rainbow experiment with skittles

Rainbow Skittles Experiment Science Activity for Kids

This Skittles rainbow  science activity  is so easy to do and incredibly fun! It even comes with free recording sheets to add to your science lesson plans!

Rainbow Skittles Experiment

If you are looking for a simple science experiment that your kids can do with ease, then this rainbow Skittles activity is going to be perfect for you!

You only need 3 simple supplies and you will be good to go.

*Note: This should be done with adult supervision at all times.

Our kids chose to do the experiment over and over again with different Skittles colors and patterns. It’s easy to wash the plate off and create a new pattern to experiment with!

If you want to try this fun candy rainbow activity too, keep on reading for all of the instructions.

Setting Up the Skittles Science Experiment

Supplies Needed:

• Skittles (Try different colors and flavors!)

Instructions:

• Grab your plate and organize the Skittles in a circle around the edge of the plate. Kids can try different color patterns each time they do the experiment!
• Gently pour water in the center of the plate. Warm water works better than cold. Make sure there is enough water to go past the Skittles while filling the plate.
• Wait and watch the Skittles colors move towards the center of the plate with beautiful rainbow streaks.
• That’s it. It’s so quick and easy!

The Science Behind this Rainbow Science Experiment:

Skittles are coated with sugar and food coloring. When you add warm water to the Skittles, the sugar and food coloring start to dissolve. They have similar amounts coated on them so they dissolve at similar speeds and stay in their lanes.

The sugar is moving to areas of water with lower sugar concentration. If the water is poured in the center, this is happening for each Skittle at relatively the same speed.

I hope your kids have a great time with this fun Skittles rainbow experiment!

To get the Skittles rainbow recording sheets, click the button below!

Check out these other science activities for kids.

Try this super simple Oobleck recipe that only requires two household ingredients!

This awesome rainbow  Walking Water Science Experiment  is a favorite for kids of all of ages!

You can also make a rainbow of flowers with this super cool color changing flowers experiment !

This rain cloud jar science experiment give children a chance to explore clouds and rain in a hands-on and engaging way

The kids will get a kick out of this super cool  dancing raisins science experiment !

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Fun with Mama

Toddler and preschool activities

Written by Nadia T • Feb 7, 2024 • 18 Comments

Magical Skittles Rainbow Science Experiment

Not only can you use Skittles to taste the rainbow, but you can also create your very own Skittles experiment to make a rainbow too! Your little scientists will love this simple science experiment that takes just a couple of minutes to do.  Learn how to make a rainbow with Skittles candy in this post.

Related : Make Ice Cream In A Bag

Don’t you love it when you find easy arts + crafts for kids that use minimal supplies you probably already have at home? I do!

You’ll be glad to know that your kids do not need to eat all that leftover candy from Halloween or Valentine’s Day! Turn that candy into an easy science experiment for kids !

This is a great activity that is suitable for all ages, especially for toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and even grade schoolers.

Skittles Rainbow Science Experiment

My kids absolutely love science experiments! They still can’t stop talking about the  volcano science experiment . I think that one won me mother of the year. This one is no different.

I don’t think I’ve ever had as many “oooooh” and “aaaah” sounds coming from such an easy science experiment before.

With this science activity, we saw a beautiful rainbow of colors that included yellow, orange, red, green, and purple.

Video Of the Skittles Experiment

Materials Required:

Please note that affiliate links are used in this post.

This activity only requires 3 things… 2 of which will already be found in your home.

• A plate or bowl
• Warm or Hot Water – Warm tap water worked great for me and that is what I used in this tutorial. The hotter, the better. Unless you are working with young children, then safety definitely needs to come first.
• Skittles  – You will use one bag per time you do the experiment. You could also use M&M’s

Watch my kids do the skittles science project below.

How to do the Rainbow Skittles Science Experiment rainbow

Step 1: Place the Skittles in a circle around your dish at the edge of the plate.

If working with younger kids, they will be strengthening their fine motor skills while doing this. They will also use their pincer grasp to place the skittles onto the plate. It is a great activity and fun way to get some pincer grasp practice.

