science

Blue Candy Cane Science Experiment

January 23, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky 1 Comment

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This blue candy cane science experiment is an offshoot of an earlier candy cane science post. I purposely saved blue striped candy canes to use in a few winter-themed variations of the easy-to-perform experiment. And yes…I am permanently hooked on candy cane science!

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Supplies To Collect

This blue candy cane snowflake experiment will wow little learners. It is easy to set up and shows immediate results.

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First up is a blue candy cane snowflake version of the experiment. To perform it gather the following three supplies:

six blue and white striped candy canes
large clear, white, or cream-colored plate with a rim
measuring cup (or cup) of warm water

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The Candy Cane Snowflake Experiment

Set the candy canes on a large plate in a six-sided snowflake design.

Let the science experiment begin with this blue candy cane snowflake!

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Slowly pour in warm water to partially cover the candy canes.

Invite participants to watch what happens.

An easy-to-do candy cane snowflake science experiment. All you need is water, candy canes, and a plate.

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While little learners watch the colors in the water spread during the experiment, slip in a few snowflake facts from the list below.

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Ten Fast Facts About Snowflakes

Snowflakes are made of many snow crystals that are stuck together.
The six-sided flakes come in symmetrical, hexagonal shapes.
About 200 ice crystals make up one snowflake.
There are six basic types of snowflakes.
Combinations of these types make 35 recognizable snowflake designs.
A snowflake’s shape is determined by the temperature and amount of moisture in the air when it was formed.
Snowflakes range in size, from teeny tiny to penny-sized.
Because they reflect light, snowflakes appear white. But they are actually translucent.
Every second, billions of snowflakes float down to earth.
Snowflakes fall at 3- 4 miles per hour or about 5 – 6.5 km per hour.

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Try this easy-to-do candy cane snowflake experiment today. It uses simple supplies and has immediate results. Snowflake facts are included.

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Early learners may wish to have a little taste of the resulting blue liquid. Unlike the strong mint taste of the Christmas candies, the blue water has a pleasant berry flavor.

Tip: If you have other candy cane colors available rather than blue striped ones, use them in the experiment instead. Snowflakes look beautiful in all colors!

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Blue Candy Cane Heart Experiment

For a simpler but equally striking version, form two candy canes into a heart shape on the plate. When water is slowly added, little learners will notice a different color pattern developing.

This blue candy cane heart science experiment fits into winter and transitions nicely into Valentine's Day.

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A pretty blue candy cane science experiment that will wow little learners.

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The Science Behind The Color Movement

The candy canes are made of sugar. The water breaks the sugar molecules apart. Then the food colors move through the water away from areas of higher sugar concentration (near the candy) to areas with less sugar. When the sugar concentration is the same in all areas, the colors stop moving.

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Blue Candy Cane Sensory Tube

If you have broken candy canes saved that weren’t suitable to display or hand out over the holidays, use them in a sensory tube.

Candy cane winter sensory tube with ice cubes and snowflakes.

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To make the winter-themed tube above, freeze ice cubes and add them to a clear tube with a wide mouth.

Next, sprinkle in blue and white foam and gem snowflakes.

Gently drop in blue-striped candy cane pieces.

Then fill the sensory tube with cool water and tightly screw on the lid.

Invite little learners to play with the tube.

An icy blue candy cane winter sensory tube doubling as a float and sink experiment.

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Because the water in the tube is cool, it changes color at a slower pace than in the snowflake and heart versions of the experiment.

Float and sink experimentation happens naturally with this candy cane tube. The snowflake gems and candy cane pieces sink to the bottom and hang out there, while the foam shapes congregate at the top.

This eye-appealing blue candy cane sensory tube doubles as a float and sink experiment.

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Candy Cane Science Experiment

January 1, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This Christmas I went on a candy cane hunt, primarily to add a few of these festive treats to my preschoolers’ party bags. Although easy to find in the past, I visited three different stores before I spotted some.

Candy canes had been brought up in class discussions, so I thought the children would be excited to discover them in their party bags. As I tried to give one child extra candy canes for his siblings, I noticed that he was furiously trying to give his original ones away. It turned out that he immensely dislikes them! So needless to say, there were a few candy canes leftover at school after the holiday celebrations.

So then came Plan B…the decision to use some for this easy-peasy candy cane science experiment.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather just three supplies for an easy-to-perform candy cane or candy experiment with a WOW factor.

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The supplies for this science experiment couldn’t be any simpler. Gather the following three things:

white or cream-colored dinner plate with a rim
cup of warm water
two large candy canes

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Conducting The Candy Cane Science Experiment

Try this candy cane Science experiment today! It is easy to do and has immediate results.

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Place two candy canes in the center of the plate in a heart shape.

Slowly pour in warm water to a level just beneath the plate rim.

The food coloring will immediately diffuse from the candy canes, and the color patterns will change right before your eyes!

This experiment can be tried with other colors of these treats. The red, pink, and white color scheme below would work perfectly for Valentine’s Day.

This easy to perform heart-themed candy cane science experiment is perfect for Valentine's Day. Give it a try!

