This National Geographic crystal growing craft kit mixes art with chemistry. Students color the included cherry and evergreen trees with washable markers, then stand them in crystal growing liquid. The first crystals appear within minutes, take on the colors the student chose, and can cover the trees in as little as six hours.
The kit includes three tree bases, two cherry trees, one evergreen tree, five washable markers, three packs of crystal growing liquid, an instruction booklet, a genuine geode specimen and a full-color learning guide about crystal growth. If crystals fall off, the tree can be regrown by adding them back to the base with a little water.
Because results appear so quickly, the kit suits a single lesson or club session on solutions, evaporation and crystal formation, with students able to compare how color and placement affect their crystal trees.