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25 Amazing Science Experiments with Food Color

  • October 24, 2020
  • Science Experiments

Here is a list of Food Color Science Experiments that you can try at home with your kids.

Science Experiments With Food Color

The STEM activities, experiments and science lesson plans that will help you teach amazing science concepts to kids, even if you’ve never stepped foot in a lab.

Science Experiments with Food Color

All the experiments are simple science activities but with really great effects and good scientific concepts. Have a look!

1. Rainbow in a Jar Water Density Experiment

experiments to do with food coloring

Water science is amazing and experimenting with water and food color using simple kitchen ingredients offers a great science experiment that teaches water density in a jar. Rainbow in a jar water density science experiment makes great play activity and an amazing science lesson too! Enjoy finding out about the basics of color mixing all the way up to the density of liquids with this one simple water density experiment.

Have a look at the colorful sugar water density activity, fun science experiments for kids: Rainbow in a Jar Water Density Experiment

2. Science Experiment with Water Oil and Food Color

Lets Kids Learn Density

We decided to make fireworks at home. Did you hear it right? Yes, you did. At home DIY explosives. But do not panic as they are as safe to make and can be played by little ones. In addition, you could teach density science to kids. Does that sound exciting? We decided to make two difference density science experiments to teach my daughters. Believe me, you will become a kid when you see the results. You will start loving to do this quite often. We did not buy any expensive things but used only the items available at home. The best part – you can do both these experiments in less than ten minutes.

Are you interested in this awesome science activity? Check out for more details here: Science Experiment with Water Oil and Food Color

3. Science Experiment with Milk and Food Color

experiments to do with food coloring

Here is another most preferred and easiest science experiment that you can try at home using a few simple kitchen ingredients from your home. The best part is, it just takes minutes to set up the experiment table and finishes in minutes to see the amazing results. Toddlers, pre-schoolers, and even kindergarten children can work on this. Best for 5-6 year old or older children to explain the various science concepts of surface tension, chemistry, forces, and properties of matter.

Do you want try this simple and easy science activity? Here we go with the complete description of the experiment here: Science Experiment with Milk and Food Color

4. Science Experiment with Food Color and Flowers

experiments to do with food coloring

Does flowers change color with food colors? Wondering how? You can now change the flower color at home and at any time during the year. Let’s try this natural science experiment with white roses and Let us understand the science behind this experiment. Absorption of water in flowers/plants is the scientific concept kids can learn in a fun way while investigating this super simple science experiment. This experiment can be done with  preschoolers  and they will love to make their hands colorful too.  Other kids including  Kindergarteners  and  7 – 9-year-old kids  can do this experiment, not just for fun but to learn some science as well. They can change the variables and see the changes in the results.

Check out for full details of the experiment here: Science Experiment with Food Color and Flowers

5. Science Experiment with Food Color and Fizzy Tablets

experiments to do with food coloring

Things that fizz are always sound interesting and mysterious too for kids especially pre-schoolers. Today let’s clear the question marks on our kid’s faces when they see fizzy things with another wonderful density science experiment. This is a super fun and simple experiment to explain kids about the fizzy science and density of liquids. Density is a good concept to be explained for older kids. So the experiment would be well suited for kids of 5 to 6 year olds or older kids of aged 7+

Let’s get into the lava lamp experiment here: Science Experiment with Food Color and Fizzy Tablets

6. Science Experiment with Food Color and Baking Soda

experiments to do with food coloring

Volcano making can be a lot of fun for a summer family project. This fizzy science experiment gives young children an exciting and learning experience as they watch and learn about incredible geological formations while experimenting volcano. This is a perfect activity for 3-4 year olds, 5-6 year olds and up. Even pre-schoolers can enjoy the activity by watching.

Find more details about this super fun and easy experiments here: Science Experiment with Food Color and Baking Soda

7. Celery with Food Coloring Science Experiment

experiments to do with food coloring

This easy science experiment with Celery and Food Color is a fantastic fun for kids of all ages. All you need is full a celery plant, food colouring and water to explore simple biology. Super easy supplies and set up for simple biology. Explore capillary action or the process of water moving upward through thin tubes in the plant’s stem. It defies gravity! Biology is always fascinating for kids because it’s all about the living world around us. Activities like this celery osmosis science experiment show us how living cells move water. 

Let’s get started with this simple kid’s-friendly science experiment to demonstrate osmosis: Celery with Food Coloring Science Experiment

8. Cool Walking Water Science Experiment

experiments to do with food coloring

Let your kids have a lot of fun with this summer science project! Summer is the perfect time to get the kids excited with a hands on activity! The Walking Water experiment is super easy to set up and has a big wow factor.  Kids can watch the colored water walk along paper towels and fill an empty glass. It’s very cool! This cool walking water science experiment gives young children an exciting and learning experience as they watch and learn about incredible capillary action of moving water.

Want to see how cool it is for yourself? Watch it in action! Click on Cool Walking Water Science Experiment

9. Science Experiment with Ice Salt Food Color

experiments to do with food coloring

If the kids don’t care too much for all of that science stuff, this still makes for an interesting, non-toxic and fun activity. This is such a fun and beautiful activity that is perfect for Pre-school aged Children and above! It’s a fun ice and salt experiment that is low prep and low cost too! These ice sculptures catch the sunlight so beautifully too! 

This was such a fun activity for my kids, I hope you give it a try too! For full details of this experiment, click on: Science Experiment with Ice Salt Food Color

10. Rain Cloud Science Experiment

experiments to do with food coloring

Here is a super simple science experiment that teaches children about clouds and rain. It’s great fun to do at home or in the classroom and this rain cloud science experiment only uses commonly found ingredients. This is a perfect activity for 3-4 year olds, 5-6 year olds and up. Even preschoolers can enjoy the activity by watching.

Super simple and using only a few commonly found ingredients, I knew we had to give it a go. It might just explain the concept of rain as a visual representation. Click on Rain Cloud Science Experiment

11. Absorbing Experiment with Food Color and Sugar Cubes

experiments to do with food coloring

We often observe some things absorb water like sponges, underpants, etc. Through this super cool science experiment, we are trying an absorbing experiment with a twist and trying to halt the process as a way of investigating which materials absorb water and which don’t! Can you try to predict which material will stop the water spreading through the cubes the best? Want to know your predictions are correct or went wrong? Check out Absorbing Experiment with Food Color and Sugar Cubes to know and learn more details about this cool classic experiment in detail.

