Floating Dry Erase Snowflakes
Love simple science experiments? This easy floating snowflake experiment is super simple to set up and lots of fun for kids!
Servings: 1 dish
Ingredients
- 1 blue dry erase marker (not dried out)
- 1 metal spoon
- 1 shallow dish
- water as needed
- small paper squares optional, as needed
Instructions
- Use a blue dry erase marker to draw a snowflake on the back of a spoon.
- Let the ink dry for about 15 to 30 seconds, then gently lower your spoon into a shallow dish filled with about an inch of water, holding the spoon at an angle so that only one side of the snowflake is touching the water. If the snowflake starts to peel off, gently rotate your spoon to help it along, continuing until it has completely peeled off. Once it has fully peeled off, quickly remove the spoon to prevent it from latching back on. (If the snowflake doesn’t peel off, try inserting the spoon at a different angle—or, if it still won’t peel off, erase the snowflake, dry off the spoon and try again with a slightly different drying time.)
- Repeat the previous steps as many times as you wish in order to create more floating snowflakes.
- Optional: Have fun “catching” the snowflakes by pressing a small piece of paper on top of them as they float—snowflakes that come into contact with the paper will stick to it.
Video
Notes
1. Ideal drying time: Different markers may require slightly different drying times. Start with 15 seconds, then increase the time as needed if the snowflakes aren't peeling off the spoon.
2. Customizing this experiment for different holidays: Try changing up the design and drawing hearts, shamrocks or spiders.
3. Troubleshooting:
- Snowflakes won't peel off: Try wiping off the snowflake, thoroughly drying the spoon and starting over with a shorter or longer drying time—or, if that doesn't work, using a marker that is less dried out.
- Snowflakes breaking apart: Make sure that the lines of the snowflake are fully touching, and that you don't go over the same line several times with your marker when drawing. (You can remove broken snowflakes from the dish by pressing a paper on top.)
- Snowflakes sticking to themselves: Make sure not to let the snowflake partially peel off, then come back into contact with the ink that remains on the spoon.
- Nothing else working: Try a different brand of markers, or draw the snowflakes on the bottom of an empty glass dish and slowly pour in some water to see if the drawings start to peel off the bottom.
- Avoid dried out markers: Dry marker ink can cause the experiment not to work.
- Tilt and rotate spoon: This will help the snowflakes peel off and prevent the ink from sticking to itself.
- Quickly remove the spoon: Quickly remove the spoon from the water to prevent the snowflakes from latching back on.