Join us for two fun elementary winter science experiments for ages 4-12. Although we live in Florida and don’t get to truly experience winter and snow, that doesn’t mean we can’t pretend! This year we created baking soda snowmen and then, in true Florida taste – we melted them! The girls also created peppermint slime – slime has really been a hit in our house lately.
Baking Soda Snowman
For the first elementary winter science project, create a baking soda snowman! Creating a snowman is such a cute and fun experiment for all ages of children, especially when it’s the only kind of snowman we are able to create in 60 degree weather. To create the snowman, use the mixture below. Add the water last, and add it slowly.
Recipe for a snowman
- 1 cup of baking soda
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of dish soap
- 4 tablespoons of water
- objects to create buttons, nose, arms, eyes, etc.
Continue to add water until you can form the mixture into a ball, but not so much liquid that it becomes sticky. Create three small balls for the snowman and put them together on a plate.
Now it’s time to get creative! Find items around the house or in the yard to decorate the snowman. Paper, sticks, berries, fake eyeballs, all work well. Paper can be used for the nose or the hat. When you’re satisfied with the look of your snowman, snap a picture, because next he’s going to melt!
I did offer all the kids in our science group the opportunity to leave their snowman intact. But after watching one “melt”, they all wanted to do the same!
To melt the snowman, a a small cup with vinegar in it, about 1/4 cup. Then either slowly or quickly pour it over the snowman and watch him “melt” into the plate. This is your typical baking soda and vinegar reaction, when the baking soda and vinegar combined, they create water and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide create the bubbles from the snowman. That little bit of dish soap helps to make the reaction even more foamy.
Peppermint Slime
The second fun elementary winter science project to test out on your kids is to make peppermint slime! The version of slime that we used creates a puffy type of slime that is also very stretchy. And as you may know from creating slime yourself, each recipe turns out differently when you make it! You really have to experiment with the amount of activator (contact solution) that you add to the recipe. Here is the recipe for slime – use these ingredient for each child:
- 3/4 cup white Elmer’s School Glue
- 1/2 cup of shaving cream
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- 1 tsp red craft paint (we used acrylic paint – it does get on your hands, but it washes off once the slime is made)
- 1-2 tsp (sometimes more) contact solution
When creating the slime, you can mix all the ingredients together in a bowl besides the contact solution. Feel free to add glitter or foam beads or any other fun mixture substances. You really have to mix hard to get the slime to come together. Add the contact solution last. This is your activator. It brings the slime together and makes it not so sticky. Keep adding activator and mixing hard until the slime starts to come away from the bowl. This will make a stretchy, puffy slime!
We hope you’ll get to test out one of these fun elementary winter science projects on your students. For more fun, check out our color wheel cookie activity!