12. Simple Color Mixing Science Experiments for Preschoolers

experiments to do with food coloring

Simple and a very few ingredients from your kitchen can fascinate your children amazingly while learning simple science involved. Simple color mixing science experiment helps children learn the properties of colors while making something attractive. Best suitable for pre-schoolers, kindergarten, and even toddlers.

Get the simple step-by-step ingredients required to do this experiment hasslefree: Click on Simple Color Mixing Science Experiments for Pre-schoolers

13. Does the Color of Water Affect Its Temperature?

experiments to do with food coloring

Does the color of water affect its temperature? This simple science experiment is a fun way to learn a little more about the light spectrum. We experience light every day but we don’t often think about why we see certain colors or how these colors might affect the temperature of a liquid. In this simple experiment, kids will learn a little more about light reflection and absorption and how colors relate to thermal energy. Learn about the light spectrum and the various heat absorption levels of different colored liquids in this fun science experiment! Click on Does the Color of Water Affect Its Temperature?

14. Science Experiment: Changing Ants Colors!

experiments to do with food coloring

Ant science experiments are loads of fun and perfect for spring and summer time!  This unique science project is totally safe for both your kiddos and the ants too! Ghost ants can be a nuisance, but outside they can also provide hours of educational opportunities. And the best part is that you already have the supplies at home!  It’s the perfect ant experiment!

Do you want have fun play with ants while learning little science? Check out: Science Experiment: Changing Ants Colors!

15. Science Experiment with Food Color to Create Water Cycle in a Bottle

experiments to do with food coloring

Make your child’s play or free time exciting and creative with this super cool, simple and easy science activity of creating water cycle in a bottle. Easy to set-up, investigate, and easy to rinse away! This spring, make this easy  water cycle in a bottle science experiment  with your class to illustrate how the water cycle works up close and personal. Kids will love making their own water biomes in a bottle and will be fascinated to watch the water turn into a gas, turn back into a liquid, and fall back into the bottom of the bottle.

Check out for more information of the experiment in detail: Science Experiment with Food Color to Create Water Cycle in a Bottle

16. Make an Orange Volcano Science Experiment

experiments to do with food coloring

Showing kids about chemistry science concepts is not too hard anymore! Here is the fascinating experiment that teaches kids about how exothermic chemical reactions work using a few kitchen and household items in an easy and educational way. Also it shows a great demonstration on how chemical reactions work out by creating all sorts of fun fall themed activity. Children in grades 3-4 and even older children can have a great visual witness on creating density column.

With just a few inexpensive supplies, you too can make your own orange volcanoes too. Trust us, the kids will LOVE these! And so will you! Check out Make an Orange Volcano Science Experiment

17. Hot and Cold Temperature Science Experiment with Food Color

experiments to do with food coloring

Kids are very familiar and love to play with colored water but this time we are going to make their playful activity more fun and interesting by introducing them to cold and hot temperature waters. Kids will be fascinated to learn the science behind this amazing reaction between hot and cold temperature water. It can be used for imaginative and sensory play. This is the perfect sensory activity for 3-4 year olds and 5-6 year olds. But how can we do that super classic science experiment? Check out here for complete instructions of this cool science experiment: Hot and Cold Temperature Science Experiment with Food Color

18. Science Experiment with Plants and Food Color

experiments to do with food coloring

Food color plus water plus plants is an awesome combination to show how plants absorb water! This is a great science activity which is pretty cool to watch colors change. In this experiment, food color and cabbage leaves are used amazingly to show the kids how plants absorb water and nutrients up through their stems. Also, this experiment is done using white flowers too to extend the experiment and make the concept easily understandable by the kids.

Get more details of the experiment by just clicking on Science Experiment with Plants and Food Color

19. Squirt Gun Volcanoes using Food Color Science Experiment

experiments to do with food coloring

Children find playing with squirt guns and different color liquids fun and exciting! Let us make their interest of playing with these items, a science lesson or activity in order to inspire them towards learning simple science concepts by investigating this easy and simple science activity of creating volcanoes. Kindergarten, pre-schoolers, and toddlers enjoy watching revealing colors whereas older kids investigate and learn the simple science concept of chemical reactions.

Check out this fantastic simple science experiment with step-by-step instructions here: Squirt Gun Volcanoes using Food Color Science Experiment

20. Convection in Glass Science Experiment with Food Color and Glasses

experiments to do with food coloring

Have you ever fascinated to perform a simple science activity using CD’s, glass jars, and food color? Though it is a new combination of supplies to do a science experiment but we can do an amazing science activity with these simple supplies that are easily available in our home along with some other kitchen hold items and a magical ingredient, food color. Kids get a change to extend the experiment using other types of liquid solutions. Sounds interesting and exciting right? Check out for full description of this amazing science activity here: Convection in Glass Science Experiment with Food Color and Glasses

21. Food Color Diffusion in Different Temperatures of Water

experiments to do with food coloring

A great visual demonstration that shows and explains kids about how food colors diffuse in different temperatures of water! This is an awesome indoor and outdoor science fair project, gives young and older children an exciting and learning experience as they get an opportunity to watch and observe the outcome results while experimenting with food colors.

This experiment can be done with pre-schoolers not only to have a lot of fun in making their hands colorful but also to introduce them to the little and simple science concepts. Other kids including Kindergarteners and 7 – 9-year-old kids can do this experiment, not just for fun but to learn some science as well.

Before you start with this awesome science experiment, you need to go through the full description of this science activity here: Food Color Diffusion in Different Temperatures of Water

Want to convert your kitchen as a little science lab? If you are a home schooling parent or a teacher searching for kid-friendly and fun filled science activities and experiments, then you are at the right place. Food color either in the form of powder or liquid, it is inexpensive, nontoxic and easy to find at the grocery store making it perfect for science experiments with young and older children. When you are using food coloring for science experiments make sure that everyone is wearing old clothes and cover your work area with newspapers or plastic since food coloring can stain.

Angela

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  • Activities for Kids
  • Fun & Games

11 Creative Ways to Use Food Coloring That Aren’t Baking

experiments to do with food coloring

The food coloring in your kitchen cabinet can do more than turn vanilla frosting into a magical unicorn-esque rainbow hue. While creating crazy colors of pancakes, baked goods and more is always welcome by your fam, you can also use food coloring in science experiments for kids . From how to tie dye with food coloring to dying eggs (and everything in between), check out these easy science experiments for kids!

