Science Experiments For The Win!

We are sooooooooooooooo thrilled to have Nicole from "Girl In A Boy House" as our guest blogger this week! If you haven't had a chance to check out Nicole's blog you absolutely must promise to make it top priority today and click on over there ASAP. :D

She's smart, sassy and OMG, so much fun to read! Not only that, she will have you literally laughing out loud so hard that tears will be streaming down your face. Seriously, she rocks! :D

Without further adieu, here is Nicole!

Science Experiments For The Win!

By Nicole MacPherson

I am not a crafty mom. My six year old draws much, much better than I do. I have friends who, when it is time to make birthday cakes, use words like fondant and royal icing whereas I use words like Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker. My glorious cake-making moment came when I frosted a cake green and placed small African-savannah animals in herds on it. Once I attempted to make yarn octopuses; prior to the sad final product I had lined my newly-purchased materials on my kitchen table, which my mother, visiting for the afternoon, eyed with suspicion. She bit her lip, looked from the yarn to me, and said calmly but with an undertone of alarm, “Are you going to knit something?” She all but had 911 dialed on her cellphone.

So I’m not a crafty mom but I am a nerdy one.  The day my children learned to add and subtract, and quiz each other at the table, was one of my happiest ones.  My heart swelled with pride when my oldest announced his favourite thing at school was mathematical problem solving.  The same happened when my youngest proclaimed his love for all things science.  Therefore, one of the ways my children and I truly bond is through home science experiments.

I purchase vinegar in four litre containers, and baking soda in packages of six.  Not only are they great for home cleaning purposes, but they are the cornerstone of any good home science experiment, especially if you have younger children, as mine are (the days of dissections and stoichiometry will have to wait). 

Experiment #1: Exploding Volcanoes

This experiment is always a hit.  I take a large rectangular cake pan to reduce mess, and set a couple of glass jars – preferably in different sizes or shapes for scientific curiosity – inside.  Each jar is filled about 2/3 full with vinegar, to which I add a squirt of dish soap and a few drops of food colouring.  Bonus if you happen to have the primary colours on hand, then a fun lesson in colour mixing can commence.  Stir the mixture well, then add a spoonful of baking soda for some explosive fun.  My children especially enjoy setting toy dinosaurs and little people in the cake pan and then watching their gory demise in the “lava”.  Much macabre fun can be had by all. 

Experiment #2: Dancing Raisins

Also known as “bobbing raisins” or “THEY’RE DROWNING!” this is a fun rainy day activity.  Or, if you live where I live where it has been winter for five months already and there is no end in sight, a fun any day activity.  The mess factor is quite low on this one, making it popular with mothers everywhere.  Take a tall glass and pour in one cup of water.  Add one tablespoon of baking soda and stir it well.  Then add 2 teaspoons of vinegar, and hope the glass is tall enough so that it becomes fizzy but does not overflow.  Drop 3-4 raisins in the water, watch with glee as they sink to the bottom then float to the top.   

Experiment #3: Taking the Shell off an Egg Without Cracking the Shell

That’s a long title.  I was skeptical on this one, because it takes some time and I worried that I would end up with a stinking, rotten egg on my kitchen counter but not to worry!  Vinegar takes care of everything.  It will take care of you too, baby.  Place an ordinary raw egg (shell on) in a Ziploc bag.  Pour vinegar into the bag until the egg is covered (it will be fizzy and bubbly).  Zip the bag closed, and in a day the shell will be very soft.  You have two options here, and both are quite fun: a) you could leave the egg on your counter for another day and voila, the eggshell will be hardened again, or b) you could put the egg in water and watch as the shell absorbs water until it expands and bursts.  Another explosion!  Guess which one is the favourite option in my house?

The next time you are at the grocery store, pick up some extra vinegar and baking soda; they will provide hours of inexpensive, nerdy fun!

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(If you missed it at the beginning of the post, you can check out Nicole's blog by clicking on over to

"Girl In A Boy House". You'll be glad you did!)

Thanks again Nicole for being our guest! :D

Happy St. Paddy's Day Everyone! ♥

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