Pincer grasp refers to using the middle finger, forefinger, and thumb together to grasp an object. It is an important fine motor skill that helps with holding a pencil.

This is a great time to talk about patterns. Create different patterns by using different colors. If you alternate the colors in the same order you will see a rainbow similar to the one in my pictures.

You could also do color blocking by placing the same color Skittles next to each other.

Once you have completed the circle, add in warm water from the middle of the plate. Make sure you add enough water to go right to the edge of the candy on both sides.

Wait thirty seconds to see the colors begin to release into the surrounding areas of water out. This happens when the sugar dissolves.

If you used cold water instead of warm water for the skittles experiment, then it will take longer for the colors to begin to release.

As the dye dissolves from the candy shell the rainbow of colors will start to come together.

Then be completely amazed by your beautiful results! At the end you can have your child mix all the colors together using a toothpick or their finger. You can discuss how when you mix colors together it becomes a brownish color.

For my three-year-old, it really helped that the bowl I chose had the outline of the perfect circle. This helped her create a circle easily.

What is the science behind the skittles experiment?

Each Skittle has a colored shell that is made up of food coloring and a sugar coating. The sugar molecules are then dispered into the water in areas that have a lower sugar concentration.. Because the sugar water has food coloring in it you can observe this process.

The amount of sugar dissolved within the colored water should be the same and therefore they are the same density. That is why the colors stay separated and don’t mix together.

The reason you use warm water or hot water instead of cold water is because the temperature can effect the result. If you use cold water the rainbow will form more slowly. That is because the water molecules in hot water (and warm water) move around more quicker than in cold water.

More creative ways to do this experiment:

• Try out different patterns.
• When teaching a young child about colors, you can use just 1 or 2 colors of Skittles. For example if you are teaching the color red, then only include red skittles. When you pour the hot water in you will see red water. If you are teaching a child the color purple then use just purple skittles. You will then see purple water.
• Adjust the temperature of water. Use two plates. In one plate of Skittles Candy use hot or warm water. In the second plate use cold water. Observe the differences between how the experiment works in each plate.
• Make this a seasonal activity by changing the colors as we did in this Valentines Skittles Experiment . Make it a St. Patrick’s Day activity by using just green skittles.

Looking for more candy experiments? Check out the Fizzing Candy Canes experiment too.

Check out these other rainbow activities too

• How to Make Crystal Rainbows
• How To Make Rainbow Colored Rice
• Rainbow Bubble Foam Recipe
• Make a Rainbow with Play Dough

More fun Candy Learning Activities from around the web.

• Graphing Candy (Busy Toddler)
• Preschool Learning Activities With Candy (Toddler Approved)

This post was originally published on January 9, 2017.

More Science Experiments

Nadia is a mom of 4, with a passion for making childhood education fun through play. She encourages parents to spend quality time with their kids through fun kids activities and enjoys art, traveling, and doing activities with her children.

View all posts from this author

You May Also Enjoy These Posts:

Get easy and instant access to ALL of our printable activities and resources by joining the Fun With Mama printables club.

Get all the details and join here.

Reader Interactions

18 Comments

March 11, 2017 at 9:50 am

Could you do the skittle rainbow on a cardboard plate then you could save the rainbow after it dries. You could discard any skittles that didn’t disolve.

May 22, 2017 at 9:25 am

that’s a cool idea too Fran.

May 22, 2017 at 9:26 am

I have been gathering fun ideas to do with my two boys during the summer break.. adding this one to the list.

May 28, 2017 at 6:53 am

I came over from Happiness is Homemade and I am so glad I did. This will be amazing for my twin grandsons to try. And they love Skittles. I’ll have to double the amount! This proves there is are in science.