Coffee Filter Crafty Science

experiments to do with food coloring

What happens when you drip a few drops of food coloring onto a coffee filter? Before you add the food coloring, ask your child to predict whether the drops will stay put or move. Drop one hue onto the edge of the filter and watch what happens (the color will magically move). Repeat with other colors, letting them mix and turn into new hues.

experiments to do with food coloring

Fill a shallow dish with a thin layer of milk. Add a few drops of different colored food coloring. Make sure the colors don’t touch. Dip the end of a cotton swab into dish soap. Press the soapy swab into the milk and hold it there. Watch as the colors magically swirl through the milk; even though the colors look like they’re moving on their own, it’s really science at work! The soap reduces the surface tension of the milk and makes the fat molecules move. The addition of food coloring makes this process easy to see.

Ice Milk Science

experiments to do with food coloring

Your child explored what happens when you put food coloring into a shallow dish of milk. Now it’s time to add a liquid-to-solid experiment to the mix. Drip a drop of food coloring into each compartment of an ice cube tray. Use the primary colors or choose a rainbow of hues. Fill the tray with milk and mix the color in each compartment. Freeze the tray. Repeat with food coloring water. Compare the ice and ask your child to guess why the colors are different in the two trays. Hint: The white milk lightens each color! Drop the pastel milk cubes into a fresh glass of milk and observe the colors as they melt.

Get Glowing with Science

experiments to do with food coloring

How can your child make glowing paints? All you need is tonic water—and a black light! Add in food coloring to take this science experiment for kids to the next level. Pour the tonic water into a clear plastic cup or freeze it. Bring the liquid or ice into a completely dark room and turn on a black light. Watch as the bubbly water glows. After your child observes the glow, add a drop of food coloring into the cup or freeze a colorful tonic water cube to see what happens next.

Frozen Color Combinations

experiments to do with food coloring

Take color mixing science one step farther with this artsy idea! Make red, yellow and blue ice cubes with food coloring and help your child to hypothesize what will happen when they mix, blend, and splash each one in a cup of primary-colored water.

Oil, Water, and Food Coloring

experiments to do with food coloring

Your creative kid has already made food coloring ice cubes. But what happens if you replace the water with oil? Compare and contrast the two different liquids with colorful science exploration. Get the easy-to-follow how-to steps here .

Rainbow Ice Melt Race

experiments to do with food coloring

Check out this easy rainbow ice-making how-to. After your kiddo makes the colorful cubes, they can line up a rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet) and race each one. Even though the cubes can’t move on their own, your child can push them across a piece of white card stock paper. As the cubes move, they’ll leave behind a colorful pattern. Ask your child to explain where the colors come from. Add on to the science experiment and coat the bottom of the cubes in salt. Observe or time the cubes to see if they melt at the same rate as plain (unsalted) ice.

Egg-cellent Food Coloring Rainbow

experiments to do with food coloring

Did your child use the primary colors to mix secondary ones? Now that you have six plastic cups filled with custom colors, it’s time to break out the hard-boiled eggs. Dying eggs with food coloring is an easy way to explore and experiment. Before you dunk or dip the eggs (with the shell on) in the colorful water, ask your child to predict what they think will happen. Dip one egg in each color, wait 10 seconds and pull the eggs out. Put the eggs to the side and repeat, dunking a new set of eggs for one minute this time. Repeat the experiment—but wait five minutes or more. Compare the eggs and ask your child to explain the differences they see.

Primary Color Mixing

experiments to do with food coloring

Yellow and blue make what? Help your little learner to explore the primary colors—red, yellow, and blue. Pour tap water into three clear plastic cups. Add three to four drops of each primary color into each cup. Now it’s time to mix the colors. Use additional clear plastic cups to blend the primaries into secondary hues (green, orange, and purple). Pour part of the yellow water into an empty cup, add blue, and watch what happens. Repeat with the other colors.

Magic Color Change Flowers

experiments to do with food coloring

How can your kiddo turn a white flower blue, pink or purple? This experiment allows your child to see how water moves through a flower. Fill a clear cup half-way with water. Add a few drops of your child’s favorite food coloring hue. Cut the end of a white carnation’s stem and place it into the water. Repeat with different colors in different cups. Watch and wait! Ask your child what they think will happen to the flower. As the flower sits in the water, the food coloring will make its way through the step and to the petals—changing the flower’s color.

Top Tie Dye Ideas

experiments to do with food coloring

Yes, tie typically means adding fabric-ready pigments from the craft store to plain white tee’s, tanks, socks, and more. But you can also use food coloring. Ramp up the experimental aspect of a seemingly simple tie dye craft and compare the differences between fabric pigments and food coloring from your kitchen’s pantry. Try each of these dye crafts with both color options, hypothesize what will happen and observe the similarities/differences.

RELATED STORIES: 59 Easy Science Experiments to Do at Home 100+ Indoor Activities to Do with the Kids 16 Easy Science Fair Projects for Kids

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Modern Mom Life

Where food and family fun collide.

25 Fun Things to Do With Food Coloring

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There are so many fun things to do with food coloring other than baking .  Many of these DIY projects involve educational Science experiments for kids . Grab the food coloring from the back of your pantry. It may get messy, but it will be fun! 

Food Coloring Fun

Food coloring can be used in various craft projects to add vibrant and colorful effects. Food coloring can be used in play, including sensory play with colored rice and pasta, homemade playdough, and science experiments.

Fun things to do with food coloring at home

Keep this post handy for those days you need something fun to do with your kids inside. Adult supervision is recommended.

Fun Things to Do With Food Coloring

Easy food coloring ideas for kids to do indoors including science experiments and art projects the entire family can enjoy!

experiments to do with food coloring

Rain Cloud in a Jar Science Experiment

Teach your kids about the science behind a rain cloud with this easy food coloring activity.

experiments to do with food coloring

Easy slime recipe

A simple easy slime recipe that anyone can make.

experiments to do with food coloring

Fun Rainbow Foam Dough For Kids

This is 2 ingredient, super fun, colorful sensory playdough with shaving cream!

experiments to do with food coloring

How to Tye Dye with Food Coloring

Did you know you can tie dye clothes with food coloring? Save yourself a trip to the store with this fun art project!

experiments to do with food coloring

Superhero Slime Recipes

Four superhero slime recipes inspired by Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy.

experiments to do with food coloring

Tie Dye Coffee Filters Paper Flowers

Coffee filter arts and crafts are so simple even preschoolers can make these paper flowers.

experiments to do with food coloring

Dye Yarn in Your Slow Cooker

Save a trip to the store and make your own yarn with this slow cooker recipe.

experiments to do with food coloring

Color Explosion Magic Milk Experiment 

This project is an extremely fun, easy, inexpensive experiment with a serious WOW factor!

experiments to do with food coloring

Walking Rainbow science experiment

The Walking Rainbow challenge is a preschool or early elementary activity.

experiments to do with food coloring

Erupting Lemon Volcano Chemistry Experiment

Great science is as simple as walking into the kitchen with this  erupting lemon volcano chemistry experiment ! 

