Skittles Science Experiment
When I came across this video from The Dad Lab showing the coolest Skittles Science Experiment, I KNEW we had to give it a try! Anything that gets my kids pumped up about science is a win in my book, and this Skittles Science Project was a huge hit.
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Skittles Experiment
This easy and fun science experiment is perfect for kids of all ages. It only requires a few supplies you probably already have at home. All you need is some water, milk, a clear or white plate, and Skittles candies.
To prepare for our Skittles Science experiment, we first poured out some Skittles and talked about the colors of the rainbow (ROY G. BIV, anyone?) and the colors that are made when colors are mixed.
The kids learned about primary colors. Then we used small plastic bathroom cups with some room temperature water in them to mix different colors and found that:
- red + yellow = orange
- blue + red = purple
- yellow + blue = green
Then we got to work on this simple science experiment!
Science Experiment with Water
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step #1: We grabbed a pack of Skittles from a stash of leftover candy we had in the pantry, and we arranged them around the edge of the plate.
Step #2: Next, we poured warm water on to the Skittles and watched the magic happen! A beautiful rainbow began to appear in the center of the plate.
My kids were fascinated by the whole thing, and now every time they see Skittles, they ask to make another rainbow!
More Skittles Experiment Ideas
Idea #1: I always love when I can pair an activity or experiment with a read-aloud book and The Color Kittens was the perfect book for this colorful lesson! I have a love for Little Golden Books (You, too? Yay!), and this has become one of our favorites in our family.
Idea #2: When I was an elementary classroom teacher, I loved using journaling with my students, and it has become one of my favorite parts of homeschooling as well.
My kids have a math journal, a language arts journal, and a science/social studies journal, but these journals are not just for writing – we use them for all kinds of things.
For example, with this Simple Skittles Rainbow Experiment, I had my little scientists draw a picture of what happened when we poured the warm water on the Skittles, and they did a great job illustrating the colorful rainbow that formed in the middle of their plate.
We have also used our science journal as a place to draw pictures of what we PREDICT will happen with various experiments.
It’s so much fun to watch my kids’ wheels turns as they sharpen their critical thinking skills.
A good scientist must know how to think critically.
Our journals aren’t anything fancy. At this time, we use just regular notebooks/notepads. A binder with lined and unlined paper, a composition book, or sketch book would also work well.
Idea #3: Different colors of Skittles can be dropped down in individual glasses of water to create colorful cups of liquid! A simple science activity like this can provide a great opportunity to explore color mixing.
Idea #4: Try using milk instead of water for an interesting Rainbow Skittles Experiment with milk that shows the colors even better. I’d suggest using a white plate for this option.
These color-mixing glasses from Learning Resources are a great addition to this fun Skittles rainbow activity, and as always, don’t ever be afraid to bring more read-aloud books into the mix.
Books are always a great idea!
I promise that’s not food coloring you see – that color is coming from the Skittles. As the candy coating dissolves, the color appears. The more candy used in each glass, the higher concentrations of color you’ll see in this cool experiment.
A few more books about colors that we enjoy are:
- The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
- The Hidden Rainbow by Christie Matheson
- A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman
Updated Version of White Rabbit’s Color Book Available Here
We hope you have as much fun with this Skittles Science Experiment as we did!
Whatever encourages your kiddos to get excited about learning, DO IT! I love that these science activities can be suitable for younger learners as well as adjusted for older kids to enjoy as they grow in their understanding of the scientific method.
Need a big bag of Skittles so you can do your own candy science experiment?