Wishes for tasty dishes, Linda

[…] an Easy Science Experiment using Skittles! -via Fun with […]

[…] Turn left over Valentine’s Candy into a cool Rainbow Science Experiment. […]

[…] This Skittles Rainbow Kids Candy Science Experiment is fascinating and who doesn’t want to create a rainbow? […]

[…] Easy Skittles Rainbow Science Experiment | Fun with Mama […]

[…] Easy Skittles Rainbow Kids Candy Science Experiment from Fun with MamaHow to Take Your Own Sports Team Photos from Growing Up Gabel […]

[…] Easy Skittles Rainbow Kids Candy Science Experiment from Fun with Mama […]

[…] Skittles Rainbow Science Experiment from Fun with Mama […]

[…] Easy Skittle Rainbow Science Experiment (Fun with Mama):  Kids of all ages can enjoy this homeschool science fun!  Preschoolers can practice patterns, color recognition, and sorting. […]

[…] Skittles Rainbow Science Experiment […]

[…] to use for some science fun are M&Ms and Skittles. You can make rainbows (M&M Rainbow, Skittles Rainbow) , see if they float,  balance them, dissolve them and do math games like counting with […]

[…] You can Skittles or M&Ms, and the beautiful rainbows you will create are downright magical! Easy Rainbow Skittles Science Experiment by Fun With […]

[…] Rainbow Candy Science Experiment | Fun With Mama -Yum! Use that left over candy for the sake of science! Your kids are going to love watching their favorite candy transform and mix! […]

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Have you grabbed the latest FREE printables?

Skittles Rainbow Science Experiment

When it comes to candy, my kids are huge fans. They went to a summer parade and came back with more candy than they even get at Halloween, which means I had to come up with a way to use it up fast, or they would eat it all in about three days.

We’ve wanted to make a candy rainbow for some time now, and the haul came with the perfect candy for this: Skittles! We used our Skittles to make the Skittles rainbow science experiment and learned a bit more about dissolving, absorption, and how colors mix.

Transform candy into a rainbow within seconds with the power of dissolving.

• Skittles or other bright candy
• White bowl or plate

Spread the candy into a pattern inside the bowl or plate. My kids love rainbows, so they chose to align the skittles as closely to a rainbow as they could.

Pour about a quarter of an inch of warm water into the center of the bowl.

Watch as the color slowly spreads out from the Skittles toward the center of the bowl.

Shake up the bowl and watch the colors mix.

Leave them alone for a few more minutes, and the colors start to separate again!

My kids thought perhaps it was the different flavors of the candy that made the colors remain separated, but we never found out the official explanation. Perhaps you can figure it out!

Skittles Rainbow Science Experiment Explained

Candy is full of dye (usually), which means the combination of dye and sugar dissolves quickly in water. Skittles are particularly good for this experiment because they are colorful and dissolve even faster than other candies. When placed in a shallow pan of water, the dye quickly dissolves and starts to absorb into the water, making a colorful rainbow. Ask your kids if they can figure out why the colors stay separated.

More fun science for kids:

• arts & crafts
• _famous artists
• _process art
• _paint recipes
• _keepsake crafts
• _book activities
• _sensory bins
• _sensory play recipes
• _science experiments
• _free printables
• _colouring pages
• _valentines day
• _st patrick's day
• _mother's day
• _father's day
• _thanksgiving

Rainbow Skittles - A fun and easy science experiment for kids!

MORE FUN SCIENCE EXPERIMENT VIDEOS

Supplies for the rainbow skittles experiment.

• A bag of skittles 
• Warm water 

Rainbow Skittles Experiment

• — Share It —

No comments

Hello & Welcome!

Follow By Email

Join the fun subscribe to our newsletter to have fun ideas delivered to your inbox subscribe.

Get FREE craft and activity ideas

Join our newsletter to have ideas delivered to your inbox each week!

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Copyright Messy Little Monster . Blog design by Designs by Kassie . Privacy Policy Here

Science Fun

Rainbow Skittles Color Science Experiment

In this fun and easy science experiment, we’re going to explore and investigate colors by making a beautiful rainbow with Skittles. 

Instructions:

• Arrange the Skittles in a circle around the edge of the plate.
• Gently pour the warm water into the center of the plate until if fills up around the Skittles.
• Watch as the beautiful and colorful rainbow grows.