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Variation Of The Candy Cane Experiment

There was a second candy escapade this holiday season, as a type of striped, spherical, Christmas candies I purchased turned out to be much too hard. I tasted one, and it just wouldn’t dissolve in my mouth. I imagined students choking on the candy on the drive home from preschool, and didn’t want to risk that. As you might have guessed, the super hard candies didn’t make the treat bag cut.

Conveniently, these holiday candies work in the same science experiment. In the picture below, the candies are arranged next to the rim of a plate. When warm water is added, green and red food colors slowly move through the liquid away from the candies. The process is so slow, the colors blend to make a rich brown hue soon after they spread. Since little learners love mixing colors to make brown, they would be excited to see this!

An oh-so-easy Christmas candy science experiment. Can't you smell the candy already?

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The candies can be placed a little farther apart around the plate rim, so the colors don’t mix as quickly when water is added. Or they can be spread apart as in the picture below. Then moving red and green colors are visible a little while after warm water is added.

Try this Christmas candy Science experiment today! It is easy to do and has immediate results.

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Tip: If the colors in the candies dissolve at a snail’s pace, as in one of my experiments, you can choose to use hot water. This will speed up the scientific process. Make sure little learners observe what happens only with their eyes, keeping their hands and bodies away from the plate.

After the science experiment is finished and the liquid is cool, you may wish to let your little charges taste a teaspoon of colored water. It will have a strong mint taste.

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A simple Christmas candy science experiment with quick results. Can't you smell the candy already?

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Explanation Of This Candy Cane/Candy Experiment

The candy canes and candies are made of sugar. The water breaks the sugar molecules apart. Then the food colors move through the water from areas of higher sugar concentration (near the candy) to areas with less sugar (the center of the plate.) When the sugar concentration is the same in all areas, the colors stop moving.

Water temperature is a variant in this experiment. Sugar dissolves quicker in warm water, and food coloring moves at a faster pace.

This science experiment is so easy to set up and has immediate results, perfect for little learners. And participants get to use their senses of sight, smell, taste, and touch. Try it today with candies or candy canes!

Related: Color Explosion Science Experiment

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This easy-peasy candy cane heart science experiment shows immediate results and brings the WOW factor, perfect for little learners!

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More Christmas Activities

Christmas Village Tuff Tray

Orange-scented Playdough Invitation

Santa Claus Sensory Bin

Chocolate Mint Playdough

Plaid-themed Christmas Rice Bin

Lemon-scented Christmas Playdough

Easy S’mores Bars

Christmas Tree Decorating Center

Christmas Sensory Play

Handprint Angel Christmas Keepsake

Llama Christmas Sensory Bin

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Turtle Pond Sensory Bin

November 4, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Easy to sert up nature-based tutle pond sensory bin.

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Why debut a turtle pond sensory bin, eggs included, in fall? Because although we generally associate spring as the time for baby animals to be born, many turtle hatchlings peck out of their shells in autumn.

And…because I have a light-up “toss and dive” turtle set that I’ve longed to use for over two years! I never stored it in a permanent spot because I was always planning to do a pond activity “very soon.” But with so many fantastic curriculum ideas to choose from every week, “soon” never came.

So this September as I was reorganizing storage areas, I noticed the colorful turtles once again. I googled “turtles in fall” to see how I could use them alongside typical fall themes such as leaves, pumpkins, bats, and spiders. Finding that turtle eggs and hatchlings are part of the fall season motivated me to include the diving turtles in a sensory activity at this time.

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Ten Turtle Reproduction Facts

Although turtles spend a lot of time in water, nearly all lay their eggs on land.
Many turtles lay a clutch of eggs in about 3 – 6 weeks after mating.
Mother turtles dig a nest in sandy or wet dirt with their hind legs. They cover the eggs laid in the nest with soil and plants.
Depending on turtle size and species, there can be from 5 to 100 eggs in a clutch.
Most turtles don’t guard their nests, leaving right afterwards.
It takes the baby turtles two to three months to hatch.
Most hatch in autumn, pecking their way out with an egg tooth.
These fall babies often stay in the nest through winter and emerge the following spring.
They survive their first winter by not eating and living on their own fat reserves. Some can handle cold temperatures and may even produce a sort of antifreeze.
Only a few turtles survive to adulthood. Turtle eggs and hatchlings have many predators.

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Turtle Pond Supplies To Collect

Loose parts for a turtle-themed sensory bin.

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A turtle-themed sensory bin can be set up very quickly with the following supplies:

kitchen supply bus bin
turtle figurines
rocks of varying sizes
small logs or twigs
gemstone slices
real or artificial leaves
marbles
small disposable food container with a ridge
a large piece of brown craft foam

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Making The Turtle Pond Sensory Bin

Nature[ based, easy to set up turtle pond sensory bin.

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Pour a layer of water into the bin. I used a kitchen bus bin for this activity.

Add rocks, logs, and gemstone slices.

Cut a few curves around the edge of the foam, and a hole in the middle just big enough to fit the disposable container. Float the foam in the water.

