Crystals to grow sets for children

When a child has already matured, along with pride comes the realization that it is more and more difficult to interest him, surprise and seriously captivate him. There is, however, a way that many people forget, but such a pastime will be remembered for a lifetime. "What is this game?" - the reader will ask. Nothing complicated or expensive, just show your child what crystal growing is. For children, this lesson will be a colossal discovery. After all, this is the creation of amazing things with your own hands, which happens literally before your eyes!

What is a crystal?

The answer to this question is simple in the book version: it is an ordered structure of a solid. It seems to be nothing complicated, but it is much easier to understand the appearance of this miracle of nature on our own experience. Although, in fact, we see crystals growing every winter. For children, there is nothing more interesting than how snowflakes and a beautiful pattern appear on the window. But in fact, these are all crystals too! They appear with a gradual decrease in water temperature, moisture particles are attracted and form beautiful crystals. On reflection, the child will certainly be interested in where he can still see such a phenomenon. Then salt and sugar will come to the rescue. Their little grains are also crystals. And my mother's precious box, which has various stones. It doesn't matter if artificial rhinestones or natural precious minerals. It is they who will help show the child all the perfection of the lines, and also inspire to create such beauty. Moreover, the equipment for growing crystals is in every home, and reagents are in the kitchen.

Is it impossible to grow a crystal at home?

Maybe! To do this, you need to prepare a container in which it is convenient to create a solution. It is best to use a saucepan or other metal utensil suitable for heating. You will also need an ordinary spoon for stirring the solution, a narrow deep container in which the crystals will be grown at home. This can be a flask, a jar, a large glass, or a clear vase. In addition, you need to stock up on a piece of thread (nylon made of polyester) and a jumper stick, on which the crystal will be suspended. For these purposes, a pencil or pen will do. The base of the crystal will be a ready-made small pebble, you need to worry about its presence in advance.

What can you create a crystal from at home?

The crystal can be grown from regular kitchen salt. This option is the simplest, it does not require additional costs and time to go to a chemical store for a reagent. Growing crystals from copper sulfate requires the constant presence of parents; it is best to conduct such an experience only under the guidance of adults. But the use of sugar syrup and the cultivation of crystals for children from this very tasty product will become a doubly pleasant process. Having admired the result enough, you can eat it and start working again.

This is probably very difficult and time-consuming….

There is nothing complicated in the process itself. Crystal growing instructions consist of the following steps:

• preparation of equipment and reagents;
• creating a supersaturated saline solution;
• installation of the base for the crystal in the container;
• creating a new solution and moving the finished crystal into it;
• enjoying the result of the experience.

The basis of a beautiful crystal is the correct composition for the solution!

Distilled water is the best way to create a crystal clear as a tear. Its plus is that in industrial conditions it is cleaned of salt impurities that can disrupt the structure of the finished mineral. But plain tap water will also work, it can be previously cleaned with a household filter.

The salt is dissolved in water in several passes. Heating the water to 50 degrees and constantly maintaining this temperature will greatly facilitate the process of salt dissolution. After each addition of the reagent, let it stand for a few minutes and then mix thoroughly. Pour salt into the water until it stops dissolving and begins to settle at the bottom. Now salt water needs to be cleaned of debris and dirt that get into the salt, for this it is enough to strain it through cheesecloth or cotton cloth into a clean container in which the crystal will grow.

Seeding

Growing crystals for children is interesting precisely by the process itself, so the next stage can be safely entrusted to a young chemist. For the base, you can take a beautiful pebble, rhinestone or just a large and even crystal of salt. The form of the future mineral will depend on how it is installed in a saline solution. The seed, laid on the bottom of the container, will grow upward, while its bottom will remain flat, and if suspended on a thread tied through a bridge and left in this position, it will attract salt particles from all sides - and the resulting the crystal can be unique and bizarre.

The container must be tightly covered and placed in a dark place, preferably in a closet, for several days. Such a substance is very sensitive to drafts, vibrations and temperature changes, therefore it is important to ensure stable environmental performance.

Crystal in a couple of days

After a few days, you will be able to see the first results, the crystal will gradually grow, but so that this process does not stop, you need to change the solution, because the old one has already given up a significant part of the salt. The crystal must be given time to reach significant dimensions. Most often it is three to four weeks, but the result is worth it.

Copper sulfate crystals

If you are reluctant to wait so long or you want to try something new, you can try growing crystals from copper sulfate. Before starting work, you need to explain to the child that this substance is very toxic and you can work with it only with gloves, if the solution gets on the skin, mucous membranes or accidentally swallowed, urgent measures must be taken.

