The winter season is perfect for exploring winter science experiments and one that we have been enjoying a lot around here is growing salt crystals. With a little patience, this super simple kitchen science is easy to pull off! Our salt crystal snowflakes science project is cool and doable for all ages!

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Grow Salt Crystals For Winter Science

Growing crystals snowflakes with salt for winter science is a great way to explore chemistry with a fun theme. We love growing crystals with borax but growing salt crystals is perfect for the younger kids.

Growing borax crystals needs to be more of an adult led experiment because of the powder chemical involved, but this simple salt crystal science experiment is awesome for little hands and perfect for the kitchen.

Make our salt crystal snowflakes and hang them in the windows. They attract the light and sparkle too!

Growing salt crystals is all about being patient! Once you make the saturated solution, you have to wait it out. The crystals grow over time and it does take a few days. Our crystal snowflake ornaments with borax will grow faster {24 hours}. Salt crystals will take a few days!

You can even use our free printable science worksheets to keep tabs on your salt crystal growing project. Record data, research, and draw photos of the changes and results. Learn more about the Scientific Method For Kids.

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How Do Salt Crystals Form?

Growing these salt crystal snowflakes is all about chemistry! You first start by dissolving a large amount of salt in hot water. This creates a supersaturated solution, meaning it holds more salt than it normally could.

The paper snowflake is then put into the supersaturated salt solution. This acts as a surface for the crystals to form.

Over time, the water in the solution will start to evaporate, meaning it turns from a liquid into a gas and escapes into the air. As the water evaporates, the concentration of salt in the solution increases. The excess salt begins to come out of the solution and adhere to your paper snowflake. This process is known as crystallization.

The crystals form as the remaining water continues to evaporate, leaving behind solid salt on the snowflake. Each salt crystal that forms has its own unique structure.

In essence, the process involves creating a solution with an unusually high amount of dissolved salt, providing a surface for crystals to form, and allowing the water to gradually evaporate, leaving salt crystals behind on the paper snowflake. It’s a hands-on way to explore principles of solubility and crystallization.

FREE Printable Winter STEM Activities Guide!

How To Make Crystal Snowflakes With Salt

Here’s what you will need to get started. You also want to make sure you have a clear area to set your tray or plate so that it is undisturbed. The water needs time to evaporate and you want to try and minimize the plate being moved or nudged!

Supplies:

  • Table Salt
  • Water
  • Measuring cups and spoon
  • Paper & scissors
  • Tray or dish
  • Paper Towels

Instructions:

STEP 1:  MAKE PAPER SNOWFLAKES

TIP: You could also use one of our printable snowflake templates instead of cutting your own!

You will need to cut out the paper snowflakes and it’s actually super easy. I simply cut a circle out of paper, folded it in half to start. Then I keep folding it over itself until I had a sliver of a triangle.

Cutting the actual snowflake might be a better job for an adult, but kids can cut simple snowflakes with less folds in the paper. It can be tough to get scissors to cut through a ton of folds.

Make sure to talk about the symmetry of snowflakes. It’s a great way to incorporate math into your science activity and come up with a STEM project for all ages.

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STEP 2: MAKE A SUPER SATURATED SALT SOLUTION

Start with hot water. I just let the tape water run really hot. You can boil the water as well.

Tablespoon by tablespoon we added salt until the water could not hold anymore. The hotter the water, the more salt you will be able to add. The goal is to add as much salt as the water will hold to make a saturated solution.

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STEP 3: WATCH THE CRYSTALS GROW

Place your paper snowflakes on a tray or dish and pour just enough salt water to cover the snowflake. You may even see some salt left over in your container, that’s ok!

Set your tray aside and wait and watch!

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If you want to do science at home, it doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive! Just open your cupboards and pull out the salt!

More Fun Science Experiments With Salt

Also check out our list of snowflake activities and crafts for preschoolers!

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More Fun Winter STEM Activities

Click on each of the links below to find more fun ways to explore winter, even if it isn’t winter outside!

Printable Winter STEM Pack

Even if you don’t live in a snowy winter climate, there are many ways to explore the season!

WHAT’S INSIDE? You’ll find 250+ Pages of Winter theme projects for science, STEM, and art!

  • 25+ Winter science activities and STEM projects for kids that are easy to set up and fit into the time you have available even if it’s limited! NEW: Observation sheets for activities.
  • Printable winter theme STEM activities that are simple but engaging for home or classroom. Perfect for K-2 and beyond and adaptable to many skill levels.
  • Find simple background science explanations to share with kids while they explore hands-on and playful experiments, projects, and activities! Fun with physics, chemistry, design, engineering, and more!
  • Easy to gather supplies makes these STEM activities ideal when you have limited resources available. Perfect for trying with groups of kids.
  • Engaging winter STEM activities packed with winter theme activities, journal pages, and design process steps! Includes structure-building cards, STEM challenge cards, and screen-free coding activities.
  • Fun snowflake theme STEM, including snowflake cutting templates, snowflake tinker cards, and snowflake science activities, including a snowflake formation cycle!
  • Even more, winter printable sheets include hibernating animals sort, snow weather cycle, 5 senses for winter journal pages, thaumatrope patterns, and fun extras all with a winter theme!
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