Oil and Water Drops
Colored water drops sink through oil like slow-motion marbles.
- Ages
- 3–8 yrs
- Play
- 10–20 min
- Prep
- 5 min
- Mess
- some
- Energy
- calm
- Where
- at the table
You’ll need
Things you probably have at home.
- vegetable oil
- food coloringGet it on Amazon
- water
- a clear cup and a few small cupsGet it on Amazon
- a dropper or a teaspoonGet it on Amazon
Optional
- a tray to catch spillsGet it on Amazon
- salt
How to play
Before you start: Pour oil into a clear cup until it is about two-thirds full. Mix food coloring into small cups of water, one color each.
Drip one drop of colored water onto the oil. It sits on top as a ball, then sinks slowly.
Let them add drops of every color.
Ask why the drops do not mix with the oil.
Stir it fast and watch it break into tiny balls. Wait a minute and they join back up.
Explain it simply: oil and water do not mix, and water is heavier, so it sinks.
What it helps with
Keep it safe
- Keep the oil on a tray. Spilled oil makes floors slippery.
Make it different next time
- Sprinkle salt on top and watch blobs of oil sink, then float back up.
- Add a drop of dish soap and see what changes.
Cleanup: Oil should not go down the sink. Pour it into a jar and put it in the trash.
Three more like this
- Good for siblings
- Good for siblings
Learn something
Buried Treasure Dig
10–30 min 3–7 yrs Some mess- kinetic sandto buy
- small treasures: buttons, coins or figures