Yesterday was the 4th of July, and we don’t know about you, but we’re still in a red, white, and blue mood! For STEAM Saturday this week, you and your patriotic pupil can explore colors, solutions, and stratification with a simple and fun Skittles experiment!
All you’ll need to get started is a bag of Skittles “America Mix” (we’re betting you can get a big discount on these today!), warm water, and a white dinner plate.
First, ask your child to separate the Skittles by color – red, white, and blue. Next, arrange your Skittles on your white plate. This experiment can be done on another color of plate, but the colors will be most visible against a white backdrop. Challenge your child to create a fun pattern or picture on the plate using the different colors – maybe a firework or a flag, or spelling out USA – get as creative as you’d like.
After your pattern is set, slowly pour warm water onto your plate, making sure all of the candies are in water, but not overflowing your plate. Now, it’s time to wait and watch. What do you observe? How long does it take for the color to dissolve off the candies? Do the colors mix together?
What’s happening in this experiment? The different colors dissolving in the water create distinct layers with different densities, which keep the colors from mixing together. This is called water stratification.
Try your experiment again, but change up the variables. What happens if you use cold water instead of warm water? What happens if you use different liquids besides water, like white vinegar? Does the Skittles pattern you create affect the way the experiment works? Compare your results with each new variable you change!
Find the complete experiment and more on the science behind it from The Soccer Mom Blog here.
As always, get as creative as you want, and above all, have lots of fun learning together!
We’ll see you right back here next Saturday for another STEAM Saturday activity! Scroll through the rest of our website to learn how Critchlow Adkins is Building Brighter Futures for the children and families we serve!
