HOUSTON – If you want to spark an interest in STEM in your little ones from an early age, there are simple and fun science experiments you can do with them at home starting at age three.
Crystal Lister, a NASA Education Coordinator and a mom of two joined Houston Life with two simple projects that will make your kids have a blast while they learn.
Lister is the creator of the Mommy and Me: The Listers YouTube channel, an interactive and educational avenue where she, along with her daughters Krissy and Kinsley, lead simple STEM experiments with household items.
For the complete instructions, keep reading below.
To see the complete interview and how the experiments work, watch the video above.
Experiment #1: “The Magic Milk”
For ages 3 and up
Materials:
- Plate
- Q-Tip
- 2-ounce cup
- Milk
- Dish Soap
- Food coloring
Steps:
- Pour the milk on the plate
- Add drops of food coloring to the milk on the plate, be sure to space the drops out
- Dip the Q-tip in the cup with the dish soap then
- Dip the Q-tip with soap on it in the plate with the milk and the food coloring and watch the magic happen!
Experiment #2: “Elephant Soap”
For ages 3 and up*
Adult supervision required
Materials:
- Safety Gear (gloves, goggles, apron, or lab coat)
- 3% hydrogen peroxide or 30% Hydrogen Peroxide for the biggest reaction (adult supervision with the handling required)
- 1 packet of Active Yeast or 1 spoonful of Potassium Iodide for the biggest reaction
- Food Coloring
- Erlenmeyer flask
- Beaker
- Stirrer
- Measuring Cup
- Water
Steps:
-Pour half a cup of 30% hydrogen peroxide into the flask
-Add a few drops of food coloring and a squirt of dish soap to the peroxide in the flask
-In a separate beaker mix a spoonful of potassium oxide into 2 tablespoons of water
-Stir until crystals have dissolved making a solution
-Pour Potassium Oxide solution into the flask with the peroxide
-STEP BACK
-Watch the chemical reaction create the Elephant Soap
To see Lister’s YouTube Channel, check out the link below.
Instructions provided by Crystal Lister.