While the quality of water plays a mediocre role for crystals from table salt, the cultivation of crystals from copper sulfate requires exclusively distilled water. Vitriol very easily and quickly reacts with other chemical elements, and tap water does not have perfect purity and transparency. You also need to thoroughly wash the container in which the composition will be stirred, and it is best to pour boiling water over it. This once again testifies to the fact that parents should engage in similar experiences with their child. All subsequent actions do not differ from the previous method, but the result will not be long in coming. The first grains are formed after a couple of hours.

Should you buy ready-made kits?

When there is no desire or opportunity to engage in the selection of containers and materials for the manufacture of natural beauties, you can always use ready-made sets. Moreover, you can buy a set for growing crystals in any department of children's toys, stationery or at specialized points of sale.

Such kits differ from each other, first of all, in the composition of the reagents and the seed.It is already included in the set and can be not only in the form of a small stone, but also in the shape of a heart, animal, butterfly, flower or even a tree trunk. The kits contain all the necessary equipment for growing crystals, and colored additives mixed with sodium chloride or copper sulfate will help create a colored mineral, making it more attractive.

The prices for the sets are very affordable, it all depends on the level of complexity. The simplest one can be purchased for up to 300 rubles, samples for growing a large crystal of the correct shape will cost more - from 500 to 800 rubles. A set for growing crystals can be a great gift for any occasion, and if a child enjoys such experiments, then a large selection of sets will help create a unique collection of minerals that will decorate any home.

Chemical experiments are not only fun!

It is sometimes difficult to distract modern children from computer games, and even more so to interest them in science. But, as practice shows, this state of affairs can and should be corrected by offering a really worthwhile occupation. And what could be better than conducting a real chemical experiment? Growing crystals may be the first step to great discoveries!

Children are fascinated by everything unusual, and what can be more amazing than growing crystals! Especially when their growth can be observed. Fortunately, today parents have enough opportunities to conduct such experiments at home. Growing crystals, for children, is a real journey into basic chemistry and knowledge of natural phenomena. Today I will show you which beauties have grown from our set, I will tell you which color behaved better, and we will analyze a few interesting facts about the object of study.

THE CONTENT OF THE ARTICLE

1. What was grown from
2. Instructions for use
3. Experiment
4. Interesting Facts

Hello dear blog readers, I am sure that none of you will be left indifferent by the correct facets of the crystals. They seem to have been specially carved into even polyhedrons by someone. My son, who is now 6 years 3 months old, has always been fascinated by the transparent stones in my jewelry, he, like Kai from "The Snow Queen", could spend hours looking at their cutting. Based on this interest, we have already grown snowflakes and icicles from borax, as well as "drops" on artificial flowers for Valentine's Day. And although we still have some borax left, we wanted to continue experiments with these magnificent solids. To do this, I purchased a set of Amazing Crystals (ours in the American version of Crystal Growing).

Set for children

It includes:

1. 3 bags of ammonium phosphate.
2. 3 small packages:
   white powder (potassium aluminum sulfate);
   blue (potassium aluminum sulfate, sodium chloride and sparkling blue);
   red (potassium aluminum sulfate and amaranth).
3. Boiling water container.
4. Transparent containers in 3 sizes for growing and further protection from dust.
5. Covers for installing ready-made solids.
6. Cardboard rings.
7. Measuring spoon.
8. Instruction.

Growing crystals for children - instructions

So, we follow the instructions:

An adult's help is required!

1. We take 200 ml of pure water, the transparency of the final product depends on its purity, bring it to 100 degrees or just to a boil. Pour boiling water into a container specially designated for this (you can use a regular glass).
2. Pour the contents of one large bag into a container with boiling water and stir until everything dissolves. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, it is better to use a water thermometer. The ideal temperature is 40 degrees Celsius.
3. Pour the cooled liquid into a hexagonal container, and we will grow in it. Wait another 30 minutes for the mixture to stabilize.
4. Now we choose the color that we would like to have: there is a separate paragraph in the brochure, which describes how you can mix colors to get purple, pink, pale blue. Or choose the main ones. At this stage, it should be borne in mind that the container should be in a place where it is convenient to observe growth and there will be no need to move it for 4-7 days. For proper formation, you need a temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius. Therefore, you should choose a warm room or put the container on the refrigerator, where it will also be warm.
5. Gently, using a measuring spoon, pour the contents of a small bag, distributing it evenly over the entire surface of the water. DO NOT MIX!
6. We observe the process every 2-3 hours. If the conditions are met, the crystals will grow by about 50mm on the first day. And will get taller about 40mm in 4-7 days. The size depends on the environment in which they are kept, in the cold the process will take longer, in isolated cases it can take up to several weeks.
7. If after 2-3 days, small crystalline formations appear on the walls of the container, you need to put a cardboard ring on top, which is included in the set. It will help stop the "escape" of the material.
8. As soon as the crystals have grown, you need to pour out the liquid from the container, holding the contents with your hand. You won't be able to use the liquid a second time, so make sure the process is complete. To see what size has grown in colored water, shine a flashlight on it.
9. Rinse the finished specimens carefully with clean water. Don't pour too much, it could damage them! Wash the containers in which they were located, wipe dry. Take cover-stands that have not been used before. Place your beauties on a stand and cover with a hexagonal container on top.
10. Now you can admire!