Set the disposable container in the hole to represent a turtle nest.

Add marble “eggs” to it. I used blue marbles because they were handy, but real turtle eggs are white or cream-colored.

This turtle pond sensory bin includes a sunken nest with "eggs."

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Surround the “nest” with a few craft or real leaves for covering the eggs up.

Add turtle figurines. Three light-up “toss and dive” turtles are the stars of this sensory bin, but any turtle figurines would be heartily welcomed by early learners.

Three "toss and dive" turtles are the stars of this pond sensory bin.

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Floral Decorated Skeleton

October 30, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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It’s always a treat to check the latest trends in home décor and craft stores, and this fall the offerings did not disappoint. Design ideas that stood out from the crowd were the floral accents on skeletons in wall art, sculptures, and figurines spotted at Michael’s stores. The pastel flowers totally romanticized and softened skeletons and skulls, and made them super fun.

Little learners can experience and create a floral decorated skeleton with a nature-themed transient art opportunity.

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Floral Decorated Skeleton Supplies To Collect

Gather the following supplies for this invitation to create:

flowers
tray
large model skeleton
large frame

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Decorating The Skeleton

Set a skeleton in a frame and add floral accents to soften up the look.

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On a table, set a skeleton model inside a 16-inch x 20-inch art frame.

Arrange flower heads in a tray. Mine were picked from begonias and marigolds grown in my yard over the summer: end-of-season plants that were about to freeze over due to frosty fall mornings.

A nature tray filled with flowers ready to be used for crafts, playdough, and sensory play.

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Invite early learners to decorate the skeleton with flowers.

Yellow and orange flowers brighten up this skeleton and allow children to become floral designers.

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You might enjoy adding floral touches to the skeleton too!

Yellow marigolds brighten up this skeleton and allow children to become floral designers.

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Pink begonia flowers soften up this skeleton and give young children a chance to be floral designers.

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Felt Marker Chromatography Experiment

October 30, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This felt marker chromatography experiment uses supplies from the kitchen, has quick results, and can be tailored to a variety of topics. Creativity and center play are easily incorporated. And the experiment is super family-friendly.

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Basic Felt Marker Chromatography Experiment

See what colors felt pens are really made up of with this felt pen chromatography experiment.

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The simplest version of this experiment is to draw three filled-in circles with nonpermanent felt pens near the bottom of a section of paper towel.

Add a thin layer of water with 2.5 ml salt stirred into a measuring cup or jar. Place the towel with the colored side down into the container. The water level should sit just below the felt pen colors.

Simply watch what happens!

After the color movement stops, remove the paper towel from the container and let it dry flat. Discuss the color changes/new color results.

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Felt Marker Chromatography Experiment Scary House

Scary house imaginative play with a felt pen experiment chromatogram.

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Although I am not into scary things and don’t do much frightening stuff with my preschool students, this version of the experiment produces a house that bats and spiders might like to inhabit. And here’s where the creative element kicks into high gear.

Draw the outline of a house on a paper towel section with a black nonpermanent felt marker. Trim the edges with scissors. Then add a thin line of black to the bottom of the house with the marker. Pour a little water with a bit of salt added into an ice cream pail. Position the paper towel so it reaches the bottom of the pail but does not slide in. Watch the immediate results. Then check back periodically to note more color changes.

This easy-to-do felt pen chromatography experiment has stunning results.

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When the colors have finished spreading, take the paper towel out of the pail, and dry it flat.

The color on my paper towel chromatogram stopped just short of the top of the house. I decided to wet the top a bit so the color filled in completely. That made the design ready to be a placemat for pumpkins, bats, and spiders.

Try this easy-to-do felt pen chromatography "scary house" experiment. It has possibilities for art and imaginaive play.

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Two Different Marker Chromatography Experiment

Try this easy felt pen chromatography experiment using a permanent and nonpermanent felt pen.

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Using both permanent and nonpermanent black felt markers produces nice results too. For this second version, draw the house on the paper towel with a black permanent marker. Then fill in the thin line of color at the bottom with a nonpermanent felt one. Finish the experiment with the same process as above.

As with the first project, the resulting colors did not spread to the very top of the paper towel house. So I wet the top of this chromatogram too. The color record looks like a house on fire to me, so adding people, pets, firefighters, and orange, black, and clear gems creates another imaginative play invitation.

Sensory and imaginative play with a felt pen experiment chromatogram.

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Firefighter diorama created with a felt pen experiment chromatogram.

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Interpreting The Felt Marker Chromatography Experiment

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines chromatography as “a process in which a chemical mixture carried by a liquid or gas is separated into components as a result of differential distribution of the solutes as they flow around or over a stationary liquid or solid phase.”

Although each felt marker appears to be just one color, the hues are actually made up of different chemicals called pigments. As saltwater seeps up stationary paper towels, the pigments move up with it. New colors appear because some pigments travel faster than others, and certain colors are less soluble and/or adhere to the paper towel more.

Each color-infused paper towel is called a chromatogram, a graphic record of the separation of colors into different pigments by chromatography.

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