Will crayons melt in the sun? If so, how long will it take?
We set out to find the answer to that question one day with a melting crayon science experiment.
It took a bit of patience and some problem solving. But, in the end, our science brains found an answer.
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Gather your supplies for your crayon melting experiment
Broken bits of crayons
Muffin tin or mold (silicon ones work best)
My Science Experiment page
A sunny day
If you don’t want to use a muffin tin, you can also use an ice cube tray or even several small disposable bathroom cups.
First, ask a few questions
We began our melting crayon science experiment by gathering supplies and asking a few questions.
The experiment itself was fun, but I wanted to challenge my girls to think like scientists during our experiment.
I created our My Science Experiment page to help us record our observations.
If you want to do this experiment too, please download and print your own science experiment page at this link.
We asked our question, do crayons melt in the sun?
We then made our predictions. The girls thought they would melt.
We also talked a bit about the things that would help the crayons melt. We determined that we needed to put our crayons out in the bright sunlight.
Set up your melting crayon science activity
We found all of our broken bits of crayons and put them in a silicon muffin tin. I found the silicon works the best, because it is easy to pop the crayons out of later.
Once we had our muffin cups filled, we took it all outside and found one of the sunniest spots in our yard.
We left the crayons bits outside for about two hours before we checked on them for the first time.
The main reason we waited that long was because while it was sunny, the temperature was only around 80 degrees F.
The crayons would melt, but slowly.
If you’re doing this on a hotter day, check it sooner! I’d recommend checking after the first 30 minutes and then every 30 minutes after.
We had some melting after 2 hours, then started checking every hour.
We recorded each of our observations on our science experiment recording sheet.
After several hours, we had partially melted crayons and we wanted to try to speed up the process.
We did some brainstorming and decided to put our crayons in our car which was sitting in the sun.
The hot car did the trick and our crayons finished melting. Make sure you have an adult and oven mitts to remove your muffin tin from the car. It’s as hot as an oven!
Our conclusion
We took our melted crayons inside and let them cool.
In the meantime, we wrote our conclusion. Yes, crayons did melt in the sun. The higher the temperature, the quicker they will melt.
After the crayons cooled and hardened, we popped them out of the muffin tray and tried them out. Our melting crayons science activity was a success!
Melting Crayon Science Experiment
Materials
Instructions
- Print out your recording sheet and make your prediction. Will crayons melt in the sun? How long do you think it will take?
- Peel all the paper off your broken crayons. Break them into smaller pieces if needed to fit in your mini muffin pan.
- Add 5 to 6 pieces of crayon into each cup. Mix the colors up or keep similar colors together.
- Bring the crayons outside on a hot, sunny day. Make sure to set them someplace where they will get a lot of sunshine.
- Check back after 30 minutes. Have they started to melt? Record your observations.
- Keep checking every half hour. Record your observations each time.
- Once your crayons have fully melted, record your time. How long did it take?
- Bring your crayons to a cooler place to cool and harden again. Once you pop them out of the muffin cups, you'll have some fun new muffin tin crayons!
Notes
If you don't have a mini muffin tray, you could also use an ice cube tray or even small bathroom cups to hold your crayons.
Recommended Products
-
Crayola Crayons 24 ct (Pack of 2) -
2Packs Silicone Mini Muffin Pan Silicone Cupcake Baking Cups, 24 Non Stick Silicone Molds for Muffin Tins (Red) -
Dixie Bath Cups - 3 oz - 100 ct (Packaging May Vary)
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You may also like one of these science experiments:
Chemical Reactions with Pennies
My favorite resource for science at home
Have you ever tried Green Kid Craft kids? We’ve got a yearly subscription and absolutely love it. Each month we get a box with everything we need for 3-4 themed STEM projects (plus a booklet with even more projects you can). Our last shipment was full of chemistry projects!
Green Kid Crafts is a great way to have science projects ready to go. You can get a subscription like we have or buy single boxes.
You can find even more fun projects for your 2nd grader by visiting the rest of the team. You’ll find math, reading, writing, and more.
Free Addition Facts Game from Live Over C’s
Number Ordering Activity from Sallie Borrink Learning
Interest Based Learning Project from Still Playing School
Free Back to School Noun Practice from Look! We’re Learning!
What I Love About School Art Project from Planet Smarty Pants
All About Me Flag Project from School Time Snippets
Getting to Know You Back to School Game from Preschool Powol Packets
Free All About Me Worksheets (LEGO Style) at 124 Homeschool 4 Me
Me Llamo – Simple Spanish Game from Rainy Day Mum
Setting Up a Homework Station at Crafty Kids at Home
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