color

Color Magic Milk Experiment

October 8, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Have you ever done the color magic milk experiment? It is quick and easy to do, and participants are always in awe of the results. In this version, I add artistic flair by giving the experiment a leafy twist.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Just a few supplies are needed for this simple but stunning kitchen science experiment. Gather the following:

2 liters milk
red, yellow, and blue food coloring
dish detergent
large round serving tray
maple leaf frame (optional)

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The Color Magic Milk Experiment

Effortlessly perform this color magic milk experiment in four easy steps. A maple leaf frame enhances the kitchen science experiment.

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To do this experiment, start by pouring a layer of milk into a food tray. Using homo milk is recommended, but 1% and 2% will also work.

Note: Outdated milk is a great choice for this experiment.

Next, float a maple leaf frame on the milk. (My frame is a cardboard cutout purchased at a dollar store.)

Note: The leaf-themed frame adds interest to the experiment, but is not necessary for it to work.

Then drip yellow, red, and blue food coloring inside the frame.

This next step is where the magic happens… Squirt a drop of dish detergent onto each pool of colors. Watch the colors instantly race to the edge of the frame, swirling around as they go.

After the initial color burst, check back after ten minutes and you will see a variety of hues slowly starting to fill in the maple leaf shape.

Watch the color magically spread around the maple leaf frame in this kitchen science experiment.

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At this point, you can add a little more food coloring and a tiny bit of dish detergent for more color play.

The colors slowly fill out the maple leaf frame in this color magic milk experiment with an artistic twist.

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View this maple leaf color magic science experiment as a video.

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The Science Behind This Color Experiment

Although milk is made of mostly water, it also contains fat and protein. These are both sensitive to changes in the milk. When dish soap is added to the tray, it breaks up the surface tension of the milk and is attracted to the fat molecules. The fat molecules try to scurry away but end up bonded with the soap molecules. The movement of the food coloring makes this process visible. As more and more soap and fat molecules bond, the color movement slows down and eventually stops.

Since the fat content in milk is super important in this experiment, homo milk works the best. But 2% and 1% milk (which I often have handy) also show stunning results.

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Celery Science Experiment

October 14, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky 2 Comments

Celery and food coloring science experiment.

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This classic and colorful celery science experiment is easy to do and has quick results. It works well as a “color-changing celery tree” activity in autumn but is awesome to perform at any time of the year. Your early learner will be thrilled with the speedy and dramatic results of the experiment.

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Supplies To Collect

leafy celery stalks
glasses or jars
food coloring hues
pitcher with water
knife
cutting board

Celery and food coloring experiment supplies.

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Procedure

Cut the bottoms from celery stalks.

Invite your early learner to generously squirt food coloring hues into glasses or jars, and add about 4 centimeters of water to each one.

Have your child place a celery stalk in each container, and use it to stir the liquids.

Set the jars or glasses with celery on a table or windowsill.

Celery xylem are clearly visible in this closeup photo.

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Invite your little learner to look at the celery after a couple of hours. There will be a noticeable change in celery stalk and leaf colors.

Observe the celery with your child the following day. The leaves will be a darker shade of the water hue their stalk was set in than the day before. Colored lines running from the bottom of the stalks to the leaf tips will be clearly visible.

Add a little more water to each container if needed. Study the celery together a day or two later. The leaves and lines on the stalks will be a deeper color still.

Try the experiment with other food coloring hues. The leafy inner stalks below are dipped in turquoise, purple, and green-colored water.

Celery and food coloring experiment using turquoise, fuschia, and green colored water.

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Admire the transformed celery.

Color change in celery as a result of adding food coloring to the water.

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Variation Of The Celery Science Experiment

Cut off the ends of celery stalks, and split the bottom half of the stalks into two parts.

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Invite your child to squirt blue, yellow, and red food coloring into glasses or jars, and mix each hue with a bit of water.

Carefully place a section of one split celery stalk in red water, and the other in yellow. Put the bottom halves of another split celery stalk into yellow and blue water.

Celery stalks placed in two different jars of colored water.

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Observe the celery with your little one after a couple of hours, the next day, and two days later.

You will see colored lines that extend from the bottoms of the celery stalks to the leaves. Each stalk will have lines and leaves in two different colors.

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The Science Behind The Celery Color Change Experiment

Celery stalks lose water through their leaves. More water gets pulled up from their roots to thirsty leaf tips through a network of hollow tubes called xylem.

The normally invisible process of water transport becomes visible when water accessible to celery stalks is colored.

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The little dots on these celery slices are xylem tubes.

The colored dots on these celery slices are xylem tubes that transport water.

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Artist Inspired Paint Mixing Project

September 11, 2018 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Color mixing paint project with red, white and yellow paint.

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Paint Mixing

Preschoolers love, love, love to mix paint colors, and I like some unique art for memory albums and/or classroom display. The orange/fuchsia diptych art quilt entitled “Now” by textile artist Laurie Brainerd provides just the right inspiration for children to color mix and have an interesting finished project. The unique paper shapes add interest to the painting project.

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The Two-Part Paint Mixing Process

Cut out the two shapes displayed above on light pink or white fade-resistant construction paper.

Day One

Set out yellow and a little red tempera paint along with brushes for children to decorate the shape featured below.

Color mixing paint activity: red and yellow paint set up with an unusual paper shape.

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Day Two

Set out white and a little red tempera paint along with brushes for children to decorate the shape featured below.

(The red paint tends to dominate, so a small amount works best.)

Color mixing paint activity: red and white paint set up with an unusual paper shape.

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Finishing The Look

After both projects dry, use glue tape to attach the pieces to a 12 x 12 piece of card stock. The art can be displayed on a wall and/or saved for a scrapbook-style memory album.

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About Laurie Brainerd’s Work

The art quilt “Now” (2008) is part of Laurie Brainerd’s series of abstract works around formal elements of design. Commercial, hand-dyed, and vintage fabrics were used in the pieces. I discovered the quilt in the gorgeous book “500 Art Quilts” by Karey Patterson Bresenhan.

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Laurie Brainerd makes many unique art quilts. You can find out more about Laurie’s interesting and varied pieces on her website.

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