Grow Your Own Crystal Turkey Science Project for November

I love doing fun seasonal science experients to get kids excited about exploring the world around them. This turkey project ideas combines growing your own crystals with hands-on turkey activities for November. Try these thanksgiving experiments with preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 students with a couple common household items.

turkey project ideas

I love doing fun seasonal science experiments to get kids excited about exploring the world around them. This November, let’s combine the spirit of Thanksgiving with some hands-on learning by introducing a delightful turkey-themed project that incorporates growing your own crystals!

Imagine your kids’ faces lighting up as they create stunning crystal turkeys using just a few common household items. Not only does this activity spark creativity, but it also teaches essential scientific principles in a fun and engaging way. By combining arts and crafts with science, we can reveal the magic of crystal growth while celebrating the warmth of the season.

This experiment is perfect for preschoolers through grade 3, as it encourages critical thinking, creativity, and hands-on learning. It’s a wonderful way to incorporate science into holiday traditions while fueling their curiosity about the world.

Let’s make this Thanksgiving memorable for our little learners by combining fun and education!

We have lots more science experiments,  fun November activities and Thanksgiving crafts for kids! Plus don’t miss our colorful thanksgiving science activities for preschoolers, easy thanksgiving science experiment,  and free thanksgiving color by number.

thanksgiving experiments

To make this simple fall science experiment gather up these supplies you may even have on hand already!

Materials:

• pipe cleaners
• boiling water
• ropte or yarn
• Borax (found with laundry detergent)
• large jar (s)
• popsicle stick and yarn to hang the pipe cleaners
• construction paper
• pipe cleaners
• scissors and glue

thanksgiving preschool science activities

You will start by twisting pipe cleaners to make feathers. I folded in half and then twisted beginning 2/3rds of the way down.

thanksgiving science projects

Twist the rest of the pipe cleaner. Repeat unti you have several different colored feathers.

thanksgiving science experiments

Attach string to the tiwsted part of the pipe cleaner on one side and a craft stick on the other.

thanksgiving science experiment

Hang each feather over the mason jar with the popsicle stick. Now boil 3 cups of water in the microwave or in a saucepan.  Add to 9 Tablespoons Borax (found with laundry detergent) to the water and stir until dissolved.  Pour the HOT mixture into a jar that is large enough to fit the pipe cleaner (you will need a container for each). Repeat as needed to fill your containers

Now leave the borax crystal rainbow undisturbed for 24 hours.

thanksgiving science

Can you see all the borax crystals that have formed! Now carefully pull out the pretty borax crystals that have formed. Be careful not to disrupt the crystals that have grown on the pipe cleaners.

thanksgiving science activities for preschoolers

Now make a construction paper turkey with brown circles for body, orange feet and beak, red wattle, and google eyes.

thanksgiving science activities

Building your own rainbow is a fun STEAM activity. That means this activity combines science, engineering, and art for a truly educational and FUN learning activity!  So how does the science part work? You will be making a saturated soluiotn – it means the solution (water) is filled with as much powder (borax) as it can hold. The hotter the water the more of the solution can be completely mixed in and dissolved. Hot water makes the moecules move away from one another so the borax can join the party LOL.  Cold water means close together molicules that don’t have room to absorb as much borax.  The particles (borax) will settle on the pipe cleaners as it cools and pulls back out of the water forming crystals.