This borax crystal craft for the 4th of July is perfect for kids and teens that love science experiments!
The 4th of July is around the corner, and if you are looking for an easy stem activity to do with your kids over the long weekend, these borax crystal craft stars are a fun one to try. They are simple to make, and double as patriotic decorations for the holiday.
This craft only needs a few basic materials, and most of them are probably already sitting in your pantry or craft drawer. It also has that perfect mix of art project and science experiment, which makes it more interesting than your average paper craft.
For this experiment, we used red, white and blue pipe cleaners shaped into stars. The stars are placed into a hot borax and water mixture, then left overnight while the crystals grow. By the next morning, the pipe cleaners are covered in crystal formations.
Borax dissolves in hot water, which means the tiny borax particles spread evenly throughout the liquid. Hot water can hold much more borax than cold water can, so when the water cools down, there is suddenly more borax in the solution than the water can handle.
As the mixture cools, the extra borax has to go somewhere. It begins attaching to the pipe cleaners and forms crystals layer by layer. Over time, more and more particles connect together, creating the crystal shapes you see covering the stars.
This is a great way to introduce concepts like temperature changes and crystal formation without making it feel like a science lesson. Younger kids usually love watching crystals appear, while older kids get more into the “why” behind it.
Borax Crystal Craft for the 4th of July
Borax Crystal Craft Materials:
Directions for making Borax Crystal Craft Stars:
Step 1. Boil the water.
Step 2. While the water boils shape the pipe cleaners into the letters M – O – M. Connect the letters with small pieces of pipe cleaner or twine.
Step 3. Tie the pipe cleaner letters to the pencil with twine. Make the twine long enough that the MOM pipe cleaners will be fully submerged in the borax solution.
Step 4. Measure out 1/4 cup borax for each cup of boiling water.
Step 5. Carefully measure and pour the boiling water into the mason jar.
Step 6. Slowly add the borax to the water. If you have 4 cups of boiling water, you will have one cup of borax. Add the borax at 1/4 cup increments making sure it is dissolved before adding more.
Step 7. Lower your pipe cleaners into the water and use the pencil to suspend it from the mouth of the canning jar.
Step 8. Allow your crystals to grow for 24 hours.
Step 9. Remove your pipe cleaners from the solution and let air dry.
Step 10. Attach to a key ring or glue a magnet to the back for a cute Mother’s Day gift idea.
Looking for more fun science experiments?
- how to make black slime thats magnetic!
- how to make baking soda rockets for kids
- how to make a colorful cloud science experiment
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