EXPLORE AWESOME SCIENCE EXPERIMENT VIDEOS!

How it Works:

The Skittle candies are coated with sugar and food coloring. The water dissolves the sugar and releases the food coloring which then slowly diffuses through the water.

Make This A Science Project:

Try other colorful candies. Try different temperatures of water. Try vinegar. Try adding salt to the water. 

EXPLORE TONS OF FUN AND EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!

SUBSCRIBE AND NEVER MISS A NEW SCIENCE FUN VIDEO!

previous experiment

Next experiment.

Skittles Rainbow Science Experiment

In this Skittles Rainbow kids’ science experiment, we used candy from my daughter’s Halloween stash to create a beautiful rainbow in a jar .  It was so easy and fun my 4 year old didn’t mind sacrificing a little bit of her candy in the name of science.

Follow the simple step-by-step below and then snag 30 more science experiments kids will beg to repeat in our shop !

Getting Ready

While my daughter rooted through her trick-or-treat bag for some Skittles, I quickly grabbed a few additional supplies:

• 5 small glasses
• a glass of hot water (hot but not scalding)
• a tablespoon
• A pipet or syringe

Skittles Science Experiment

When she returned with the Skittles, I had her begin by measuring out 2 tablespoons of hot water into each of the 5 glasses.

Next, I opened the Skittles and explained that each glass would have different color Skittles in them, but not the same number of Skittles in each glass. We chose to use:

My daughter counted out the correct number for each color and placed them in the glasses of hot water.

NOTE: The hot water helps dissolve the Skittles quickly.  If you notice that the candies aren’t dissolving after stirring the candies, try microwaving the glass for 30 seconds to reheat the water.

Once the candy dissolved, we let the water cool to room temperature.  Cool water is more dense than warm water and we wanted all our glasses to be the same temperature.

While the liquids cooled, I asked my daughter some questions about this Skittles science experiment:

What color she thought had the most sugar in it?  She instantly pointed to the glass with the purple Skittles.

What color was the most dense? (Which one had the most sugar molecules in it?) Again, she pointed to the purple.

I  had her put the colors in order from most dense (purple) to least dense (red).

Next, I asked my daughter if she thought the most dense or least dense solution should go on the bottom of the rainbow jar.

“The purple goes on the bottom because the most dense sinks to the bottom,” she replied.  So I passed her a clean baby food jar and a pipet and she carefully transferred the purple sugar water to the jar.

I took over adding the remaining layers starting with green, then yellow, then orange and ending with red.

My daughter’s pipette worked really well to slowly dribble the colored water down the side of the glass. If you try pouring the different colors in, they will mix leaving you with a jar of muddy brown sugar water. If you don’t have a pipette, you can use a syringe and slowly dribble the sugar water down the inside of the jar.

Even with using a pipette and adding the liquid slowly, we could still see the less dense layer move down into the lower layer and then rise back up again.  My daughter liked to sit and watch the less dense layer “pop” back up to its own color.

Once all the layers were added, we placed the jar in the window and admired the colors as the sun shone through them.  I asked if she thought the colors would stay separate forever.

“No,” she said, “they will all mix together.”  She was right!  After a few days, the Skittles science experiment rainbow looked like a muddy puddle.

Much like real rainbows, the Skittles rainbow should be admired while you have the chance!

The Science Behind It

Each glass had the same amount of water but a different amount of sugar (Skittles) so the solution layers from least dense (the red water that had only two Skittles) to most dense (the purple water that contained ten Skittles).

For more kids’ science fun, grab 30 more science experiments kids will love in our shop !

Similar Posts

8 Fun Rhymes for Kids

Sink and Float Peeps

Apple Vowel Clip Cards

Magic E Pop It Center

Rainbow Jar

How Many Drops Will Fit?

28 comments.

