Sixty and seventies styles are making a comeback. From wide lapels, hip huggers, and bell bottoms. A favorite of mine was laying back and listening to the Doors and watch the side lava lamp bubble away! This year dinner time has become more entertainment time, including tapping into throwback science! Who doesn’t love a little science along with your favorite vino and dessert?
In fairness we do have a family of nerds- microbiologists, biologists, mathematicians, chemists, and engineers typically surround our table, so science topics are pretty much the norm. Add in a couple of bottles of wine, and we soon find ourselves making lava lamps like school kids!
Homemade lava lamps are actually pretty simple to make and you can save the mixture and use it again!
- Wine Glass or Jar
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Oil – Canola Oil or Coconut Oil
- Water
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Food Coloring – Neon is wicked cool
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Glow in the Dark Mica for Extra Fun
- Alka Seltzer – Baking Soda and Lemon Juice (citric acid) can be used as well
Experiment Time:
- Fill your wine glass or jar about 1/2 full of water.
- Add your oil so there are about 2 inches left at the top (don’t want it to spill over)
- Add in your food coloring and glow in the dark powder if you wish.
- Break your Alka Seltzer tablets in quarters and add one at a time. (if using baking soda, put the baking soda in before you add the water, and then add about a tablespoon of lemon juice)
Now sit back and enjoy the show.
If you used the glow-in-the-dark powder, turn off the lights or use a flashlight behind the glass and still turn out the lights. Throw on some vinyl and you are going back in time!