States of Matter: Ice Cream Fun!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at 2:03PM 
Science is so much fun! Around our house, we are deep in exploring the states of matter. Trying to move beyond the classic "three states of matter" discussion, I want to provide lots of hands-on activities for our children so they can discover the various properties for themselves. I am currently compiling several activities to post, but couldn't wait to share our latest lab, homemade ice cream.
In this experiment, simple household ingredients are gathered to explore the phase change of water. The goal is for kids to see that NaCl (aka table salt) lowers the freezing point of ice making the ice "colder." Obviously, this is what makes the ice cream freeze. I have included a lab activity sheet in which you can record your observations and conclusions.
Enjoy!