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Are you looking for cheap, educational family activities that introduce your children to basic chemistry concepts? Growing table salt crystals is an excellent way to give them new experiences to make them think on their own. Although parental supervision is required, the results are quick and will create a product that leaves the child with a sense of accomplishment.

In order to grow table salt crystals you will need boiling water and a clear glass container. First, pour the boiling water into the container. Then, carefully stir in your salt until the salt stops dissolving. Leave the solution in a place where it will be undisturbed and after a few hours your crystal will be complete! To make things a little more interesting, food coloring may be added to the solution after the salt to add some color to your crystals.

For faster results, soak a piece of cardboard in the solution and leave in a sunny place to dry out. The crystals will be smaller, but definitely visible although any food coloring added will not show up well due to the contrasting dark brown cardboard color.

To provide your child with a sense of experimentation, try the above steps with different types of salt such as sea salt, iodized, kosher, and Epsom salts, talking to your child about the differences and asking them why they think some worked better or worse than others. With any luck, this simple experiment will provide your child to become a little more curious and a little more motivated in their education!

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