How to Grow Your Own Salt Crystals

Learn how to grow sparkling salt crystals at home using simple kitchen ingredients and a little bit of patience. HowTo: Family Edition: family how-tos that actually help.

1. Make your salt solution. Ask a grown-up to pour the hot water into your glass jar. Add the salt one spoonful at a time, stirring until it dissolves. Keep adding salt until you see a little bit of salt sitting at the bottom of the jar that won't disappear no matter how much you stir.
2. Prepare your crystal starter. Tie one end of a piece of string to the middle of your pencil or popsicle stick. If you have a small pebble, tie it to the other end of the string to act as a weight.
3. Set the experiment. Place the pencil across the top of the jar so the string hangs down into the salt water. Make sure the string is touching the water but not resting on the bottom of the jar.
4. Wait for the magic. Place your jar in a sunny, quiet spot where it won't be bumped. Over the next few days, the water will slowly evaporate, and you will start to see tiny crystals forming on the string.