Experiments

Invisible Ink Secret Messages

We all want to write secret messages right? Write something that some certain people can read. That would have been the best thing ever as a child. Now, for my kids it’s something from Harry Potter. Something secret spy do.

Invisible Ink Secret Messages

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If your kids are anything like mine they have read the Harry books, and watched the Harry Potter movies. Having done that they would love to have the The Marauder’s Map. The secret map that would reveal where people and secret passages where throughout Hogwarts.

Vinegar or Baking Soda Invisible Ink

Vinegar or Baking Soda
Water
Small Bowl
Small paint brush or Q-tip
Paper
Sponge or larger paint brush
Grape juice

How to do it:

Choose if you will be using vinegar or baking soda.

In the small bowl mix 1 tbsp of vinegar (or baking soda) with 1 tbsp of water. Mix the two ingredients together.

Dip a small paint brush or cotton swab in the mixture and write your secret message on the paper.

Let the writing dry. To reveal the message use a sponge or larger paint brush and paint the paper with grape juice.

If you need to make a larger quantity of the invisible ink for a birthday party simply mix the ingredients in a 1/1 ratio.

For example: 1/2 Cup of baking soda with 1/2 Cup of water.

Lemon Juice Invisible Ink

1 Lemon cut in half
Small bowl
Small paint brush or cotton swab
Paper

How to do it:

Squeeze a lemon half into the small bowl.

Dip the paint brush or Q-tip into the lemon juice and then write your secret message on the paper with the brush. Let the juice dry completely.

To read the message hold the paper 6″ from a light bulb. The heat of the light bulb (can not be an LED bulb) will make the message appear!

You can also iron over the message. But this one should be used with care.

Milk Secret Messages

Milk
Small bowl
Paintbrush or Q-tip
Paper
Light that gives out heat or an iron

How to do it:

Paint or swab a message onto paper with Milk. Let the paper dry. To see the message hold next to a candle, light bulb or swipe over the paper with an iron.

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No Ink

Lay a piece of paper on top of another piece of paper.

Using a pencil write your message on the top piece of paper. Remove the top piece of paper.

To reveal the message use a pencil to lightly color over the bottom piece of paper.

Crayon or Candle

White Crayon or a white candle
Paper
Colored markers or water colors

How to do it:

Write your secret message on a piece of paper using a white crayon or white candle.

When you want to reveal the message color over the message with a darker marker or water colors. Your secret writing will appear like magic!

Balloon Rockets STEM Experiment

by Ashley Mullen

I saw this experiment awhile ago and I knew we had to try it out. Every birthday I buy more balloons because I can’t find the leftovers from the previous birthday. This was a great way to use some of those balloons. I also included this balloon rockets activity in our science DIY Summer Camp Week.

Balloon Rockets STEM Experiment

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You could easily do this balloon rocket experiment outside or inside like we did. It is relative easy, and inexpensive.

What you need:

balloons
plastic straws
string such as twine or yarn
tape such as painter tape or masking tape

How to make Balloon Rocket

Tape or tie one end of your string to something. I taped it to my counter top.

Thread your straw onto your string, and then six or seven feet away, attach the other end of the string to something. I used the back of a chair.

I used painter tape to make sure the string stayed in place and didn’t damage or leave sticky residue behind on my counter or chair. We used about seven feet of string.

You could easily test out different lengths to add to your experiment.

You add two strips of tape to the straw to attach your balloon, without tying the end of your balloon. With the end of the balloon face the opposite way you want your balloon to fly. Let go!

I set everything up, gave it a test and it worked perfectly.

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Problem Saving Our Balloon Rockets

These did not work perfectly right off the bat for my kids. But we don’t give up. It was Brookland who learned through trial and error that placing the strips of tape too far apart was causing problems.

One issue we had was that we were using rough twine instead of a smooth string like yarn. There were a few places the straw was getting caught.

Balloon Rocket

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Estimated Cost: $5

Learn the science behind rockets while having fun with balloons.

Materials

balloons
plastic straws
string such as twine or yarn
tape such as painter tape or masking tape

Tools

scissors
tape

Instructions

Tape or tie one end of your string to something. I taped it to my counter top.
Thread your straw onto your string, and then six or seven feet away, attach the other end of the string to something. I used the back of a chair.
I used painter tape to make sure the string stayed in place and didn't damage or leave sticky residue behind on my counter or chair. We used about seven feet of string.
You could easily test out different lengths to add to your experiment.

Fun with Learning

This is homeschooling. This is learning. This is learning to problem solve and not give up until you have figured out the problem, the solution.

We let go of a few balloons without them attached to the straw and string, and then had to chase them down. It was a fun side by side comparison.

Balloon Rockets - balloon taped to straw on string

I totally set our strings out so that once we got the hang of it, my kids could have balloon races! I couldn’t help myself and it’s fun to race, especially where age (and height) doesn’t give you a leg up, haha.

We had a lot of fun with this. We did it with different amounts of air in the balloons.

We did this with the balloon on top of the straw, and on the bottom of the straw.

Have fun with it.

Science Behind Balloon Rockets

A balloon provides a simple example of how a rocket engine works. The air trapped inside the balloon pushes out the open end, causing the balloon to move forward.

The force of the air escaping is the “action”; the movement of the balloon forward is the “reaction” predicted by Newton’s Third Law of Motion.

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Temperature and Water Density Science Experiment

by Ashley Mullen

Science experiment fun is the best, fun way to learn. And a fun activity to do outside in the beautiful spring weather. The perfect thing to do this time of year is to spend time outside. This temperature and water density science experiment is the perfect experiment to take outside.

Temperature and Water Density Science Experiment

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When you are stuck home and bored, you do science experiments that you have always wanted to try but always figured would be a huge mess. But again, bored means just doing it no matter what.

This science experiment is easy to do, but does pose the risk for making a mess. Embrace it, or go outside where you won’t worry about the mess.

What you need:

cold water
hot water
two Mason jars
food color
index card

What you need to do:

Fill one jar with cold water and add food color.
Fill the other jar with the hottest water you can while still being able to touch the jar. Add a different color of food coloring to the water.
Place the index card over the opening of the color water jar.
While holding the index card in place flip the jar over and on top of the jar of hot water.
Quickly remove the index card and watch what happens.
Redo the experiment but instead placing the jar of hot water on top.

Scroll down to find a printable version of the directions.

How to Do this Temperature and Water Density Experiment

cold water on the top, heat molecules rise.

I had a towel under the jars because I was prepared to make a huge mess. I was fully expecting the whole jar of cold green water to pour everywhere. BUT I was surprised with only a few drops of water being spilled.

Thanks to my school supply stash, I had everything for this science experiment including the index cards. I placed an index card on the top of the jar of cold water, holding it in place, I quickly flipped it over on to the top of the jar of warm water, and pulled the index card out from between two.

You will see the warm water on the bottom quickly rise and mix into the cold water. The cold water jar on the bottom, barely mixes with the warm water on top.

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What’s Happening

The molecules in hot water move faster than those in cold water. Hot water molecules bounce around and leave gaps. This makes hot water slightly less dense than cold water.

Cold water on the bottom, the denser cold water stays there.

Cold water on the top, heat molecules rise.

Water Density

Prep Time: 1 minute

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 6 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

The molecules in hot water move faster than those in cold water. Hot water molecules bounce around and leave gaps. This makes hot water slightly less dense than cold water.