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How to Make Oobleck in a Rainbow of Colors!

An amazing sensory play and science activity is just minutes away and all you need is two simple ingredients, cornstarch and water, to create a rainbow of color! Explore polymers and non-Newtonian fluids at home or in the classroom.

experiments to do with food coloring

How to Make Scented Slime!

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Magic Crystals

Your kids will be amazed when they see the crystals form before their eyes with this fun food coloring activity.

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Cosmic Colors

Cosmic colors is a fun activity to teach kids what happens when you mix various colors.

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How to Make Galaxy Slime (Borax-free)

Learn how to make galaxy slime with this easy galaxy slime recipe. The dark colors and glitter combine for DIY slime that is truly out of this world! 

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DIY Magic Rainbow Rocks With Hidden Treasure Inside

These Magic Rainbow Rocks with a hidden treasure inside will be a huge hit with your little ones. You could even make these with your older kids and then let your younger kids find out what the magic surprise is inside.

experiments to do with food coloring

Mason Jar Rainbow Salt Craft – Rainbow in a Jar!

This rainbow in a jar is easy to make, and you may already have all of the supplies at home.

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DIY Rainbow Rice Sensory Bins

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How to Make Colorful Soap Foam

This colorful soap foam is so much fun to make. Kids can't look away from this fun activity.

experiments to do with food coloring

DIY Water Bottle I-Spy Game

Reuse empty water bottles and make a fun item for the beach bag. DIY Water Bottle I-Spy Games are so easy to make, even the kids can help with this crafty project.

Share these food coloring DIY project ideas

Looking for more  kids’ activities ? Check out our  50+ Fun Indoor Activities for Kids . Make sure to follow us on  Instagram  and  Pinterest  for more family fun!

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Science Experiments

Magic Milk Science Experiment – Amazing Explosion of Color!

Did you know that it is easy to turn ordinary milk into a rainbow of crazy colors? With only four common kitchen items, kids are thrilled by the color explosion created by the hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules in our magic ingredient!

Watch our demonstration video, then print out a materials list and instructions to plan for this simple and fun science experiment. Easy to understand explanation of how it works is included below.

experiments to do with food coloring

JUMP TO SECTION: Instructions | Video Tutorial | How it Works

Supplies Needed

  • Milk (Must be either Whole or 2%)
  • Food Coloring. The more colors the better
  • Shallow Dish or Bowl

Magic Milk Science Lab Kit – Only $5

experiments to do with food coloring

Use our easy Magic Milk Science Lab Kit to grab your students’ attention without the stress of planning!

It’s everything you need to  make science easy for teachers and fun for students  — using inexpensive materials you probably already have in your storage closet!

Magic Milk Experiment Instructions

experiments to do with food coloring

Step 1 – Pour some milk into a shallow dish or bowl until the milk covers the bottom.

experiments to do with food coloring

Step 2 – Add some drops of food coloring on the milk. You can use a variety of colors, just be sure to add 3-4 drops of each color.

experiments to do with food coloring

Step 3 – Add a drop of dish soap into the center of the milk.

Step 4 – Watch in amazement as the colors dances across the surface of the milk. Do you know what caused the colors to move around in the milk? Find out the answer in the how does this experiment work section below.

Video Tutorial

Detailed Magic Rainbow Milk Science Experiment Step by Step Instructions

How Does the Science Experiment Work

The key to the dancing colors in this experiment is soap! Soap molecules consist of a hydrophilic (“water-loving”) end and a hydrophobic (“water-fearing”) end. Water molecules are polar molecules that can dissolve other polar molecules. Fat (and oil) molecules are nonpolar molecules, so they cannot dissolve in water.

Milk is a mixture of water, fat, vitamins and minerals. When soap is added to the milk, it helps to separate the water and fat in the milk. When soap is mixed in with the fat and water, the hydrophobic end of the soap molecule breaks up the nonpolar fat molecules, and the hydrophilic end of the soap molecule links up with the polar water molecules. Now that the soap is connecting the fat and water, the nonpolar fat molecules can be carried by the polar water molecules.

As the soap molecules connect to the fat molecules, the molecules of the food coloring get pushed around everywhere resulting in an explosion of color! As the majority of soap molecules attach to the fat molecules and the soap spreads throughout the milk, the color explosion will slow and eventually stop. Add more soap and see if there are more fat molecules that haven’t attached to soap – if there are unattached fat molecules still, the color explosion will begin again.

This experiment works best with 2% and whole milk because they contain more fat.

Other Ideas to Try

Try this experiment again using milk with different fat percentages. Try it with skim milk, 1% milk, 2% milk, whole milk, half and half, and cream. Consider even trying evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. See how the amount of fat affects the explosion of color!

I hope you enjoyed the experiment as much as we did. Here are some printable instructions:

Magic Rainbow Milk Science Experiment

Magic Rainbow Milk Science Experiment

Instructions.

  • Pour some milk into a shallow dish or bowl until the milk covers the bottom. Tip: Be sure to use either Whole or 2% Milk
  • Add some drops of food coloring on the milk. You can use a variety of colors, just be sure to add 3-4 drops of each color.
  • Add a drop of dish soap into the center of the milk
  • Watch in amazement as the colors dances across the surface of the milk

Magic Milk Science Experiment Steps

Reader Interactions

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November 11, 2019 at 6:47 pm

I did this in my science class and it worked really well! I looked at a lot of science experiments but couldn’t find one I liked and then I found this at the last minute and it was really good so thank you for sharing:)

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April 12, 2023 at 9:03 pm

I agree, Emma. It has worked every time and was fun to watch! This explanation of the experiment is very informative. I have done this experiment a lot when I was younger. ☺️

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August 19, 2020 at 11:48 am

It was pretty cool

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October 19, 2021 at 8:33 pm

This was a really fun activity!

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November 19, 2021 at 8:26 am

Because of this experiment I got to the finals of my Sci Expo

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February 13, 2022 at 8:11 pm

It was actually pretty cool. I did this for my science project. Also, the colors came out really nice! i will definitely try again.

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April 2, 2022 at 5:27 am

Thanks a million for these fantastic ideas and explanations!

