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Looking for something to do with the kids that has a 4th of July theme? Grab some blue and red food coloring, milk, and dish soap and you’re ready to create your own fireworks in a plate. This surface tension experiment is fun and so simple! Usually the adults want in on the fun as well.
Gather your supplies and add a bit of milk to a plate. You don’t need a lot just enough so that you can touch the top with the cotton swab without hitting the bottom of the plate.
Add some blue and red food coloring carefully to the milk by drops. Play with the arrangement and amount of food coloring each time you do the experiment.
Put some dish soap on the end of a cotton swab making sure that it’s not dripping.
Then, carefully touch the surface of the milk with the cotton swab and repeat!
The color will quickly move away from the cotton swab each time you touch it to the surface. It’s fun to see all the different patterns you can make. You can even swirl it around a bit at the end to see the colors mix just for fun!
Here’s a video showing what it looks like:
Tips: If you’re doing this with younger kids protect your surfaces and place the plate in a cookie sheet or large tray to catch any colorful milk that may spill out. You can do this with water as well, the milk just allows you to see the color more vibrantly.
This is the same concept as the “Is Pepper Afraid of Soap” experiment just a little more colorful!
Looking for more Summer fun? Try these favorites of ours.
