4 Easy Water Experiments for Kids
I’ve yet to meet a child who isn’t thrilled by the prospect of a science experiment! As adults, we often hesitate to introduce more science at home or school because we fear it will be too difficult, messy, or challenging to coordinate. To make things easier, we’ve found four super simple experiments that kids can mostly do on their own (depending on their ages). These activities use water and very few other items, so there’s no need for fancy ingredients. We aim to simplify the process for adults while ensuring kids have a blast with hands-on science!
Experiment 1 - Oil and Coloured Water Drops
You will need:
clear plastic cups
oil
water
food colouring
droppers
Mix water with food coloring to create several vibrant colors in plastic cups.
Next, pour some oil into additional plastic cups or a bowl (we used cups for their transparency).
Children can then drop the coloured water into the oil cups and observe how the water forms little coloured droplets that float on top of the oil instead of blending in.
Science explanation:
Water and oil have different properties that make it hard for them to mix. Water is heavy and likes to stick together, while oil is lighter and doesn’t mix with water.
When you add coloured water to the oil, the water forms little drops instead of spreading out. This happens because the water is trying to stay separate from the oil. So, instead of mixing in, the coloured water floats on top of the oil, and you can see beautiful, colourful drops just sitting there on the surface!
Experiment 2 - Keep a Paper Towel Dry
You will need:
mini plastic cup
clear bowl
water
food colouring
paper towel
Prepare a Bowl of Colored Water: This will help you see if the paper towel gets wet.
Fold a paper towel and press it firmly into the bottom of the cup.
Carefully place the cup upside down into the bowl of coloured water.
Gently lift the cup out of the water and take out the paper towel. It should remain dry!
Science Explanation:
The air inside the cup pushes against the water, stopping it from getting inside. The air is strong enough to keep the water out and keep the paper towel dry.
Because the cup is upside down, the water can’t get into the cup because there’s no way for it to get past the air that's inside.
So, even though the cup is in the water, the paper towel stays dry inside because the air keeps the water out!
Experiment 3 - Upside Down Glass of Water
You will need:
bowl
food colouring
water
small clear plastic cup
cardboard
Mix up some coloured water and pour it into a jug or bottle for easy pouring.
Pour the coloured water into a plastic cup, filling it about three-quarters full.
Place a piece of cardboard over the top of the cup.
Carefully hold the cardboard in place and flip the cup upside down over a bowl (just in case of spills).
Gently let go of the cardboard while keeping the cup upside down, making sure the cardboard stays in place.\
Science Explanation:
When you flip the cup upside down with the cardboard on top, the air pressure outside the cup pushes up against the cardboard. This pressure is stronger than the force of gravity trying to pull the water down.
The cardboard acts like a lid that seals the top of the cup. The air pressure holds the cardboard in place, keeping the water inside the cup.
So, when you carefully let go of the cardboard, the air pressure holds it against the cup, and the water stays inside, showing how air pressure can keep things from falling!
Experiment 4 - Coloured Paper Balls
You will need:
clear plastic cups
food colouring
water
droppers
paper towels
tray or shallow dish
Mix up several cups of coloured water in different colours.
Scrunch up some paper towel squares and place them in a tray or dish.
Drop different colours of water onto the scrunched paper towels and watch how the colours spread and blend as the paper towels absorb the water.
Try mixing different colours on the paper towels to see how they combine and create new shades.
Science Explanation:
When you drop the coloured water onto the scrunched paper towels, the paper towels soak up the water. This is called absorption. The paper towel acts like a sponge, pulling the water into its fibres.
As the paper towel absorbs the water, the colours start to spread out. The water moves through the paper towel and mixes with other colours that are already there.
When different colours of water touch each other, they blend together. This is because the water is moving through the paper towel and mixing with the other colours.
So, by watching the colours spread and mix, you can see how water moves through materials and how different colors can come together to create new ones!
Check out our little scientists try out these experiments in our YouTube video. Click the image to see the video.
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