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Cool Things to Do With a Chemistry Set

Education-minded parents often buy children chemistry sets in the hope that science will spark their youngsters' curiosity and imagination. Children are not always sure how to take advantage of a new chemistry set and need guidance to begin experimentation. Knowing a few cool things you can do with a chemistry set might help you get them started.
  1. Play School

    • If you purchased the chemistry set for your child at home, encourage him to use the set to teach chemistry to his siblings or neighborhood children. He can present the projects to the children or have them help him with different elements. At school, have older students visit a classroom of younger students. The older students can help the younger ones learn about the techniques needed for a chemistry experiment or project.

    Food Experiments

    • Work with your child to utilize his chemistry set to make some experiments with food. For example, purchase a chemistry set with the supplies to make rock candy. Boil water and have children pour 1/4 cup of sugar into the water until it dissolves. They will keep pouring sugar in until no more will dissolve. This solution will sit in a jar with skewer attached to a clothespin in it for three to seven days to form rock candy. With a kit that contains food coloring, have youngsters put drops of food coloring into a bowl of milk, then put liquid soap over the food coloring. They will see all of the colors spread and swirl.

    Show and Tell

    • Ask students to bring their home chemistry sets into class. They can share what their set includes with the class, along with some projects they have created with their set. If you are the parent, encourage your child to utilize her chemistry set during the next day of show and tell. Talk with her about the types of items she can mention to her class about her set or come up with a short experiment that will impress her classmates.

    General Chemistry Experiments

    • Read the brochure that goes along with your child's chemistry set, as it may have some specific project ideas they can engage in with the equipment provided. Some examples of projects that they may be able to engage in depending on what materials they have include making a paperclip float, building their own operating volcano, making their own slime at home or at school and seeing how different substances can clean the dirt off of pennies.

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