{Kid Fun: Shiny Penny Experiment}

Sometimes (most of the time),  it's the simplest activities that end up being the most entertaining. Shine up dirty copper pennies using two everyday household ingredients: salt and vinegar. 

Gather your supplies. Pennies dated after 1982 are only copper-plated and may corrode if they have been scratched. 

Have your child measure and pour 1/4 cup of vinegar into a glass jar.

Have them measure a tablespoon of salt. 

Add it to the vinegar and mix well.

Add the pennies.

Observe and wait. Give your pennies a few hours or let them sit overnight. Take them out, rinse well and let them dry on a paper towel. Shiny!

Other things to try:

• Set some of the pennies out to dry without rinsing. Watch for the resulting patina known as 'verdigris'. 
• Add a quarter to the mixture after removing the pennies.
• Soak a newer scratched penny in the mixture overnight. If you're lucky you'll have a heavily corroded coin in the morning.