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You are here: Home / Homeschool / Subjects / Science / Borax Crystal Snowflakes

Borax Crystal Snowflakes

January 5, 2018 by Erin Vincent 5 Comments

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Borax crystal snowflakes are a fun STEAM activity for children of all ages. Remember STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math! These snowflake crystals are also great if you live in a warmer climate that doesn’t see much real snow or if you just want to make some fun decorations!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure statement for more information.

Everyone knows that no two snowflakes are alike. We got to explore snow with our first snow storm of the year a few weeks ago. After looking at real snowflakes under the microscope, we read up on snowflakes with books like Snowflake Bentley and The Story of Snow. But our snow melted quickly. So, we decided to make our own “Snow Crystals”….or at least these really wonderful Borax Crystal Snowflakes!

Borax Crystal Snowflakes

Borax Crystal Snowflakes

To make Borax Crystal Snowflakes you’ll need…

  1. Borax
  2. Pipe Cleaners
  3. Glass Jars
  4. Popsicle Sticks or Pencils
  5. Water
  6. Scissors
  7. String

Step 1: Make you Snowflakes shapes out of the pipe cleaners. Remember; do not make your snowflakes larger than the mouth of your jar. You can get as creative as you want creating your snowflakes!

*To start, our daughter wanted a pink snowflake and our son wanted a blue one!

We cut our pipe cleaner into two pieces and twisted those two pieces together.

Then we cut another piece the same length as the first two and twisted it on to create our six-legged snowflakes. The children then cut even smaller pieces and proceeded to wrap those around each end.*

Step 2:  We used string to tie our snowflakes to the Popsicle sticks.  It took a little practice and adjustment to make sure they would be fully submerged but not touch the bottom of our jars.

Borax Crystal Snowflakes

 

Borax Crystal Snowflakes

Step 3: The children mixed the borax with boiling water. I boiled the water for them and poured it into the jars for them, leaving a few inches of space from the top. They stirred and added borax until the water stopped clearing and remained slightly cloudy.

Step 4: The children submerged their snowflake pipe cleaners into the Mason jar solutions.

*Double check to make sure the snowflake doesn’t touch the bottom or the sides of the jar. If it does, the crystals will form where it touches and you will not be able to get them out!*

Adjust your string as needed.

Borax Crystal Snowflakes

Step 5: Set your jars where they will not be disturbed and wait for the crystals to grow. This may take anywhere from a few hours to several days depending on the amount of borax in the water.
Our crystals were fully formed within a few hours and the children were thrilled! They were actually growing a bit too fast and it’s a good thing I took them out when I did! They were beginning to attach to the side of the jars!
*If you have crystals attaching to the inside of your jar you can either soak your jars in boiling water to dissolve the crystals or you can reuse your solution and make more crystal snowflakes! Just reheat your solution and repeat the steps!

Borax Crystal Snowflakes

About Borax

  • Borax is typically used in detergents.
  • Borax is a salt also known as sodium borate.
  • The snowflake crystals they made are salt crystals.
  • You won’t find these types of crystals in museums because the salt sweats and will dissolve or crumble into a fine powder over time.
  • If taken care of and kept in a fairly dry environment our Borax Crystal Snowflakes should last for several years.

The children enjoyed their borax snowflake making activity plus they learned about borax and the science of snowflakes in the process! Whether you’re buried under a snow drift or are enjoying a warmer climate, this is still a fun packed activity with loads of educational opportunities and rabbit holes of learning to follow.

Give it a try and see just how fun Borax Crystal Snowflakes can be!

Borax Crystal Snowflakes

If you want to explore more winter science, then be sure to check out these posts:

  • Make Maple Syrup Snow Candy

  • Frozen Bubble Fun for Kids and Books About Snow

If you love science then you may also enjoy these science posts…

  • Backyard Biology: Birds for Kids

  • Hands On Pond Science With An At Home Water Testing Kit

  • Make Your Own Solar Oven S’mores

  • Fun Brain Activities for Kids

  • Easy Rubber Egg Experiment

You may also enjoy:

  • Keeping Your Happy through Winter


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I just went out and bought all the twinkle lights I could find! No, I'm
Make Your Own Solar Oven S’mores
Did you know that your kids can build their own solar oven out of pizza
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Filed Under: Fall/Winter, Science Tagged With: activities for kids, borax, borax crystals, borax snowflake crystals, Kids Crafts, science, snowflake crystals, snowflakes, Winter, Winter Activities, Winter Activities for Kids, Winter Science

About Erin Vincent

Erin is a writer, blogger, and homeschooler to two intense kids. She loves nature, farm life, good books, knitting, new pens, and hot coffee. Erin is a contributing writer for Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers. Her work has also been featured on Simple Homeschool and Book Shark.

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Comments

  1. Kristen says

    January 5, 2018 at 1:34 pm

    Really cool. I appreciate the very detailed explanation. I always wanted to make these with my kids but haven’t had time yet. Maybe this winter.

    Reply
    • Erin Vincent says

      January 5, 2018 at 3:40 pm

      You are most welcome! It’s really not hard and the kids enjoyed watching the crystals form.

      Reply

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  1. 10 EASY Homeschool Holiday Activities ~ Nourishing My Scholar says:
    December 14, 2018 at 8:32 pm

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  2. Make Maple Syrup Snow Candy ~ Nourishing My Scholar says:
    January 3, 2018 at 1:35 pm

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  3. Frozen Bubble Fun for Kids! ~ Nourishing My Scholar says:
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Welcome! I'm Erin, a homeschooling mom to two very intense kids. Every day I try to find what works best for me and my family. My blog is filled with information to help you explore a child led education while making meaningful connections with your children. Discover favorite read alouds, seasonal books, games, art projects, hands-on activities, and learn to just breathe through the ups and downs of life. I hope these posts will encourage you on your homeschool adventure.

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