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August 14, 2014

Rock Candy Science Experiment

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A science experiment that ends in candy is sure to motivate kids! You can show your kids how to make rock candy and learn about crystals at the same time.

Rock Candy Science Experiment for Kids! So cool!

Rock candy is simple to make at home, but it does take awhile for the crystals to form. This gives kids a chance to make observations over a period of days which is a great way to teach them to think like scientists!

Rocky Candy Science Experiment

How to Make Rock Candy:

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • thin wooden skewer stick and clothespin
  • pint size jar
  • food coloring (optional)

We used the amounts above in each of our jars so you may need to double, triple, etc depending on how many you are doing.

Boil the water and slowly add the sugar until it all dissolves, this takes awhile. Add the color while it’s boiling if you want your candy to be colored. After the sugar has completely dissolved take it off the heat and let cool.  Pour the sugar water into the jar.

How to Make Rock Candy

Wet your sticks with some of the sugar water and then roll them in more sugar.  This will help the crystals form on your stick. Be careful though, if your water hasn’t cooled yet the warmth will dissolve it.

Hang the stick in the sugar solution with the clothespin and set the jars somewhere they won’t be disturbed. Have the kids observe what is going on inside the jar and on the stick.

Cool Science for Kids Rock Candy Experiment

After a few days you can see crystals forming on the stick and on the sides of the jar.  If you are making rock candy to eat you will want to keep changing out the sugar water to dissuade crystals from growing on the side and to keep the bugs out!

We were just growing ours to observe and not to eat so crystals growing along the sides and top of the jar worked out perfectly.

How to Make Rock Candy! A Science Experiment for Kids

After about 10 days the crystals are fully formed and you can pull the sticks out.

We actually ended up leaving ours for, ahem, 20 days because we forgot to take them out before we went on vacation!

Rock Candy Science

We pulled out the sticks and used a magnifying glass to observe the sugar crystals that were formed on the sticks.

Sugar Crystal Science Experiment

We also poured the water out of the jars and observed the crystals that grew inside the jars too!

Growing sugar crystals are such a pretty science experiment!

summer science camp blue 8 weeks

This is our last post in the summer science camp series, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to be over!

Simple science experiments are great to do any time of the year! Catch up on all of the science projects that were shared this summer.

On this blog: Mentos geyser, Dancing raisins, Liquid layers, Homemade silly putty, Magic milk, Exploding baggie, Walking water

At What Do We Do All Day?: Ice cube on a string,  Solar oven, Homemade compass, Balloon rocket race,Leak proof bag, Simple science lab, Science YouTube channels for kids

Don’t let the fun and discovery stop there!

We have TONS of science experiments your kids will love on our Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids page! 

The most fun science experiments for kids ever!

Take me to the experiments –> Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids

About Megan Sheakoski

Megan is the creator of Coffee Cups and Crayons, a blog full of simple fun and learning. She believes that kids’ activities don’t have to be complicated to be fun and that learning is better with play.

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Comments

  1. Claudia says

    August 15, 2014 at 7:17 am

    Consequently mouth watering! That looks amazing.

    Reply
  2. Laura says

    February 26, 2015 at 1:42 pm

    Thanks for sharing! Perfect for my 5 year old who loves crystals (and rock candy!!)

    Reply

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