The 4th of July may be but a distant memory, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate everyday with your own fireworks show inside! Just 3 simple ingredients make for a memorable show. This one will have the kids using multiple glass jars, and an infinite combination of colors! Try using different oils to see if there is any change in color or effect.
What you need:
- A large glass or glass container
- A small glass (for color mixing)
- Food coloring
- Warm water
- A fork
- Oil (vegetable)
What you do:
- Fill the large glass/container ¾ of the way to the top with warm water.
- In the separate smaller glass, add a few tablespoons of oil and add 4-5 drops of food coloring…use different colors for a cool effect.
- Using the fork, give the oil and food coloring mixture a good mix to break up the “color beads” into smaller ones.
- Carefully pour the oil and food coloring mixture into the large glass/container of warm water and wait for the booms and bangs to happen.
Fireworks magic in a glass! Check out all the color patterns and twists and color mixing. Simply amazing.
Why does this work?
Food coloring dissolves in water, but not in oil. When you stir the food coloring in the oil, you are breaking up the coloring droplets. Oil is less dense than water, so the oil will float at the top of the glass. As the colored drops sink to the bottom of the oil, they mix with the water. The color diffuses outwards as the heavier colored drop falls to the bottom.
