Ice, rainbow, salt...TUNNELS!

we  added salt to ice and water colors to form a "tunnel"

What happens when the salt, color and ice sit out for a while and begin their tranformation? Salt is an interesting mineral with many unique properties. It lowers the freezing temperature of water, so it corrodes little crevices into the ice as it melts down portions of it. These crevices, or "nooks and crannies," show up beautifully when liquid color is dropped into them. As the ice chunks sit in the sun, the salt will create more crevices and as it does, the liquid color moves, blends and sparkles in the light. Hold up to the sun for a wonderful discovery that looks almost like a crystal!

colors all set out. 

These guys  are ready for some COLOR ice fun :)

Solid Ice Chunk.  We froze water in the freezer in a milk carton (half gallon)  and set out tea cups full of water with Water colors in each one, the rainbow of colors!  yay!

they couldn't keep their hands off of the ice!  lol

we had a cousin over, who joined in the ice sculpture fun .  Here is Zarian getting ready to drop some more color!

and Cai, the color master :)

Husband taking a tea break  from the experiment

we dumped color after color (rainbow style)  onto the ice and salt for
mation

beautiful color formations!!!

It was soooo cool to see the "tunnels" forming from the salt melting the ice...so awesome to see the "tunnels"  throughout the ice block with salt on top!

the salt started to melt the ice, which made the colors go into the tunnels and wow  what a conversation that started!

still dumping salt and color!

Can you see the tunnels?  ice chunks and clear ice?  sooo cool!  The babies loved this experiment!  We use\the ice block, water colors and snow salt ice, sea salt and table salt.