Making Slime & Elephant Toothpaste during Super Science Saturday

Kids learned about chemical reactions by making slime and elephant toothpaste during Super Science Saturday at Mentor Library.

It's easy to make science intimidating. After all, dihydrogen monoxide sounds terrifying until you realize it's just another way to say water.

But it's not difficult to make science fun too.

For example, kids can create their own chemical reactions and perform their own experiments when they make elephant toothpaste and monster slime like we did at the Mentor Library during our most recent Super Science Saturday.

Fair warning: these experiments can get messy.

Elephant toothpaste is an old classic. You can find ingredients and instructions here. In the experiment, yeast catalyzes a chemical reaction and causes hydrogen peroxide to release its oxygen.

In other words, you can make foam that comes flowing out of whatever you container you mixed your materials in. It's a lot of fun, easy to do and your kids will laugh every time the foam bursts through the top of its bottle.

Monster slime is even easier. You combine starch, glue and food coloring to make a slimy, stretchy concoction that your kids will love playing with. (PBS Kids offers a great, easy-to-follow recipe on its website.)

Throw in some glitter glue if you really want to make your slime shine.

By the way, we have more fun science coming to our Mentor Headlands Branch.

You can join Mentor Marsh Naturalist Rebecca Donaldson to learn about monarch butterflies at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29. She'll be talking about the butterfly's life cycle and how important our community is to its migration path.

The program is free and open to everyone. You can register for it on Mentor Library's website.

Learn about Monarch butterflies at Mentor Library's Headlands Branch on Aug. 29.

For more photos from our Super Science Saturday, visit Mentor Library's Facebook page.

Lifting off with Super Science Saturdays

Kids made hoop gliders during the most recent Super Science Saturday.

We took to the skies during the most recent Super Science Saturday at our Headlands Branch.

First, kids made hoop gliders that floated through the air. Then, they made rockets that exploded that were powered by a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide.

You can even make your own rocket by following these instructions:

We have another Super Science Saturday coming this summer at our Headlands Branch.

On Aug. 1, we’ll be making slime and “elephant toothpaste.” Kids (entering kindergarten through fifth grade) are free to join in the fun.

And while you’re at the library, you can sign up for summer reading. For every hour a child reads or is read to, they receive a raffle ticket that can help them win one of dozens of cool prizes—from telescopes and microscopes to Lego sets and Superhero Barbie. The more someone reads, the better chance they have of winning.

If a child reads 20 hours by Aug. 1, they will be entered into a special raffle to win one of two $50 gift certificates from Toys ‘R Us.

Mentor Library also has a summer reading program (and prizes) for teens and adults, as well. For more information about summer reading, call 440-255-8811 or visit Mentor Library’s website.

Getting ready to let it fly!