carefully placed the bug in the Bug View jar.
With its handy twist top, the Bug View jar gives kids freedom and control to independently inspect their discoveries. The Bug View jar also has a built-in magnifying glass which means kids can examine and analyze what they’ve discovered up close and personal.We talked about what kind of insect we thought it was – most likely a Click Beetle larvae - and how it is different than other bugs we are familiar with. We also discussed the bug’s unique features and characteristics. Did it have eyes and legs? What other distinctive traits could we see?
First, we filled one of the plant pots with soil.
Next, we made a hole in the dirt larger enough to fit a clove of garlic. Then, we planted the garlic in the plant pot, making sure to pop the clove in the right way up.
After planting the garlic, we covered it up with fresh soil, then watered it.
Voila! The last step is to wait see what happens. How long will it take for the garlic to sprout?
First, we filled a big bucket of water in the backyard. Then we used the droppers and scoops to squeeze, squirt and spurt water. The toys can be used with sand too! Do sand and water squish and spray differently?
We found more than meets the eye as we explored our backyard. What new scientific discoveries will you capture, observe and create as you head outdoors?
