Salt Crystal Lantern: Magic in a Jar

🎂 4 + years ⏱️ 15 min 📍 Home ⭐ easy

Do you want to try a little experiment that looks like magic? With a jar, some salt, and water, you can create your own lantern that looks like it's from a fairy tale. As the water evaporates, the salt remains, not just at the bottom but also on the walls of the jar. The tiny salt crystals slowly grow upwards. It looks like magic, but it’s an exciting trick from nature. Let’s get started, it’s going to be magical!

What you'll need

A clean jar
Coarse salt
Water
Tablespoon
A warm spot in your home
An LED tea light

How it works

Grab the jar and add three tablespoons of coarse salt. Do you hear the soft crackling as the salt covers the bottom of the jar?
Carefully fill the jar with water until the salt is just covered. Be careful not to add too much water, or it will take longer for the magic to happen.
Place your jar in a warm spot. This could be a sunny windowsill or a place near the heater. Now you need to be patient. Check back every now and then to see what’s happening.
After a few hours, the salt will start to creep upwards. Can you see the tiny crystals growing on the walls of the jar? If the water has evaporated before the salt has climbed high enough, add a little more water.
After about two days, it will be ready. The salt will have formed beautiful patterns, and your jar will look like a piece of art. Now all that’s left is the LED tea light. When you place it inside, your lantern will glow magically and make any room cozy.
As the water evaporates, the salt remains and forms the beautiful crystals. Now it’s your turn! Give it a try, experiment with colors or different types of salt, and marvel at how something as ordinary as salt and water can create a magical lantern.