Daily STREAM Activity: Walking Rainbow

Create a rainbow in your home!

Activity best for children age 2 and up

Today you will be creating a walking rainbow. This is a colorful way for kids to learn all about capillary action. The paper towels have small spaces in between the fibers. The water soaks up the paper towel and makes its way upwards through these small spaces. This force between the water and paper towel is stronger than gravity which is why the water moves upwards!

Materials you’ll need:

4 Paper Towels

5 Cups

Water

Food Coloring

Mixing utensil

Questions to answer while experimenting:

How many colors did you start with and how many colors did you end with?

Can primary colors make more colors? Which ones?

Why can the water move upwards against gravity?

Directions

STEP 1
Lay out your five cups. Fill the 1st, 3rd, and 5th cups with water. 

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STEP 2
Put a few drops of red food coloring in the 1st cup, yellow food coloring in the 3rd cup, and blue food coloring in the 5th cup. Red, yellow, and blue are your primary colors! Using a mixing utensil, stir around the colors in each of your filled cups.

Image 7 23 20 At 2.37 PM (1)

STEP 3
Take a piece of paper towel and fold it into thirds. Cut it to the size of your cup so that it isn’t too long and fits snug in the cup. Place one end in side-by-side cups. Do this three more times.

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STEP 4
Wait a few minutes and watch the magic happen. The colors will now start to seep into the paper and walk down the cups. You now have a beautiful walking rainbow!

Image 7 23 20 At 2.37 PM (3)
Image 7 23 20 At 2.26 PM (4)

Blog post by Raina, San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum Volunteer