This Color Swirl science experiment is one of those simple science activities that always feels a little magical to preschoolers! With just milk, food coloring, and a drop of dish soap, children can observe bright colors swirling and moving right before their eyes.
This easy experiment is perfect for introducing young children to observing, predicting, and experimenting while also giving them a fun hands-on sensory experience. Best of all, it uses inexpensive materials you may already have in your classroom or kitchen.
Materials Needed:
Pie pans
Whole Milk
Food color
Toothpicks
Medicine droppers
Liquid dish detergent
Set Up:
Pour a small amount of liquid dish detergent into each paper cup (children can share cups). Pour milk into each pie pan. You only need to pour enough milk in the pan to cover the bottom
Procedure:
When the group is ready, drop one drop each of 4 colors of food coloring around the edge of the pan. The milk does not change color if we keep the pan still.
Children add one drop of liquid dish detergent into the middle of the pan with a medicine dropper. The colors will swirl! After they watch the colors swirl for a bit, give them a toothpick to dip in the soap, then dip in the pan repeatedly to make the colors swirl some more. Instruct children to dip their toothpick into the milk, but not stir.
This activity is always a favorite because children get to observe a chemical reaction right before their eyes. The dish detergent reacts with the fat in the milk, causing the food coloring to move and swirl around the pan. It almost looks like fireworks or tie-dye!
Extension Ideas:
- Ask children to predict what will happen before adding the soap.
- Compare what happens when using one drop of soap versus several drops.
- Use heart-shaped or seasonal trays to connect the activity to holidays or themes.
Science Skills:
This activity encourages children to observe, predict, experiment, and describe what they see. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to introduce simple science vocabulary such as “reaction,” “mix,” “swirl,” and “observe.”
Teacher Tip:
Have extra paper towels nearby because children usually want to repeat this experiment several times! It’s also helpful to place the pie pans on trays to catch spills and make cleanup easier.
This colorful science activity is always a hit with preschoolers because it combines hands-on exploration with a little bit of “wow!” Children love watching the colors dance across the milk, and teachers love that it’s easy to set up with simple materials. Activities like this help young children build curiosity, observation skills, and a love for science through play and discovery.
Originally published April 2, 2008