Winter break is coming up soon, and your Floridian child may be dreaming of a winter wonderland they’ve seen on TV. Florida winters are more of a relief from hurricane season than their own distinct season. While your child won’t be seeing snow unless they travel for winter vacation, they can always do one of these chilly winter science experiments in the comfort of their Florida home.
Ice Exploration
Playing with ice is kind of like playing in snow, right? This experiment can be done with salt, sugar, water, and — if you’re feeling fancy — food coloring! Here’s how it works:
Fill a container with water and let it freeze overnight.
The next day, experiment with different ways to melt the ice.
Try using salt, sugar, or hot water to see which method works best.
You can also add food coloring to the water before freezing to create colorful ice sculptures.
Winter Solstice Sundial
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, so why not mark the occasion with a homemade sundial? All you need for this experiment is a stick and a piece of cardboard.
Use a stick as a gnomon (the piece of the sundial that sticks up) and a piece of cardboard as the base.
Place the sundial outside in a sunny spot, and track the movement of the shadow throughout the day.
Indoor Snowstorm
Bring the snow to Florida without worrying about shoveling the driveway! Create a mini snowstorm in a jar using just a few simple ingredients: water, white paint or food coloring, and glitter.
Fill a clear jar with water, add a few drops of white paint or food coloring, and swirl in some glitter.
Seal the jar tightly, and shake it up to watch the snow swirl around like a winter storm.
Ice Cream in a Bag
Do you ever find yourself craving ice cream when it’s cold outside? This sweet project can give your child a chemistry lesson, and the reward is sweet! Here’s how to make it:
Ingredients
1 cup half and half
1/2 tsp artificial or imitation vanilla extract
1 tbsp sugar
Ice
1/4 cup salt
Ziploc bags 1 Small, 1 Large
Directions
Pour 1 cup of half and half into a small ziploc bag.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of artificial vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Seal the bag firmly and get any excess air out.
In the larger ziploc bag, fill it about 1/2 way with ice. Add 1/4 cup of salt.
Then add your small bag and fill with extra ice on top. Seal the large bag.
Get gloves for shaking and shake for 6 minutes. *Gloves are needed since the salt makes the ice extra cold.
Take the small bag out of the large bag and rinse the outside of the small bag with cold water. Make sure to rinse out the top part of the bag also (above the seal).
Once done rinsing, carefully open the small bag to not get any remaining salt from the outside of the bag inside the bag.
The ice cream will be a little icy looking to start. Use a spoon to mix it around and soften it up a bit. Scoop out and enjoy!
At NTCA, we encourage our students to continue learning during breaks from school. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.