Impressing kids with Candy Canes

OK, it was just one kid. But boy, did his eyes go wide after I melted a candy cane just enough to make it swoop side to side. As I blogged last year, I made a zig zag form out of a strip of folded tinfoil, placed the candy cane on top, and put it in a 250 F oven for 5 minutes. (My young friend had a hard time waiting that long, and I was worried it wouldn't be ready before he ran out of patience. The two-hour floating conversation hearts are probably not the right experiment for him!) The candy cane ended up as kind of an M shape--I wish I'd taken a picture!

Candy Cane Stripes

Ever wonder how to make stripes at the bottom of a bowl of water? All you need is a candy cane.

Unwrap the candy cane, put it in a shallow dish of water, and let it sit for several minutes. The stripes will slowly dissolve into the water and spread across the bottom of the bowl.

Holiday Experiments: Oldies but Goodies

I just saw that my guest blog post for sensationalhomeschooling.com last year was reposted at the blog Our Journey Through Autism. I wrote about chromatography and melting candy canes. Since the blog post became unavailable soon after I published it, it's fun to see it up again.

Last year I posted these really fun candy cane experiments:
-Candy Cane Countdown #3: Bubbling Candy Canes
-Candy Cane Countdown #2: Mutant Candy Canes
-Candy Cane Countdown #1: Rubber Bandy Canes

The Rubber Bandy Canes were one of my favorite experiments ever, and I just bought two boxes of Bob's candy canes so we can do them again. Maybe this year we'll even be able to hollow some out.

Candy Cane Countdown #1: Rubber Bandy Canes

When we heated our candy canes, we expected them to bend.  We didn't expect them to stretch--but some did.  Here's how you can stretch one brand of candy canes like rubber bands.

1. Preheat the oven to 250 F and line a pan with foil (in case the candy cane melts too much.)
2.  Place an unwrapped Bobs brand candy cane in the oven on a pan.
3.  Wait about 5 minutes until the candy cane is warm but not yet melting.
4.  Using tongs, pick up the candy cane and break it apart.  Does the middle stretch?

Candy Cane Countdown #2: Mutant Candy Canes

A candy cane doesn't start out as a cane.  It starts out as a straight candy cane that's bent into shape while it's still warm. * You too can form candy canes into funny shapes.  Here's how:

1.  Preheat your oven to 250 F and line a baking sheet with tinfoil.
2.  Fold a square of tinfoil into a rectangular strip about 3 inches wide (i.e. wider than the candy cane.)  Then fold it into an interesting shape, like a zigzag, an S-curve, a bowl, or anything you like.
3.  Place your unwrapped candy cane on top of the foil shape, put it on the pan, and heat in the oven for 5-10 minutes.**  Check frequently until the candy cane has softens and sinks onto the mold.

Did you make a mutant candy cane?

Above: candy cane on foil shape

Below: same candy cane

 Above: candy cane on foil shape

Below: same candy cane

Below: candy cane on zig-zag foil

*See Candy Canes at www.candyusa.com, published by the National Confectioner's Association.
**Melting times vary based on candy cane size.

Candy Cane Countdown #3: Bubbling Candy Canes

Want to turn your candy cane into a bubbling puddle?  Try this.

A candy cane melted in the oven, then cooled and removed from foil.

1. Turn up the oven to 300 F, and put an unwrapped candy cane on a foil-lined pan.
2.  Leave the candy cane in the oven for 5-10 minutes.*
3.  After several minutes, your candy cane will melt into a bubbling pile of goo.  (Don't touch--it's HOT!)  Can you still see stripes?

*Melting times vary based on the size of the candy cane.

Candy Cane Countdown

The other day my son was licking a candy cane.  "Why does the red stripe turn pink?" he asked.  As I explained that the red dye had thinned out to show the white beneath, I was reminded how everyday questions can lead to all sorts of interesting lessons--and candy experiments.

We've been having lots of fun getting new experiments ready for the holiday season, like Mutant Candy Canes, Bubbling Candy Canes, and Rubber Bandy Canes. Check back over the next few days to see them yourself!

To get in the candy cane spirit, check out these web pages from the National Confectioner's Association:
--How Candy Canes are Made
--Fun Facts about Candy Canes