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Science in the Blink of an Eye

By Deborah Shelton

Help children develop a love for science or nurture their already growing interest with these simple experiments.

Cloud maker
Ever wanted to catch a cloud in a bottle? Now's your chance! Pour just a splash of water into a two-liter plastic bottle. Light a match (a grownup's job) and drop it into the bottle. Immediately replace the lid and squeeze the bottle a few times to watch your cloud form.

Magic flowers
Create your own unique flowers with this neat trick. Fill a vase with water and eight to 10 drops of food coloring. Cut the stem of a white carnation at a diagonal and place the flower into the vase. After a few hours, you will notice a slight change of color in the petals. Let the flower soak overnight and observe the dramatic change in the morning.

Mouth lightning
Don't worry -- this doesn't hurt a bit! In fact, you may want to try this at your next sleepover party. Stand in front of a mirror and turn off all of the lights. Pop a wintergreen-flavored Life Saver™ into your mouth and chew. Can you believe your eyes? This "lightning" phenomenon is called triboluminescence. To find out more about triboluminescence, visit http://chemistry.about.com....

© Deborah Shelton

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Deborah Shelton edits The Five Minute Parent e-mail newsletter. For your free subscription, send a blank e-mail. Visit FiveMinuteParent.com for more family-friendly ideas.