Love Potion STEM Valentines Activity

Welcome, STEM Princesses! Let's dive into the magical world of chemistry to create our very own Love Potion No. 1! 
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Don’t worry — this isn’t just any fairytale potion; it’s a scientific experiment in disguise!
Using sparkly science, and enchanting ingredients, we’ll explore how different substances mix, just like real chemists do in their laboratories. Along the way, we’ll learn about density and polarity all while crafting a sparkly potion fit for a princess!

So grab your tiaras and your safety glasses — it’s time to discover the magic of STEM! 

Supplies

• Heart shaped jar (glass jar linked, but recommend plastic if a child will be playing with it)
• Baby oil
• Food Coloring
• Sparkles / Glitter
• Optional, but recommended - hot glue sticks and hot glue gun

Instructions

1. Fill your heart shaped jar approximately halfway with baby oil (approximately 75 ml for the sample jar)​
   You can substitute vegetable oil if you'd prefer a taste safe alternative
2. Mix approximately the same amount (75 ml for the sample jar) with your favorite food coloring in a separate container
3. Optionally add in your favorite glitter to the colored water mixture
   You can substitute edible lustre if you'd like a taste safe alternative
4. Use a funnel to pour the water mixture into your heart shaped jar, making sure you don't overfill it
5. Tightly place the cork or lid on the jar
6. Recommended for parents to add hot glue around the lid to make it more secure for play, and of course wait for it to cool before letting your child play!

Questions to ask:

• What do you think will happen when you shake your potion?
• What do you notice when you shake your potion?
• Why do you think the two liquids don't mix?

STEM Vocabulary:
💖 Density – How heavy or light something is compared to its size. In our potion, liquids with different densities will layer instead of mixing—just like oil floating on water!
💖 Polarity – A property that determines what liquids mix and what stay separate. Water is polar (it likes to stick to itself), while oil is non-polar (it doesn’t mix with water). That’s why oil and water don’t blend in our potion!
💖 Solubility – How well something dissolves in a liquid. Some ingredients (like sugar or food coloring) dissolve in water, while others (like glitter or oil) do not.
💖 Viscosity – How thick or thin a liquid is. Honey and syrup have high viscosity (they flow slowly), while water and juice have low viscosity (they flow quickly).

If you'd like some extra special potion activities, check out the full enchanted potions lab below!

Note: Always supervise your child when playing with their love potion. Please read all warnings on ingredients to ensure you know when to contact your doctor if ingested.

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