It may be summer, but it’s always a good time for science! Grab the lab coat, safety goggles, and paper towels. Oh, and the kids should probably be there, too. And what is the one thing that can make any science experiment better? If it’s about milk. Below are three fun milk-focused science experiments to test with the kids.
Magic Milk
For Magic Milk, you’ll need milk, food coloring, dish soap, cotton swabs, and a bowl.
Pour milk into a bowl. Grab food coloring (the more colors the better) and dot the surface of the milk. Next, dip the cotton swab in the dish soap. Place the swab on the dotted milk and watch the colors jump across the bowl as the dish soap tries to attach itself to the milkfat!
Ice Cream in a Bag
Gather half-and-half, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, ice, and salt.
In a small (quart) plastic bag, mix 1 cup of half-and-half, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Push out air and seal the bag well. Fill a large (gallon) plastic bag with 3 cups of ice and 1/3 cup of salt. Place a smaller bag inside and seal. Shake vigorously for 5 minutes. Remove the inner bag and add your favorite toppings. If you’re looking for a unique flavor, try adding the toppings from your favorite homemade ice cream. Enjoy!
Casein Plastic
You’ll need access to a kitchen, milk, a strainer or paper towels, and a cookie cutter.
Heat one cup of milk until steaming. Once removed from heat, add 4 teaspoons of white vinegar to the milk. Mix until the curds form and allow it to cool so the casein in milk can complete its chemical reaction with the vinegar. Strain the curds using a strainer or stacked paper towels. Knead the curds together and shape in a cookie-cutter. Let sit for 48 hours. The kids can then paint, draw, glitter-ize, or anything else they want to do to decorate their new milk plastic.
For more milk-based activities to do at home, browse our Pinterest or try these 5 family activities that has something for everyone.