Rock Candy

This activity is ideal for the elementary and middle school students with adult supervision required!

Materials:

• 1 cup water

• 4 cups sugar

• Mason jars

• String

• Edible glitter

• Food coloring

• Straws  

• Saucepan & stove

• Scissors

Directions: The day before starting the experiment, cut a piece of string a little longer than your jars. Tie one end of the string to a straw, and tie a knot in the other end. Get the strings wet and coat them in sugar, and allow them to dry overnight.  

The following day add four cups of sugar and one cup of water to a saucepan and heat until boiling to form your supersaturated solution. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, but be careful not to heat the sugar so much that it starts to turn into candy (the goal temperature is 210 degrees). Remove the sugar from the heat.

Pour the sugar mixture into the jars and add food coloring or edible glitter as desired.

Lower the string into the jar and place the jars in a safe place.

Let the sugar crystals form for at least a week, and when you are satisfied with their growth, remove them from the sugar solution and lay them on a paper towel to try for several hours. 

Inspect your crystals, then enjoy your candy!

Idea by: Seattle YMCA