• Pingback: 60 Very Simple Science Experiments Your Kids Will Love
• Pingback: 12 Awesome Science Experiments You Need to Show Your Kids - Lucks List
• Pingback: Sharpie Tie-Dye Science - Playdough To Plato
• Pingback: 25 Rainbow Activities for Kids - Playdough To Plato
• Pingback: Luck of the Leprechaun – Learning With Es

Definitely can raise the age for this . As it would be fun for the younger ones , older children can actually do the work and understand the concepts as to how and why

Yes, Sabine! So many different ages can enjoy this activity! Warmly, Ashley // Happiness Ambassador

Would this be considered a heterogeneous mixture or homogeneous mixture ?

• Pingback: Children’s Ministry Resources - CEF Virginia Peninsula - Church Assist, Good News Club, Williamsburg, Hampton Roads
• Pingback: Lets Make a Rainbow: Skittles Experiment

Is it edible

• Pingback: Candy Science Experiments for Your Halloween Leftovers – Lesson Plans

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

How To Make a Skittles Rainbow Science Experiment For Kids

Have you ever wondered why the colors of the skittles do not mix when placed in a plate of water? Check out our experiment below and learn the reason why!

Bag of Skittles Plate Warm water (just enough to cover the surface of the plate)

Directions:

1️⃣Place skittles in a pattern of alternating colors, along the inside edge of the plate. 2️⃣Pour warm water in the middle to cover the surface of the plate. 3️⃣Watch as the colors of the skittles slowly melt off of the candy and flow to the center of the plate.

Why do the skittle colors not mix?

Because the sugar in each candy is the same amount being dissolved and it’s being pushed outward into the center of the plate!

Check out this sugar density tower experiment we did that helps to clarify this skittles experiment!

Check out our video here:

Latest Posts:

• Tips On How To Choose Homeschool Curriculum
• How to Prepare for the KSC Homeschool Field Trip
• 6 Homeschooling Tips For New Families
• How To Promote A STEM Education In Your Homeschool
• 3 Important Tips For Starting The School Day Right

Sign Up to Our Newsletter

Get creative science and art activities straight to your inbox!

Social Links

Thedadlab nature workbook, 10 best stem toys for a fun and educational christmas, halloween grid printable, 25 best splash parks, paddling pools and fountains in london 2022, skittles science project that your child will love.

Skittles experiment is a really quick and easy activity to set up and can be done again and again in slightly different ways to get all sorts of weird and wonderful results! 

What you’ll need

How to do skittles science experiment.

Ready?  Let’s go!  First, you will need to arrange the skittles in a circle – try to make sure you have different colours next to each other.  This is a great opportunity to get creative by trying different shapes and patterns of the sweets.

Next, carefully pour in some water into the middle of the circle until the Skittles are half submerged.  Now sit back and watch!

Over the next few minutes, you will see coloured stripes form starting from the edge and gradually growing towards the middle of the circle.

The Science Explained

So what exactly is going on here?  Why do Skittles dissolve in water? The first question we must ask ourselves is what is the crunchy, coloured layer of a Skittle made of?  It is in fact made of sugar and food colouring. Water is able to dissolve (break down) the sugar into a sugar/water solution and this releases the colour.

In all solutions, the substance that does the dissolving is known as the solvent and the substance that is dissolved is known as the solute.

The final question we can ask ourselves is why do the colours go into neat stripes?  Why do they not mix up? All Skittles look very similar but no two are identical. They have very slightly different amounts of sugar which means the section of water with one Skittle will have a very slightly different density to the section next to it.

The process whereby water gets split due to differences in density (or other things such as temperature) is known as stratification.

How to take the experiment further

Why not try some changes of your own to this experiment?  What do you think would happen if you used cold water or hot water instead?  Do you think the colours would appear in the water faster or more slowly?

There are loads of other ways that you can make this experiment your own by trying other sweets, using oil or milk instead of water or even putting food colouring into bits of the water before the coloured stripes start to form!

Here is a video showing the same experiment we tried with M&M’S

Related Posts

Kids science experiment with coca cola cans, how to make an impressive 8 layer density column, egg drop experiment with raw eggs, liquid density tower experiment with salt or sugar.