All kids love experiments!! They are captivated by the unknown and in awe of the results. The crawling rainbow experiment is a sure crowd pleaser for all age levels! It simulates how secondary colors are created from primary colors. What a gorgeous color wheel it creates!
The beauty of this experiment is that it requires little prep and simple supplies, and leaves little to no mess! So if you’re working with little ones, you can rest easy.
– 5 or 6 clear plastic cups or mason jars
– Paper towels cut into strips
– Food color drops or gel dye
Getting started, it might be a good idea to begin with asking the kiddos predictions of what they think might happen and why. I’m always so amazed with their background knowledge with the phenomena in the world around us. After the discussion, prepare three cups with water filled three-quarters of the way full. Add as much or as little of the primary color food coloring as desired (red, yellow, blue). I believe adding more color will produce better results.
Next, prepare two cups with water and assemble them as seen in the picture above. You will notice the osmosis occurring instantly! The colors will slowly begin to“crawl”and form the secondary colors.
Be aware that you’ll need to let the cups set for some time (a few hours) for final results, however, check back in to see the color changes happening periodically. If the kiddos play with the water in the cup, the color will begin to transfer more quickly. Some of my favorite pictures of the experiment happened during the color transfer. It’s incredible to seethe two pigments coming together. After having finished the experiment, I wish I had added a sixth cup to watch purple form. I think you should definitely give it a try!
If you’re looking to extend this experiment, you can pair it with the incredible book, MIXED. It’s “A Colorful Story” about how lucky we are to live in a world full of different colors. It begins with red, yellow and blue and ends with endless colors!
Enjoy this highly engaging experiment as the excitement unfolds before your very eyes!
Save it for later!