Rainbow Walking Science Experiment

Rainbow Walking Water Science Experiment 

Below you will find step by step instructions for the rainbow walking water science experiment. Toddlers and preschoolers will be amazed as colored water seems to travel along the paper towels and into the empty pots like magic! 

Older children can get involved in making predictions about what might happen to the water in the experiment and they can think about the different colors that will be created as the primary colored waters mix together. 

Supplies for the walking water experiment

• 6 small transparent jars or cups
• Paper towels / kitchen roll
• Liquid watercolor / food coloring
• Water

Walking Water Science Experiment 

STEP 1: Get your supplies ready

Before beginning this walking water science experiment make sure that you have all the supplies that you will need to hand. For this experiment it is handy to have all the supplies set up on one tray so that it is easy for the kids to independently get what they need. Setting the experiment up on a tray means that it can easily be transported if you need to move it overnight too. 

STEP 2: Prepare the jars with colored water

Once you have all your supplies to hand the first thing that you will need to do is prepare the jars. Children of preschool age upwards will enjoy doing this part of the experiment with a little help.

Take 3 jars and fill them with water. I gave Daisy (aged 3) a jug of water so that she could easily pour the water into the jars independently. 

Once the jars are about three quarters full add a few drops of liquid watercolor (or food coloring). You will need to add red, blue and yellow coloring to the jars (see image below). 

STEP 3: Place the jars in a circle

You will now have 3 jars full of colored water and 3 empty jars. Place all the jars into a circle and alternate them so you have a jar with colored water and then an empty one. 

STEP 4: Predict what will happen

Before you add the paper towels to the colored water to complete the walking water experiment you might want to take a few minutes to predict what might happen. Tell your child that you will be adding paper towels to the colored water and ask them what they think will happen? This is a great time to talk about color mixing and for children to think about what will happen when the primary colors combine.