The Google doodle for Oskar Fischinger was a swirl of color, shapes, and sounds; it inspired this visual magic milk swirling color science experiment. The sound was our squeals of wonder as we watched the art-in-action in a dish. Usually, this magic milk swirling color science experiment is done with red, blue, and yellow food coloring. When coloring Easter eggs, we used up the blue and yellow. Somewhere in the cupboard there is a brand new box but all we could find was the old box with red and green.
To start, pour a little bit of milk in a flat dish like a saucer or shallow, wide bowl. You will need milk with fat content, not skim. Someday, we want to try this using cream to see if there is a difference. Carefully squeeze in a couple drops of each color in different spots. At this point, kids really want to mix the colors. Instead, talk about what might happen, then watch. What does happen? Do the colors move or mix? There isn’t much going on.
Squirt a couple drops of liquid dish soap into a small lid. We use soap to wash hands and dishes; will the soap wash the colors? Dip a q-tip into the soap and then dip it into the middle (more or less) of the puddle of milk and color. Take the q-tip right out. No stirring needed. The colors start to tumble, mix, swirl, and dance on their own. Is that what the colors did before using the bit of soap? What made the difference? There’s lots to talk and wonder about now. The action just keeps happening, almost as if it’s magic.
After watching this for a bit, kids just have to stir with the q-tip. Of course, the colors really do mix now to make a muddy pool. Who could resist?
Did we need fairy dust for this magic milk swirling color science experiment? Nope, just a little soap added to the milk and color. There is a scientific explanation involving how molecules breakdown and combine, but to the eyes it looks like magic. Once done stirring, it’s easy to wash up with the dish soap. What other magic can soap do?
No need for a magic wand for play activities; come back to the play-of-the-day on 123kindergarten.com.