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Colour mixing with food colouring and water

March 29, 2017 By Emma Vanstone 4 Comments

Colour mixing is a great activity for learning about primary and secondary colours as well as fantastic fine motor control practice if children use a dropper or pipette. Once children have made secondary colours they could then experiment by mixing primary and secondary colours to make tertiary colours or try to make as many different shades of one colour as they can.

colour mixing activity. Image shows three beakers of water. One blue, one red and one yellow.

Plastic plates

Food colouring

Pipettes  or droppers

Instructions

Add a small amount of red, yellow and blue food colouring to separate beakers and then top up with a little water.

Use the pipettes or droppers to drop different colours of water onto a plastic plate and record which new colours are created.

colour mixing

What is a primary colour?

Primary colours cannot be created by mixing other colours together. These are:

Red, Yellow and Blue

What is a secondary colour?

Secondary colours are made by mixing primary colours.

Yellow + Blue = Green

Red + Yellow = Orange

Blue + Red = Purple

What is a tertiary colour?

Tertiary colours are made by mixing a primary colour with a secondary colour.

Questions to ask about primary colours

What do you think would happen if you used a paper plate instead of a plastic plate?

Do you think the colours would still mix if you used filter paper or kitchen roll?

Which colours do you think are warm and which cold colours?

Watch the video

More colour mixing activity ideas

Steve Spangler has a brilliant spinning wheel !

Rainy Day Mum has a great mess free colour mix activity.

How about colour mixing with lights like Teach Beside Me?

Try our easy  primary and secondary colour wheel  or how about our colour mixing water wall ?

This dropper painting activity is lovely from Imagination Tree and the kitchen towel would be great for allowing colours to mix.

Red Ted Art has some lovely colour mixing tissue hearts.

Did you know light can be split into  all the colours of the rainbow? Find out how to make a rainbow here.

using a hosepipe on a sunny day to make a rainbow

Science Concepts

Primary colours

Secondary colours

Contains affiliate links

child dropping coloured water onto a plastic plate to see how the colours mix

Last Updated on September 12, 2022 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

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March 29, 2017 at 10:19 am

I love simple experiments like this. Thank you so much for including our mess free colour mixing experiment as well.

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March 29, 2017 at 11:10 am

Such a fun post! Thanks for including my color mixing with lights activity!

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April 05, 2017 at 4:34 pm

Thank you so much. Glad you benefited from the post!

' src=

April 24, 2017 at 4:22 pm

Simple and easy to understand. Share with you about Seven Layer Density and other science tricks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRYOYgGoZak

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Magic Milk Science Experiment for Kids   Recently updated !

Magic Milk Science Experiment

Nothing happens if you drip food coloring onto milk, but once you add a drop of dishwashing liquid, the milk turns into a swirling wheel of color. Here’s how to perform the magic milk science experiment and a look at how it works.

Magic Milk Materials

This is a great science project for kids because all you need is milk, food coloring, and dishwashing liquid. It’s also easy on your pocketbook because you only need a little of the ingredients.

  • Food Coloring
  • Dishwashing liquid

How to Do the Magic Milk Science Experiment

  • Pour enough milk to cover the bottom of a small place or shallow saucer.
  • Add a few drops of food coloring. You don’t need to use different colors, but if you do, you can explore how colors combine to make new ones.
  • Observe how boring this is. The food coloring drops stay where you put them and may even sink into the milk and disappear.
  • Drip a droplet of dishwashing liquid onto the center of the milk. You don’t need to stir the milk. The colors immediately start to swirl on their own.

How the Magic Milk Experiment Works

Adding food coloring to milk doesn’t have much of an effect. Yes, you can color the milk if you stir it, but if you don’t stir it the color spreads by diffusion . Diffusion is a slow process and not very interesting to watch.

When you add dishwashing liquid, the colors start to swirl. Dishwashing liquid is a detergent. Detergents lower the surface tension of the water in the milk, making it easier for the ingredients on the plate to mix. You can observe surface tension if you pour water or milk into a glass and note you can overfill the container slightly. The anti-gravity water science trick also relies on surface tension.

But, that’s not all detergent does. Detergent is an emulsifier . Each detergent molecule has a hydrophobic (“water-fearing”) and hydrophilic (“water-loving”) portion. The hydrophilic portion orients toward water molecules, while the hydrophobic portion orients toward fat molecules. The end result is that detergent forms tiny spheres called micelles that separate the fat from the water. Basically, an emulsifier helps two immiscible (unmixable) liquids mix. The food coloring swirls throughout the milk as the detergent forms micelles around fat globules within it. The fat content of the milk matters. Skim milk contains very little fat, so the detergent doesn’t have a big effect on it. 2% milk and whole milk work much better for the magic milk project because they contain enough fat to cause a visible reaction between the detergent and milk.

From Project to Science Experiment

Science projects work due to scientific principles. For young explorers, you can explain that detergent changes the properties of milk so colors added to it mix better. Explain that the same process happens when you wash dishes. The detergent makes it easier for oil and grease to lift from dishes and get rinsed away. Also, this is a great project for kids to explore colors. They can see that blue and yellow combine to make green, red and blue combine to make purple, and so on.

But, older children can turn the science project into a science experiment. The difference is that an experiment uses the scientific method . In a nutshell, an investigator observes the project, makes a prediction or forms a hypothesis about what will happen if one thing is changed, and then conducts and experiment to see if the prediction was correct. Here are some ideas of factors to change to turn the magic milk project into a true magic milk science experiment.

  • What happens if you increase the fat content of milk? You can compare skim, 2% milk, whole milk, and half-and-half. Or, you can mix oil in with milk before continuing the project. Is there a point where the thickness of the milk slows down the reaction?
  • Does the project work with water? With vegetable oil? What happens if you mix water and oil and try the project?
  • What happens if you sprinkle glitter onto the milk before adding the detergent?
  • Temperature affects the rate of many processes and chemical reactions. Is there any difference if you use very color milk compared with hot milk?

Related Posts

Babble Dabble Do

See Exploding Colors in the Magic Milk Experiment

February 25, 2022 by Ana Dziengel 24 Comments

See exploding bursts of color in the amazing magic milk experiment! We’ll show you some two ways to do the experiment and an extension idea for the project as well.

When you add a little bit of dish soap to milk and food coloring, the colors swirl around to form what I would deem very artistic and abstract paintings! For the science behind it scroll to the end of this post.

The magic milk science experiment is a simple science experiment you can do with everyday materials. I love showing kids how to do chemistry experiments using simple household supplies. In fact I would argue that some of the best at-home science experiments use kitchen ingredient s !

We did this project in our after school classes and when our students asked to “take it home” I told them they could easily recreate it in their own kitchen.

