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Easy Science Project With Skittles

Easy Science Project With Skittles
 

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Science experiments are incredibly fun with kids. We did this cool science project with Skittles today to help with weather week.

Spoiler: it produces a rainbow!

It’s incredibly easy and you can get kids as young as 2 involved with putting together the entire experiment!

My 4-year-old loved taking part in the experiment and I even let her eat some Skittles at the end!

Super cool Skittles experiment

This science experiment is budget-friendly too. If you have Skittles in your house, you have all the ingredients you need!

I’ve even included some tips on other candies and ideas you can do with this experiment to really get your child’s brains working.

If you’re looking for other science experiments to do with kids, and even toddlers, check out this list of super easy science experiments.

They all can be done with kids ages 2 and up and are a great way to keep kids occupied while you’re at home.

Skittles, Water, and a Plate


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How to Put Together A Science Project with Skittles

Grab either a big bag of Skittles or two small fun packs of them. I used four because we experimented twice today.

Have your child place the Skittles around the inside of a circular plate.

Girl placing Skittles on a plate
Placing Skittles in a circle on plate

Poor just a little warm water in the inside of the plate. You need just enough water to fill the bottom of the plate completely.

Girl pouring water on plate with Skittles

Wait and watch! The colors will start to spread to the middle and create a cool pattern in a matter of minutes!

Skittles starting to blend with water
Skittles blended a little more in water

It’s okay if the kids bump the table slightly. The Skittles science experiment will still work great! Trust me, my daughter has bumped the table a few times when we do this.

Keep reading for other variations on how to do this science project below!

Skittles All Blended in Water in Circle

Why Does This Experiment Work?

Skittles are coated with sugar and food coloring. What happens when you get sugar wet? It absorbs in the water!

The same effect is happening during this science experiment. The water hits the Skittles and the sugar coating melts into the water. Since the water is all in the middle of the plate, it only has one way to go.

Does This Skittles Science Experiment Work with Milk?

I have tried this experiment with milk, and it does not work. The Skittles just sit there. You can even move the plate slightly back and forth and they still will not dissolve.

Sprite, on the other hand, will create the same effect!

What Other Candies Can I Use?

This experiment also works great with M&Ms and Smarties. The M&Ms will create a similar effect while the Smarties will melt a little slower and will be more faded because of its colors.

Toothpick inside Skittles blended in water

Other Ideas to Make This Experiment

Here is a quick list of other ideas you can do to keep kids entertained with this simple science experiment.

– Use a square plate instead of a round plate

– Use a toothpick or small paintbrush to create a design once the Skittles have dissolved their colors

– Group the Skittles by color to make a big rainbow

– Put Skittles inside the middle of the plate to create a face or design to see how they react

Girl pouring water on plate with Skittles

Science Project with Skittles

Yield: 1
Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $1

A simple science project for kids of all ages. Try it with Skittles, M&Ms, and even Smarties!

Materials

  • 1 package of Skittles
  • water

Tools

  • 1 plate

Instructions

  1. Place Skittles in a circle on a plate.
  2. Pour warm water in the middle of the plate until it just fully covers the bottom.
  3. Sit and watch the rainbow form!

Notes

Try this with Sprite to create a rainbow or show your kids how milk does not have the same effect.

You can also try this experiment with M&Ms and Smarties!

Sharing is caring!

Ally

Thursday 8th of September 2022

Do you think this would work on a thick paper plate?

Samantha

Tuesday 11th of October 2022

If there is wax or plastic on the top, it could work, but paper may soak up the water and colors so it doesn't work as well.

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