This quick, easy, and ultra-fun science experiment demonstrates how geodes are formed in nature.  This activity also shows its maker different light reflections, shadow, color variations, depths, shapes, and textures. As well as using these as home decorations, you use the crystals and glue them to blank pendants and earrings to make your own jewelry! 

How and why does this work?
When you dissolve salts or sugars in water, the solubles are using the energy of the hot water to move around quickly and become one with the water. As your mixture cools, it will start to lose its energy and movement, and the solubles will once again become solid but in a different shape than they once were. Because the water evaporates slowly, it gives the crystals time to grow larger and more whole than they were in their powdered form. Natural rock geodes do the same things when water with minerals in it gets into air pockets in the rock. Deliciously enough, this is also how rock candy crystals are formed.

You will need:

• As many eggs as you’d like to make
• As many coffee mugs as you have eggs
• Spoons
• Saucepan
• Food dye
• Egg cartons
• Wax paper 
• You can use mini-muffin tins in place of the egg cartons and wax paper

You will also need any of the following or a few different types to make various textures:

• Table salt
• Rock salt
• Sugar
• Baking soda
• Epsom salts
• Sea salt
• Cream of tartar

Instructions:

1. Crack your eggs so that you have the bottom part of the egg as one solid half. It doesn’t matter if the top crumbles because you only need the bottom, rounder half.  Also, if you don’t manage to crack your eggs in this way, no worries; your experiment will still work with any piece of eggshell! 
2. Clean the eggshells with hot water. 
3. Once the inside of the eggs have cooked a little, pull the egg membrane out of the inside of the eggs. Remove all of the egg membranes.
4. Use a mini muffin tin or an egg carton lined with waxed paper to hold your eggs upright.
5. Fill a saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
6. Pour half a cup of water into one of your coffee mugs. 
7. Choose one of your salt, sugar, or other solubles from the above list. 
8. Add a ¼ cup of soluble to the water. 
9. Stir it until it dissolves. 
10. Add another ⅛ of hot water to your mix and stir it until it dissolves.
11. Your mixture should be so that no more soluble can dissolve in it. You’re going to have to eye this part or experiment!
12. Add your chosen food coloring.
13. Pour your mix into one of your eggshells, filling it as full as possible without making it overflow or tip over!
14. Do this with as many different food colorings and solubles as you like!

Put your eggs aside and wait for the water to evaporate (get comfortable because this will take a while). Once all water is gone, you’ll start to notice fresh crystals forming.

And there you have it, your very own bling in egg form! 

Looking for more activities? Check out the links below.

About Stephen’s Place

Stephen’s Place is an independent apartment community for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, located in Vancouver, WA (7 minutes from Portland, OR).

If you have a loved one with developmental or intellectual disabilities, who is looking for a community to live in, please contact us for more information. 

Stephen’s Place is a private-pay apartment community due to our state-of-the-art amenities and programs. We are a nonprofit and do not profit from our community. We are private pay because we spend more than some housing communities to ensure that our residents are comfortable and can safely live their lives with independence and dignity.