The question every parent dreads: What does [Insert Child’s Name Here] want for their birthday?
Okay, maybe that isn’t the question every parent dreads; in fact, I don’t even think about it until someone asks me, then I panic. What does my kid want or even need? My thoughts go straight to saving for college, but that is no fun…
I asked this question of one of my friends for her daughter’s upcoming 9th birthday, and she had some good responses. One response in particular caught my eye.
A homemade potions kit?? BRILLIANT!
I absolutely loved this idea! And I admit, I probably got a little carried away, but it was so fun to create, and fingers crossed that she loves it. I think her Mom will at least appreciate my efforts and creativity!
So this is how I made it, and I am actually really proud of how it turned out.
This is what I did:
First, I looked up various kid-appropriate science experiments (links are at the bottom) and created a supply list (see the bottom of the post for everything I bought). Three stores and two online purchases later…
WOW! That is a lot of stuff! One nice thing to note is that you can create multiple kits and have presents or experiments for your own kids or multiple kids!
I used Google Translate to translate all the ingredient names into Latin (because it makes it more authentic and fun).
I typed up each experiment (using the Latin terms) and created a Potions Book. (Separate Post on this process)
Then I created labels for each ingredient, and I put some into new, smaller bottles.
I have a ton of the supplies left over! Not everything was “necessary”; I admit I got a little carried away…
I don’t believe in recreating the wheel, so if you liked my end product, I have listed the supplies and experiments below. Feel free to comment about what you liked or maybe what you would have done differently!
Experiments / Potions:
Crinitus Mons igneus limus – “Fluffy Volcano Slime”
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/heres-two-truly-borax-free-slime-recipes
ridiculum coxeruntque farinma – “silly dough (putty).”
lava lucerna – “Lava Lamp”
elephantus dentifricium – “elephant toothpaste”
http://preschoolpowolpackets.blogspot.com/2012/01/science-experiment-elephant-toothpaste.html
Meridiem trepidi despumat potio – “glow bubbling potion”
draco spiritum potio – “dragon’s breath potion”
Make An Erupting Volcano Project
Breakdown of what I bought:
Dollar Store (everything $1 or less)
Mixing Bowl
Shreds (for the Basket)
Spoons (for mixing)
Measuring Cups & Spoons
Funnel Set
Vegetable Oil
Glitter
Glo Wand
Tupperware Containers
Small cylinder Containers
Glass Containers
Wax Paper
Baking Soda
Soap (liquid)
Shaving Cream
Salt
Walmart
Corn Starch $1.18
Food Coloring $2.96
Generic Jello $.44
Cold Relief (Alka-Seltzer) $4.92
Clear Glue $3.28
Yeast $1.34
Citric Acid $2.97
Sally Beauty Supply
6% Hydrogen Peroxide $3.98
(aka – 20 Volume Clear Developer)
Amazon
Glow-in-the-dark Powder $6.25
Yellow-Green Glow in the Dark Pigment Powder (ENCAPSULATED)(0.5 Oz / 14.18 Grams)
The hardest thing to find!!!
Walmart.com and delivered to a local store for free
Sta-Flo Concentrated Liquid Starch $2.97
I also ended up ordering some Clear Plastic Test Tubes on Amazon – because they were just a cool addition
Rainbow-B 20 Clear Plastic Test Tubes with Caps, 25x140mm(40ml) with 1 100ml Plastic Beaker
_________________________________________________________________________________
Total Spent: About $61.28 (ugh… sticker shock over here!!! Why did I add that up!)
So it is way more than I typically spend on a birthday gift (way more), but as I mentioned, I should be able to get at least 3 Potion Kits from these supplies, plus some experiments for my own kids. This will put us back in the correct price range for our family.
Results: How did she like it??
SUCCESS!
Next time I need to find something better to put it all in, maybe a treasure chest of some sort…
Stay Tuned!
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