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You can grow crystals in your own home, if you take a little time to allow for them to grow.

Please have a parent help you with this experiment, since ammonia and laundry bluing are chemicals which can be harmful if improperly handled.

• 3 clean, dry sponges
• An aluminum pie plate or cake pan
• Glass measuring cup
• 1/4 cup of table salt
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/4 cup of laundry bluing (you can buy it at a grocery store)
• 2 tablespoons of household ammonia
• A mixing bowl
• Metal spoon
• Blue and green food coloring

1. Arrange the sponges on a pie plate, cutting them to make them fit.
2. Pour the salt, water, bluing and ammonia into the mixing bowl and stir well.
3. Next, pour this mixture over the sponges and use the spoon to spread the remaining contents of the bowl over the sponges. Spread it out evenly.
4. Drip some food coloring over the sponges.
5. Allow the pan to sit for a couple of hours undisturbed. It could take a couple of days for your crystals to grow.

Why It Works:

Crystals are formed when molecules join together in patterns that repeat over and over to create a particular shape. The crystal grows as the molecules continue to build upon each other in the same patterns and shapes as their predecessors.