Our experience

In addition to what was in the set, my son and I used a kitchen clock with a timer and a thermometer. This helped us to accurately time the waiting time without being distracted from other activities. My boy already had to determine the temperature of the water, but repetition will not hurt in the learning process.

We chose white (main) for large capacity, blue (main) for medium size and mixed another one (red and blue), hoping to get purple. This photo shows that formations have already appeared in the clear water after 45-50 minutes. The colored contents have just been emptied from a medium-sized container and are gradually sinking to the bottom.

And after 2 hours it became clear that in the "violet", I do quotation marks, since it did not become such, it is impossible to consider anything. In this regard, I advise you not to mix paints if you want to observe the formation process. But in white, growth was seen perfectly!

Our jars stood near the glass door to the terrace. In the Dominican Republic, where we live, it is almost always hot. But this January turned out to be wonderful! The temperature for almost the whole month was kept at + 20 + 28 Celsius. And yet the sun's rays periodically "put on a show for us." This is how the blue growing crystal looked after 2 days.

Then we left for three days to the sea, and upon returning, we immediately started “bathing” our beauties. A small parade of stars:

Here's what happened when mixing red with blue:

Now they stand under the caps in which they grew up, and the son can examine them, admire as much as he wants.

You may also be interested in the following sets:

     

And this one, its contents can be viewed in the video:

How it works?

When we pour a crystalline complex into very hot water, it breaks down into tiny particles. These particles are much smaller than our eye can see. Now we have a crystalline solution, it is so dense that if we poured more powder into it, it would no longer be able to dissolve.

The water slowly cools down, some of it evaporates.Now she cannot keep the contents dissolved and the particles begin to gather in groups. Over time, others also attach to them and the groups unite. The bonding takes place in an organized way, making the crystals we see with straight, flat edges.

Interesting Facts

1. 1. A crystal is a solid object consisting of particles (sometimes atoms, sometimes ions, and sometimes a group of atoms - molecules), which are assembled in a certain chain. This chain of particles repeats over and over again throughout the crystal, making it the correct shape.
   2. Crystals grow in seven basic forms called crystal systems (crystallographic). Each system has its own chain of connections: cubic, hexagonal, trigonal, monoclinic, tetragonal, triclinic and rhombic.

Photo enlarges when clicked

1. 1. Many stones are composed of crystals of various minerals. So well-known among them: quartz, feldspar and mica.
   2. Precious stones that sparkle in our rings, earrings and pendants: diamonds, rubies, emeralds are also crystals.
   3. The largest diamond ever discovered The Cullinan Diamond was found in South Africa in 1905. Its weight is 621g.

Photo source: Wikipedia

1. Amazingly beautiful, huge specimens grow inside the stones. Sometimes they can be found by people exploring the caves.
2. Mono-ammonium phosphate (which was used in our kit) is a component in some fertilizers used on farms. It is also used in some fire extinguishers.
3. The salt that we put in our food consists of the smallest crystals of sodium chloride.

Dear parents, I hope my article turned out to be interesting for you, and aroused the desire to repeat the experience. Growing crystals for children is a truly interesting activity, and, importantly, a joint pastime with a parent. Please share with me in the comments if you have already tried growing crystals at home? What were they made of? What shape? And on this I say goodbye to you, until the next interesting articles. And don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss them!

Entertaining and informative.

Our crystal has grown not as beautiful as in the picture.

Continuing the theme of interesting and useful activities with children during the holidays, I want to tell you about a set for growing crystals.

Here is such a colorful box my daughter received as one of the gifts for her eighth birthday.

It turned out that crystal growth kits can contain ingredients to create crystals of 6 different colors. In our case, it turned out to be a sapphire color.

Working with the kit involves working with boiling water and other not entirely safe substances (if they are not used according to the instructions), so do not be lazy and practice growing crystals together with your child.

Before starting a lesson with a set, we first read and looked at information about crystals on the Internet. The topic turned out to be interesting even for adults 🙂

The contents of the kit were packed in a plastic jar with a lid (very similar in shape to a mayonnaise jar weighing 0.9 kg). The kit included instructions.

Having opened the bank, we found:

- disposable gloves;

- a plastic spoon;

- seed crystals:

- pebbles;

- powder for creating crystals.

The instruction is made in the form of an accordion book.

The instruction begins with safety precautions, then the process of creating crystals is described sequentially in steps.

There is a small schematic drawing next to each step for clarity.

Well, I will briefly show you how we were engaged in growing our own "home" crystals using this set.

First, we opened a bag of powder and poured it into a plastic jar.

