Step-by-step tutorial
Step 1
After learning that comets are truly large balls of ice and gritty dirt-like sand, we got out our winter gloves and set to work making our own.
Step 2
We used a small bin of sand with a scoop.
Step 3
Next, we prepared a large bowl of crushed ice.
Step 4
The kids placed a pile of ice, topped by sand on a tray.
Step 5
They experimented with adding water to get the mixture to stick together a bit. They moved the mixture around with their gloved hands as well to get it good and mixed up.
Step 6
Next, they scooped the mixture into a small bowl.
Step 7
They added more water to make a nice soup. Then we put the bowls in the freezer for a couple of hours.
Final result!
When the mixture had frozen solid, we dipped the bottom of the bowl into warm water to loosen our comet, then flipped it over onto our tray. Here is our finished comet. We took them outside and threw them off our second story deck to demonstrate what happens when a comet crashes onto a planet. Smashing them onto the patio below was a fun sensory experience, too.
