“No, it’s too cold,” you might say.  The following experiment will let you grow an indoor “garden” that does not even involve plants.  This easy experiment will allow you to grow a garden of beautiful crystals on a bed of coal, charcoal (ask mom or dad if there is any left over from the summer barbeques), or even pieces of sponge.
 
Experiment: Growing a Winter Crystal Garden
 
The following is a multi-day experiment.

For this experiment you will need the following materials:
 
A:  Several pieces of “base” material, i.e., coal, charcoal, porous brick, tile, or sponge pieces.
B:  Water
C:  Table Salt
D:  Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing (a laundry whitener)
E:  Food Coloring
F:  Mixing Bowl
G:  Mixing spoon
H: Tablespoon or metric equivalent (about 15 ml)
I:  Baking dish or bowl (glass preferred)
(Note: some recipes for growing crystal gardens call for the use of ammonia.  The staff of the WLSC SMART-Center feel that leaving out the ammonia make this experiment more appealing and safer for our young scientists.)
 
Procedure Day #1:
 
Step 1:  Place your “base” material pieces into the bottom of the baking dish.
Step 2:  Mix together 2.0 tablespoons (about 30 ml) water with 2.0 tablespoons (about 30 ml) salt and 2.0 tablespoons (about 30 ml) of Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing in a mixing bowl and stir until salt is dissolved.
Step 3:  Pour this mixture over the top of the base material pieces.
(Note:  if you use a large baking dish and more than four pieces of your base material, make a second batch of the mixture and pour this over the base material pieces.)
 

 
Procedure Day #2:
 
Step 1:  Add 2.0 tablespoons (about 30 ml) salt to the solution in the baking dish (do not place salt on top of the base material pieces).
 
Procedure Day #3:
 
Step 1:  Make another batch of 2.0 tablespoons (about 30 ml) each of water, salt, and Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing in a mixing bowl.
(Note:  If you are using a large baking dish, double this batch.)
Step 2:  Do not pour this mixture onto the base material.  Rather, pour the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish.
Step 3:  To add color to your coal crystal garden add a few (less than four) drops of various colors of food coloring onto each of the pieces of base material.
 
Good air circulation and the dry air conditions of winter will actually make your crystal garden grow best.
 
To keep your crystal garden growing all winter long, watch the solution material in the bottom of the baking dish.  When the solution dries out, make another batch of the water, salt, and Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing (two tablespoons (30 ml) each) and pour this into the bottom of the baking dish.  Remember, do not pour the solution mixture on to the base material or on to your crystals.  Your crystal garden is fragile.  Do not move it around the house.
 
Question:  What are the crystals made out of?
Question:  What role does the base material serve in growing your crystal garden?
Question:  What are the individual roles of the water, salt, and Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing in the formation and growing of your crystal garden?
 
To find out more about growing and making crystal gardens visit our website at:     http://smartcenter.org/OVPM/growingcrystalgardens
 
Examination of Snowflake Crystals
 
So, you think that crystals are cool, eh?

  Well, snowflakes really are cool crystals!  Have you ever looked at snowflake crystals closely?  Would you be surprised to find out that all snowflakes have six sides or points?  Don’t take our word for it. Try this activity the next time it snows.
 
For this activity you will need the following materials:
 
A:  Fresh snow - it would be best if it were actually snowing when you do this activity.
B:   Dark colored paper (construction paper works well).
C:  A magnifying glass (if you have one).
 
Procedure:
 
Step 1:  Check to see that it is snowing outside.  If it is snowing, gather the above materials and get out the hot chocolate fixings for when you come back inside.
Step 2:  Ask permission to go outside.  Invite your parents to help.  Don’t forget to dress warmly.
Step 3:  Take the dark colored paper outside and let it get cold.  This should only take a minute or so.
(Note:  If the day is sunny, do not let the sunlight shine on the paper.  It will warm it up and will melt the snowflakes.  Let your shadow fall onto the dark paper to keep it cool.)
Step 4:  Let the snowflakes fall onto the dark paper and look at them closely with your eyes or magnifying glass.  Warning!!!!  Do not breath directly onto the snowflakes, hot breath may melt them.
 
Question:  Have you ever heard the saying that no two snowflakes are the same?  Do all the snowflakes look similar?  Are any the same?
Question:  Why do snowflakes have six sides or points?  Why not four, five, or seven sides or points?
 
To learn more about snowflake crystals visit our website at:     http://smartcenter.org/OVPM/snowflakecrystals
 
What’s Up?   Wondrous Winter Night Sky
 
Winter time in the Northern Hemisphere is excellent for stargazing.  Bundle-up on a clear evening and go out with your parents and look up.  For more information on upcoming free astronomy events at Brooke Hills Park , visit our website:     http://smartcenter.org/whatsup
 
Libby and Robert Strong and Richard Pollack work at the West Liberty State College SMART-Center.  Libby is the director of the West Virginia Handle On Science Program that brings hands-on science kits into the classrooms of K-6 grade public schools in the five counties of West Virginia ’s Northern Panhandle.  Robert is the Director of the WLSC SMART-Center, the hands-on science center of northern West Virginia .
  Richard serves as the Assistant Program Coordinator at the SMART-Center.  Libby, Robert, and Richard invite you to visit the SMART-Center website at:     http://smartcenter.org