Hi, everyone!  I’m Heidi, from One Creative Mommy.  I’m so excited to be a contributor on Juggling Act Mama!  Today I’m sharing a super fun kid’s activity–Epsom Salt Painting.  The coolest part about this project is that it actually involves a little science.  When the kids begin painting, the colors look a little like watercolors, but as they dry the kiddos get a fun crystal surprise!

So, are you ready to give it a try?  This project can get a little messy (as you can see from the jar above), but it’s tons of fun!

Epsom Salt Painting

Materials:

• Heavy paper (lightweight paper will curl up as the paint dries)  
• Epsom Salt 
• Water
• Food coloring (optional)
• Paint brushes of various sizes (the solution will wash out of the brushes, but I still wouldn’t use your best brushes)
• Small jars or plastic cups

Directions for white paint:

1. Pour one cup of boiling water into your jar or plastic cup.
2. Add 1 cup of epsom salt, and stir until it completely dissolves.
3. Paint your designs onto dark-colored heavy paper.

Directions for colored paint:

1. Pour one cup of boiling water into each of your containers.  
2. Add a few drops of food coloring to each container. (Keep adding color until you like the result.)
3. Add 1 cup of epsom salt to each container and stir until dissolved.
4. Paint your designs on white or colored paper.  Experiment!

We originally planned this activity to go with our Frozen party, so we definitely had snowflakes on the brain!  We eventually started trying new things and discovered some cool effects!  Here are a few ideas to try and to think about as you paint.

Experiment!

• Why does the clear paint turn white when it dries?
• What happens if you paint on paper that has a texture?
• Can you make paint bubbles that sit on top of the paper? (See image above.)
• Why does the colored paint dry shiny and sparkly?
• Why does thin paper curl as the paint dries?
• Why is the paint getting thicker as the water cools down?
• Why does the paintbrush get “gloppy” the longer you paint?

I hope you and your kiddos have a lot of fun!  Above is my favorite effect.  The paint got shiny and puffy as it dried on this colored printer paper.  (So cool!)

Do you have a favorite project you’ve made with your kids?  I’d love to hear about it.

I really enjoyed visiting you at Juggling Act Mama today.  I’d be happy to see you over at OneCreativeMommy.com!  If you are looking for more activities to try with your kids, check these out.  Images are linked.