STEAM Fair 2020 Activity
Thanks to Chesapeake Family Life
Here’s a basic recipe to make beautiful Geodes in your kitchen. The color of the pipe cleaner will determine the color of the geode.
What you need:
- 3 Tablespoons Borax
- 1 Cup boiling water
- Pipe cleaners
- Large jar, glass or pitcher
- Dish cloth
- Skewer, butter knife, chop stick
- Fishing line or curling ribbon (not string)
- Patience – the longer
Video:
Don’t eat Borax and keep away from young children.
How to grow a Geode
- Shape pipe cleaner and attach thread
Shape the pipe cleaner into a little ball and thread fishing line or curling ribbon through one edge.
- Place pipe cleaner ball over glass container
Suspend the pipe cleaner ball over your empty glass container using a knife or skewer passing through the ribbon/fishing line that you passed through the ball. Make sure that the sides of the ball don’t touch the sides of the container.
- Tie off at the right height
Once you’ve got it tied off at the right height, remove it from the container before you add your water.
- Add boiling water to container
Bring water to a boil and carefully pour into your container. Add the Borax, stirring until the Borax is completely dissolved.
- Add pipe cleaner & cover
Add your pipe cleaner shape tied to the skewer, butter knife or chop stick and cover with a dish cloth.
- Leave alone
Let sit overnight or about 5 hours. Uncover and be amazed!
- Wait longer for bigger crystals
The longer your geode is immersed in the water, the bigger the crystals will be.
- Remove line or ribbon
Carefully pull out the fishing line or curling ribbon from your finished geode.
Note: Make sure to stir the Borax until you don’t see any powder at all.
How does it work?
As with most minerals and solids, Borax becomes less soluble the lower the temperature of the water. So, when the mixture with Borax and water is cooled, the water holds less of the Borax and it falls out of the solution. This causes crystals to form at the bottom of the solution and makes your beautiful creations!
Observe:
Can you use other shapes and, or objects to make crystals on?