Video Overview

Detailed instructions for the magic milk experiment:, how to do the magic milk experiment, magic milk experiment materials.

  • Almond Milk or Cow’s Milk
  • Q-tips (Cotton Swab)
  • Cotton Balls
  • Food coloring
  • Shallow plate or wide bowls

Magic Milk Instructions: Method #1

  • Fill a plate or bowl with milk.
  • Drop in at least 2 drops of each of four colors of food coloring. The more variety of colors the cooler the painting.
  • Generously dip the end of a q-tip in dish soap.
  • Now dip the q-tip (cotton swab) into the milk next to a drop of color.
  • The first thing that will happen is the color will burst as soon as the dish soap hits it. It’s a great effect but very short lived. Once there is a little dishsoap in the milk it no longer “bursts”.
  • Gently swirl the q-tip through the different colors and you’ll see little rivers of color start to form.
  • Continue until the colors begin to mix and become brown. Empty your plate/bowl and repeat.

Magic Milk Experiment Instructions: Method # 2

Time needed:  10 minutes.

This version of the magic milk experiment lasts a long time, provided kids can restrain themselves from moving the cotton ball!

Pour a thin layer of milk in a plate or bowl.

Add a few drops each of food coloring on the center of the plate.

Soak a cotton ball in dish soap.

Carefully place the cotton ball in the center. The colors will explode out of the center!

Let the reaction continue until the colors begin to mix and become brown.

Tips & More

  • You don’t need that much milk! I vastly overestimated how much we would need. For a class of 25 kids we used 1 1/2 gallons of milk.
  • This is a great use of expired milk products. Put that small amount of whipping cream at the back of your refrigerator to use.
  • Kids love the magic aspect of this project. We called the cotton swabs “magic wands.”
  • Too much swishing and swirling and you’ll end up with brown muck fast. Of course kids don’t seem to care!

A word about food insecurity

We try to be respectful of the challenges children and families face including food insecurity. As an educator, I try to avoid using food in projects when possible. I make exceptions for projects that may have a lot to teach kids and where I feel we won’t be wasteful. That said, please think carefully about the population of students and families you serve before doing this project. Consider whether they would find this wasteful or offensive before proceeding. Also consider vegan families who may not want their children working with animal products; see some of the alternatives we suggest below.

Magic Milk Variations

  • Try Different Milk Types  We have used almond and cow’s milk for this experiment and both worked well. The higher the fat content of the milk the more pronounced the “explosions” should be. A fun experiment would be to compare the results with different types of milk: almond, cow, rice, coconut. You can also experiment with cream, whole milk, and skim milk to see if there is a difference.
  • Premix the soap and milk For a variation we premixed the milk and dish soap. You won’t have the color burst effect but it does seem to keep the colors separate a little longer.

The Science Behind the Magic Milk Experiment:

The dish soap molecules are attracted to the fat molecules in the milk. As soon as you introduce the soap to the milk/coloring mixture the molecules race around trying to bond. The food coloring gets pushed around in the process and appears to burst. Eventually the molecules all bond and the reaction stops.

This is a good example of how detergents work, their molecules have two ends: one end is attracted to oils and the other to water. One end of detergent molecules attracts oils and dirt from clothes, dishes etc., and as they stick together they break the oil and dirt down into smaller, easy to remove pieces.

How to Do the Magic Milk Experiment in the Classroom

If you would like to the magic milk experiment with a class full of kids here are step-by step instructions.

Per student Materials:

  • (1) Small Plate or other shallow dish (make sure these are waterproof)
  • (1) Large Plate or other shallow dish
  • Tray to put underneath

NOTE: You may also use a divided plate as pictured above.

T eacher’s Materials:

  • Milk 1.5 gallons per class of 25 students
  • Tubs to collect dishes in afterwards

Sh ared Materials:

  • Small bowl of dish soap
  • Q-tips (Cotton swabs)
  • Small bottles of liquid food coloring

Experiment #1 Procedure:

  • Pass out per student materials. Ask students to place the small plate in the center of the table. It will be used for the second experiment. Ask students to place the large plate in the center of their tray.
  • Explain the experiment first. Tell students they will be making colorful explosions using milk and food coloring and a “magic ingredient.” Tell students to use only a few drops of food coloring once it is available. Demonstrate how to carefully squeeze drops out of the food coloring bottles.
  • Teacher(s) pour a thin layer of milk in each plate.
  • Pass out the shared materials to each group of students.
  • Ask students to carefully drop several drops of food coloring in the milk around their plate. Remind them not to disturb the color.
  • When everyone has added color tell students to grab a “magic wand” AKA a Q-tip. Ask them to dip the wand into the magic ingredient (soap) but hold it to the side of the plate until everyone is ready. You can ask them if they know what the magic ingredient is.
  • Do a countdown and on the count of 3 student should dip their q-tip into one of the drops of color. Instruct students to continue dipping the q-tip into the other drops. Listen for the oohs and aahs!
  • When done the teacher should place the plates and milk in tubs to clean.

Experiment #2 Procedure:

  • Ask students to place the small plate in the center of their tray.
  • Teacher(s) pour a thin layer of milk in each small plate.
  • Ask students to carefully drop a good squeeze of three colors of food coloring near the center of their plate. Remind them not to disturb the color.
  • When everyone has added color tell students to dip a cotton ball in the soap.
  • Instruct students to place the cotton ball in the center of the plate and not move it. See video below. This is an exercise in restraint!
  • Watch as the color explodes out of the center of the plate/cotton ball.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ana from Babble Dabble Do (@babbledabbledo)

Turn the magic milk experiment into colorful paper!

Did you know you can expand on this experiment by making Marbled Milk Paper ?

Go HERE   for instructions: 

More Favorite Science Projects to Try:

Michelle - Little Paper Dog says

January 29, 2013 at 7:17 pm

So cool! I can’t wait to try this out with my little guy. 🙂

Ana Dziengel says

January 30, 2013 at 2:28 pm

Thanks Michelle! So simple and fun! BTW your blog is lovely! I particularly love that you have fast and easy projects; I’m trying to do something similar on my blog: quick, easy, simple projects using stuff you already have on hand.

Amanda Preiser says

April 18, 2013 at 5:06 am

This is awesome my daughter and I are going to do this today!

April 18, 2013 at 5:33 am

Thanks for stopping in Amanda! It’s a super fun and simple project. Enjoy!

August 21, 2014 at 11:08 am

Thanks! I’m an art teacher. There’s so many meet ideas I got from your blog. Thanks!

