Home Experiments for Kids With Potatoes

Potato Clock

• Harness the electrolytes in a potato to power a clock. This works with one potato, two pennies, two galvanized nails, three 8-inch pieces of insulated copper wire and a digital clock with wire attachments. These special digital clocks can be found at hardware and electronic stores. Cut the potato in half, placing cut sides down on two plates. Wrap both pennies in two of the 8-inch wires with the ends of the wires free. Wrap the end of the last wire around one of the galvanized nails. Jam a penny into each of the potato halves sideways. Repeat with the galvanized nails. Connect the wire from the penny in the other potato half to the galvanized nail without a wire. Connect the free ends of the wires from the other galvanized nail and other penny to the clock.

Floating Potatoes

• Alter the density and solubility of potato slices to get them to float or sink in water. You'll need three potato slices, three glasses of water, a spoon, and salt or sugar. Mix up a solution of heavy salt or sugar in one glass of water. In the second glass, create a layered mix of sugar or salt water with regular water on top of it. Leave the water in the third glass alone. Place potato slices in each glass. One slice should float. Another will sink halfway and float in the middle of the glass. The last will sink to the bottom of the glass.

Cooking Potatoes With the Sun

• Teach kids about the power of the sun with this simple solar cooker. You'll need a potato, foil, a rubber suction hook and a large mixing bowl. Line the bowl with foil, shiny side out. Stick the suction hook on the inside bottom of the bowl. Jam the potato onto the hook so it's raised up in the bowl. Place in full sunlight for several hours.

Potato in a Maze

• This maze demonstrates how plants are drawn to sunlight for photosynthesis. Get a cardboard box and create a short maze with cardboard walls glued into the box. Cut a large opening into the side of the box at the end of the maze. Place a fresh potato in the box at the end away from the opening, and cover the box with a lid. Leave the potato for a couple of weeks. Make sure the open side of the box is facing a light. Soon the potato will grow stalks which find their way through the maze toward the light.