Madison came home from school last week all excited about going to the Science Fair.  The 5th and 6th grades have a fair each year and the younger classes get to tour and learn about the projects the older students worked on.  Madison had learned about growing crystals and wanted to grow some of her own.

We dug out Grandma's cookbook and found the recipe for a coal garden.  We had done a coal garden before in 2005 at Christmas time but Madison didn't remember it. 

We set out to do this little science experiment.  It took a while bit for the crystals to start growing but once they started they contiued to grow for several days until we ended up with this:

Madison put food coloring on the coal brickettes causing the crystals to be colored as they grew.  It looks like a minature forest.  I thought it looked a bit like cauliflower.

Here's the recipe for a coal garden:

6 tablespoons Laundry Blueing
6 Tablespoons Salt
6 Tablespoons Water
1 Tablespoon Ammonia
6 pieces Coal
Food Coloring
Glass Container

Place coal in the bottom of the glass container so they are all flat.  Put drops of food coloring on the coal as desired.  Mix first 4 ingredients together and pour over the coal.  As the coal absorbs the liquid the crystals will begin to form.

Have Fun!
Carol