September 4, 2014 at 3:49 am

Linda, I’m thrilled to hear it! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Denise says

August 23, 2014 at 1:45 pm

what type of paper did you use for the milk painting project?

September 4, 2014 at 3:51 am

Hi Denise, I used watercolor paper 🙂

Virginia says

January 3, 2015 at 12:34 pm

Did I miss something? I didn’t see directions for a little paper dog. I love this site. GREAT ideas Sorry if ? is dum! I can hardly wait to make the crystals. You know, Epsom salts have done ‘miracles’ ever since I knew of them! They were up front and most important in the “medicine cabinet” of my parents who had fifteen children, therefore many opportunities to use the salts for ‘injuries, localized infections and sore spots.’ Now I see they can add enormously to the decorations in my life as well as do almost magical “healing” Wish my Dad could see those! “What a Wonderful World!” Thank-you!

January 5, 2015 at 5:30 am

Thanks Virginia!

Rachel Holland says

February 7, 2015 at 9:57 am

I have tried this experiment out with my children today. I was really excited about it after seeing the lovely photo’s etc, however it was a bit of a flop. Tried it with Almond milk as suggested and semi skimmed cows milk, but when we put in the washing up liquid not much really happened. We changed the washing up liquid and got much better colour spread. However when it did the colours almost pretty much disappeared and trying to get paintings from them was so wishy washy. Are food colourings in the US very different to those in the UK, or do I just need to buy better colourings? I assumed that the liquid colourings from my local supermarket would be fine. I have also tried with gel colouring (which is the only thing that most stores stock) but this wasn’t particularly good either. I really want to make some lovely backings for Mother’s day cards etc but I am drawing a blank! Any help you could give would be great.

February 19, 2015 at 4:14 am

Hi Rachel, I’m sorry to hear this! Gel food coloring will not work. Regular food coloring should work fine. You will need to make the prints right away, if you wait until the colors are mixed you will get muddy results. And make sure you are using watercolor paper. I tried the project using cardstock and regular paper and they just didn’t absorb the color well. I hope this helps and please keep me posted!

J lewis says

February 19, 2017 at 10:09 am

Hello there, We used paste food colouring from cake shop, used to colour roll out icing, much better than the supermarket colours, which are useless for most things now as they have changed the formulas. Mix the colour paste with a little water to make a strong coloured liquid, we use this for colouring pasta too and play dough.

February 22, 2017 at 5:19 am

Thanks for the tip!

August 19, 2015 at 9:18 am

Was looking for the science explanation (chemical reactions) to share with the students while doing this? I like teaching the science of a science based experiment.

Neera Talukder says

October 25, 2015 at 6:56 am

can the whole milk be used as a substitute for almond milk ?

November 9, 2015 at 9:12 am

Absolutely!

Peggy Ashbrook says

November 30, 2015 at 4:27 am

I love it when you add the science concepts involved, both at an adult level to refresh our memories or learn new, and at a level appropriate for young children. Exploring the properties of art materials engages children in art and science!

August 16, 2016 at 5:13 am

Thanks so much Peggy!

Lisa Lewis says

January 21, 2016 at 8:07 am

I have tried the milk art 3 times with my grandchildren. We were very excited to watch the action of the colors in the milk but no much happened. I used whole milk, food colors, and Dawn dish soap. But once I put the drops of soap in the colors spread a little and then nothing else happened, I have read the posts and people talk about all the movement of the colors but we didn’t get that result. Am I doing something wrong?

August 16, 2016 at 4:51 am

Once the soap and fat molecules combine the reaction does stop. We like to swirl the milk using Q-tips after and watch the colors swirl.

Milton Garcia says

August 7, 2016 at 7:01 am

Messy. But I think my kids would love this activity.

August 15, 2016 at 8:06 am

They will love it!

Morgan says

August 23, 2016 at 12:22 pm

This looks like so much, and I love how it turns out. This would be a great project to take on with my four-year-old! Thanks so much for the idea!

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Celery Food Coloring Experiment

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A celery and food coloring experiment is a great way to teach kids about plant biology, particularly how plants absorb water through capillary action. In this simple science experiment , we observe how water, dyed with food coloring, travels up the tiny vessels in the celery stalks!

experiments to do with food coloring

Celery and Food Coloring Experiment

Explore the process of water moving upward through the plant’s stem and into the leaves. It defies gravity!

  • Celery Stalks (choose as many as you like to color and one extra if you choose to set up a science experiment. too) with leaves
  • Food Coloring

Instructions:

STEP 1. Start with nice crisp celery. Cut the bottoms off the celery so you have a fresh cut.

Don’t have celery? You could try our color changing carnations experiment !

STEP 2. Fill the containers at least halfway with water and add food coloring. The more food color, the sooner you’ll see results. 15-20 drops, at least.

STEP 3. Add the celery sticks to the water.

experiments to do with food coloring

STEP 4. Wait 2 to 24 hours. Make sure to observe the process at regular intervals to note the progress. Older kids can make drawings and journal their observations throughout the experiment.

Notice how the food coloring moves through the celery’s leaves! Water is making its way through the cells of the celery, as indicated by the color.

Celery Osmosis Science Experiment Blue Food Coloring

Note the red food coloring is a bit tougher to see!

Celery Osmosis Science Experiment

How Does It Work?

How does water travel through a plant? By the process of capillary action! We can see this in action with the celery.

The cut celery stalks take up colored water through their stem, and the colored water moves from the stems to the leaves. Water travels up tiny tubes in the plant via the process of capillary action .

What is capillary action? Capillary action is the ability of a liquid (our colored water) to flow in narrow spaces (thin tubes in the celery) without the help of an outside force, like gravity. Plants and trees couldn’t survive without capillary action.

As water evaporates from a plant (called transpiration), it pulls more water up to replace what has been lost. This happens due to adhesion forces (water molecules are attracted and stick to other substances), cohesion (water molecules like to stay close together), and  surface tension .

Learn more about capillary action with these fun experiments!

What is the difference between capillary action and osmosis?

The process of osmosis also involves the movement of water. However, capillary action is driven by surface tension and the interactions between the liquid and solid surfaces, while osmosis is driven by differences in solute concentration across a semi-permeable membrane.

Capillary action is often observed in the movement of liquids in narrow tubes or capillaries. At the same time, osmosis is a process commonly observed in biological systems involving water movement across cell membranes.

Capillary action can occur in both upward and downward directions, depending on the specific conditions, while osmosis generally occurs from an area of lower solute concentration to higher solute concentration.

