200 Quick & easy experiments

Crazy chemistry experiments

Electronics & Robotics

Engineering & Building

Motion & Mechanics

Anatomy & Biology

Toy & game design

Math made fun

STEM Activities

750+ Quick & easy craft ideas

Recycled creations

Fun & functional projects

Jewelry & Fashion design

Handmade cards & gifts

Art & Creativity

Fun & Games

Hands-on learning

Sound & Music

Pretend play

Play & Learn

Kitchen science

Fun with food

Sweet & salty snacks

Treats & Dessert

Cooking for kids

Cooking & Baking

Animals & Bugs

Plants & Rocks

Seasons & Weather

Radical rainbows

Outdoor Adventures

Space exploration

Nature & Adventure

Birthday fun

Pi Day

Earth Day

Easter

Holiday & Events

peppermint

crystal

food play

food science

edible experiments

winter crafts

Christmas

This crystal chemistry experiment is not only fun to do, but is fun to eat as well! Learn how to make your own, edible peppermint sugar crystals, while learning about the science behind supersaturated liquids. Once you've mastered the basics, there are plenty of variations you can do to share with friends and family! See how we did it and check out the video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcS_zEnSJSY">here</a>!

a19f1ab0b4d0c.jpg

Pour 1 cup of water into your pot and bring it to a boil. Gradually add 2 cups of sugar to your pot, stirring continuously. Keep the mixture at a boil.

a7834136dd671.jpg

Once all the sugar is dissolved, take your mixture off the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Then pour the mixture into your mason jars.

af5f84703d3dd.jpg

Add a small splash of peppermint extract to each of the jars.

a99e9f057a2b4.jpg

Add a few drops of food coloring to each jar and stir.

ab196606c8d6e.jpg

Dip a lollipop or cake pop stick into each of the jars and then roll each one in sugar. 

ae14752917e85.jpg

Suspend each stick in one of the jars using a clothespin. Make sure the sticks aren't touching the walls or the base of the jars. 

a1f2d476a4019.jpg

Your crystals should start growing over the next couple of days. Once you're happy with the size of your crystals, remove them from their jars and let the excess liquid drip off. The top layer of the jar may get a bit crusty with excess crystals. You can break these off with a fork

Growing sugar crystals can be a bit tricky. If you aren't getting any crystals after a few days, try re-making the solution using a bit more sugar. If you're getting too many crystals, try using less.
Once you've found a formulation that works for you, there are many different variations you can do with this experiment. You can try different flavors like orange, vanilla, or maple, and you can also change the color.

What's going on?
You created the solution for growing your crystals by dissolving sugar into boiling water. Hot water can dissolve more sugar (and other materials) than cold water can. You can see this for yourself if you try to dissolve the same amount of sugar in the same amount of cold water. No matter how much you stir, you'll still have some sugar left at the bottom of the cup.
So, when the sugar-and-water solution to room cooled to room temperature, the water was holding onto more sugar than it can comfortably. This is called a supersaturated solution. This supersaturated sugar solution is great for growing crystals because the sugar wants to fall out of the water - it just needs a place to start.&nbsp;
That's what you did when you rolled the cake stick in sugar crystals and dipped it into the mixture. As the little bits of sugar in the solution encounter the sugar crystals, they start to fall out of the solution and stick to the crystals. Over time, more and more sugar lands on the crystals, growing to form the large sugar crystals you saw - and tasted!

sugar

water

peppermint extract

small mason jars

clothespins

lollipop sticks (or cake pop sticks)

measuring cup

food coloring

spoon

stove

Peppermint Sugar Crystal Sticks

ornaments

Christmas tree

food decoration

decorations

Pretty, simple wreaths made entirely from peppermints!  Just put them in the oven, and let them make some holiday magic.

a7383ea0c2d99.jpg

My two are crazy about peppermints, so this simple craft is something they love very much!
We turned on our oven to 325 degrees.

aca1e4233773c.jpg

afc0432846279.jpg

We put some foil over our cookie sheet, and she placed her candies in a circle--making sure they touched each other.

a7c2213437f05.jpg

afe10f6768919.jpg

We put our candies in for 6.5 minutes at 325 degrees. They had spread enough at this point, but they continue to melt a bit from the heat of the pan after you take them out, so 6 1/2 was an ideal time for us.  (Better to take them out a bit early when they still have shape and substance, rather than too late when they're flat and runny.) 

abbefb6ad4f8c.jpg

We left the wreaths to cool for a minute, but since the flower didn't have a hole, we pushed an ornament hook underneath it while the candy was hot and soft. (Make sure not to touch it with bare fingers!)
Note: If your wreath breaks, try putting it back in the oven for a couple of minutes; usually the candy will melt back together.

a04bfdbdab9d2.jpg

Once the ornaments had cooled, we lifted them easily off the foil. We tied on ribbons, and hung them up. Sweet! 

peppermints (6 or so peppermints per wreath)

aluminum foil

ribbon (optional)

ornament hooks (optional)

Peppermint Wreath Ornaments

winter

treat

dessert

candy

kid-friendly recipes

Oh, look, it's another lovely handmade holiday gift!  Perfect on plates of goodies for neighbors, or in a pretty tin for Grandma.

a1c3878861413.jpg

Yummy white chocolate and minty candies surely capture my childrens' interest in gift giving!

a44dc54e7b2a9.jpg

First we have to melt the chocolate.
On low heat in the double-boiler, and stir, stir, stirring.

a6e786bf7c55e.jpg

While those were melting, we unwrapped peppermints.
When they were all unwrapped, we put them in a large ziplock bag, and Maddie got to bang on them with an icecream scoop.
Twas very effective!

a707ced6d6189.jpg

When the chocolate was melted and creamy, we put in a half teaspoon of peppermint extract, and  about half of our crushed mints.

a417be1a8324b.jpg

Maddie spread the chocolate over the waxed paper,

a6347598a1283.jpg

and then sprinkled the top with the rest.

af5be90ffbb2c.jpg

She pressed the mints into the chocolate,

a2f50483327bd.jpg

then we let the bark harden.
And tasted it, of course!!
When it was done, she broke it into pieces,


a11988fb72fea.jpg

And now it was ready for a pretty packaging.
Let's make sure we save some for giving away!

3 awesome peppermint projects for kids

Screen-free fun!