A spoon was prepared for further mixing the powder in water.

Then they opened the bag of stones and

washed them under warm water under the tap.

Then we added boiling water to the powder (up to the mark that was drawn with a marker inside the jar) and began to stir.

The powder did not dissolve immediately, it took some patience (the jar is transparent, so the process of powder dissolution is clearly visible by the amount of sediment at the bottom).

When the powder was completely dissolved, the liquid took on a beautiful rich indigo color.

Now it's time to dip the pebbles we had previously washed into the solution.

They will serve as the basis for the growth of our crystal.

After we have evenly distributed the pebbles along the bottom of our jar, we close the lid and leave the resulting liquid to cool.

When the temperature of the liquid has dropped to room temperature, we can carefully open it and pour the seed crystals evenly over the stone base. Then again tightly close the container with a lid and leave it for a day.

After 24 hours, we remove the lid and leave the container in the quietest place of our apartment. Now the most important thing is not to disturb our crystals for the next 3-4 weeks. They cannot be stirred, shaken, shaken, etc. "Complete rest", as the doctors say 🙂

Using my family as an example, I will say that it turned out to be difficult to keep the crystal “from excitement”. Let's start with what is supposed to "keep an eye on" it so as not to miss the moment when the first "iceberg" of the crystal appears above the water surface.

In addition, the growth of crystals in the jar was accompanied by the fact that as the water evaporated from it, "running away" salt build-ups grew on the machines.

It is important to ensure that these growths do not fall off and fall into the jar on the crystal.

As soon as the crystal is above the surface of the liquid, it is time to remove it.

Here you put on gloves and go to drain the remaining liquid, carefully holding the crystal so as not to break it.

And here it is - the long-awaited "sapphire" crystal.

Sapphire, of course, is said loudly! Well, in some places the blue is present 🙂

And here is how the crystal was depicted on the package.

And even if our version turned out to be not so beautiful, the manufacturing process was still interesting, and the created crystal "something" turned out quite well.

Do I recommend a crystal growing kit for you? Rather yes than no. Still, the set aroused the child's cognitive interest. Thanks to this set, the horizons have expanded somewhat.

While the daughter was waiting for the result for several weeks, she trained her patience, because the waiting time is not always easy for children.

The only moment that repels from the purchase is the price - about 600 rubles per set. Personally, I think it is unreasonably high ...

Immediately I estimate how much I could buy other developmental kits with this money.

For example:

- for making Lori engravings,

- for Josephin for creativity "Gel candles";

- for children's creativity Elf Market "Metal-plastic";

- 3D puzzle Education Line

crystal "Dog"

;

- or the same yarn for hand knitting

Pekhorka "Traditional"

, which I wrote to you today.

You can find reviews about all of the above sets in my profile, each of them liked my daughter in its own way, caused pleasant emotions and she enjoyed working with them with pleasure.

Therefore, whether or not to buy this set for growing crystals is up to you, based on the preferences of your child and the financial capabilities of the family.

Thank you all for your attention!

Kits for growing crystals offered by our company for children are original and unique entertainment. Toddlers will love watching experiences that show the beauty of creating the nutrient medium required for minerals to grow. The guys will be curious to monitor any changes in the bizarre crystal shape.

With the help of specialized dyes, which in its composition contains a children's set for growing crystals, it is possible to create toy gems. Without a doubt, this kind of fun is a very exciting experience for both children and adults. Moreover, in order to achieve the desired effect, there is no need to research stores for the presence of modern chemical equipment. Also, no special knowledge in the field of chemistry is required.

Today, growing crystals for children at home is an activity available to everyone, without exception. If your children are extraordinary observant or have a desire for experimentation from an early age, then you can even deviate from standard schemes and try to grow crystals in copper sulfate, nickel sulfate or cobalt chloride.

We recommend creative crystal growing kits for children. Your little one can try different ways to reproduce minerals, creating a decent collection of them. Stones can differ in bright original colors and extraordinary shapes. The child will be proud to show them to their friends. Here you will find a rich assortment of all kinds of sets:

• Growing a Christmas tree from crystals for children;
• GoodHand Magic Tree set;
• Lori sets for growing multi-colored crystals;
• GoodHand "Wonderful Snowman" set.

Thanks to these toys, young explorers are able to grow large and durable minerals of different colors.

You can delight your child with a gift that helps create elements that resemble emerald, amethyst or ruby. You can order a kit for growing crystals today, and we will offer options for various frames to give a fantastic shape to the stone.

Where can you buy a set for growing crystals in Moscow

Growing crystals at home can be compared to magic, a kind of magical action that makes babies incredible delight. We offer to buy a set for growing crystals for children at home, and it can be presented for any festive event. If your children are still very young to study chemistry, then you can encourage their thirst for knowledge by engaging them in such an intellectual and exciting business as growing crystals.