Check out fun ways to explore osmosis here.

experiments to do with food coloring

How To Apply The Scientific Method

Extend this celery and food coloring experiment by applying the scientific method for older kids ready to delve deeper into the scientific realm. This structured approach to inquiry involves formulating hypotheses, conducting experiments, collecting data, and drawing conclusions.

Start by encouraging students to ask questions such as “What factors could influence the movement of water through the celery?” Some examples are the concentration of food coloring, the amount of time the celery is immersed, the type of liquid used or the temperature of the water.

Ask kids to make predictions about how changing the variables might affect the results. For instance, they can predict what will happen if they use more food coloring, leave the celery in the colored water longer, or change the water temperature.

Have them develop a hypothesis based on their initial observations and then design an experiment to test it.

Older kids can better understand the scientific principles by altering variables, recording measurements, and analyzing results. This extension challenges them to think critically and apply analytical thinking.

Learn more about applying the scientific method with examples and how to choose variables.

Free Printable Science Process Pack

Extend the learning opportunity by creating a science journal with our free science process pack for kids!

experiments to do with food coloring

Helpful Science Resources

Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

  • Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
  • Science Vocabulary
  • All About Scientists
  • Free Science Worksheets
  • DIY Science Kits
  • Science Tools for Kids
  • Scientific Method for Kids
  • Citizen Science Guide
  • Join us in the Club
  • Printable Science Project Pack

More Fun Science Experiments To Try

Explore plant experiments , water science experiments and more!

  • Potato Osmosis Lab: Explore the difference between capillary action and osmosis.
  • Walking Water Experiment : Demonstrate how water moves through narrow spaces with paper towels.
  • Color Changing Flowers : Show how plants absorb water and nutrients through capillary action using white flowers.
  • Growing Gummy Bear Experiment : Observe how gummy bears increase in size because of osmosis.
  • Egg In Vinegar: Use an uncooked egg in vinegar to observe osmosis.

experiments to do with food coloring

Printable Science Projects Pack

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

  • 90+ classic science activities  with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information.  NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
  • Best science practices posters  and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
  • Be a Collector activities pack  introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
  • Know the Words Science vocabulary pack  includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
  • My science journal writing prompts  explore what it means to be a scientist!!
  • Bonus STEAM Project Pack:  Art meets science with doable projects!
  • Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics

experiments to do with food coloring

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experiments to do with food coloring

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experiments to do with food coloring

IMAGES

  1. Carnation Flower in Food Coloring Experiment

    experiments to do with food coloring

  2. Milk, Food Coloring, and Dish Soap Experiment

    experiments to do with food coloring

  3. Your kids are going to love this magic milk experiment! it's so fun and

    experiments to do with food coloring

  4. Easy Science Experiments with Food Coloring

    experiments to do with food coloring

  5. Science Experiments with Food Coloring

    experiments to do with food coloring

  6. Learning colors food coloring EXPERIMENT for kids

    experiments to do with food coloring

VIDEO

  1. What Happens When You Stain Wood with Jello and Food Coloring?!

  2. Swirling Food Coloring Experiment! #Science #STEM #ScienceExperiments #Shorts

  3. Experiments Baking soda and Vinegar / Milk food coloring and Dish soap

  4. Oil and Food colour mixed in to the water science experiments

  5. Science experiment || Food coloring mixing #experiment #science #colors #shorts

  6. Magical Oil & Water Experiment 🌈

COMMENTS

  1. 25 Amazing Science Experiments with Food Color

    Celery with Food Coloring Science Experiment. This easy science experiment with Celery and Food Color is a fantastic fun for kids of all ages. All you need is full a celery plant, food colouring and water to explore simple biology. Super easy supplies and set up for simple biology. Explore capillary action or the process of water moving upward ...

  2. Science Experiments with Food Coloring

    Add in food coloring to take this science experiment for kids to the next level. Pour the tonic water into a clear plastic cup or freeze it. Bring the liquid or ice into a completely dark room and turn on a black light. Watch as the bubbly water glows. After your child observes the glow, add a drop of food coloring into the cup or freeze a ...

  3. 25 Fun Things to Do With Food Coloring

    Food coloring can be used in various craft projects to add vibrant and colorful effects. Food coloring can be used in play, including sensory play with colored rice and pasta, homemade playdough, and science experiments. Fun things to do with food coloring at home. Keep this post handy for those days you need something fun to do with your kids ...

  4. Magic Milk Science Experiment

    Step 2 - Add some drops of food coloring on the milk. You can use a variety of colors, just be sure to add 3-4 drops of each color. ... How Does the Science Experiment Work. The key to the dancing colors in this experiment is soap! Soap molecules consist of a hydrophilic ("water-loving") end and a hydrophobic ("water-fearing") end ...

  5. Colour mixing with food colouring and water

    Food colouring. Pipettes or droppers. Instructions. Add a small amount of red, yellow and blue food colouring to separate beakers and then top up with a little water. Use the pipettes or droppers to drop different colours of water onto a plastic plate and record which new colours are created.

  6. Celery and Food Coloring Science Experiment

    The celery and food coloring experiment was instrumental in me showing my kids how plants absorb water. It clearly demonstrates how capillary action works. And it was so easy to do! If your kids liked this experiment, you can always try out different color food coloring and see how well the celery stalks absorb the water.

  7. Magic Milk Science Experiment for Kids

    The magic milk science experiment is a fun way for kids to explore color and learn about what detergents do. Nothing happens if you drip food coloring onto milk, but once you add a drop of dishwashing liquid, the milk turns into a swirling wheel of color. Here's how to perform the magic milk science experiment and a look at how it works.

  8. See Exploding Colors in the Magic Milk Experiment

    Explain the experiment first. Tell students they will be making colorful explosions using milk and food coloring and a "magic ingredient." Tell students to use only a few drops of food coloring once it is available. Demonstrate how to carefully squeeze drops out of the food coloring bottles. Teacher(s) pour a thin layer of milk in each plate.

  9. Celery Food Coloring Experiment

    Celery and Food Coloring Experiment. Explore the process of water moving upward through the plant's stem and into the leaves. It defies gravity! Supplies: Celery Stalks (choose as many as you like to color and one extra if you choose to set up a science experiment. too) with leaves; Food Coloring; Jars; Water; Instructions: STEP 1. Start with ...

  10. Food Coloring Experiment

    Tips for This Food Coloring Experiment. While this activity is super simple to do, there are a few important tips to make sure it works correctly! Don't over mix the food coloring. In the step by step instructions below you'll see that you'll have to break up the food coloring droplets.