Changing Color
Activity that shows how water travels through flowers
Month 10 · Activity 22 · Nature/Science
Instructions
- You will need a small glass/vase of water, food coloring, and a white carnation
- Fill 3/4 of the glass with water
- Let child squirt at least 20 squirts of one color of food coloring (blue and red are favorites) into the water. Make sure the water has a deep tint of the color.
- Cut the stem of the carnation diagonally and place in the water
- Ask child if they think anything will happen to the white carnation
- The color will go up the stem and color the flower. It could take up to 24 hours but check every few hours.
- Review with a child that the stem of a flower “drinks” the water. The color of the water that shows in the flower illustrates that the water is traveling through the stem all the way to the flower.
Extend
There are many different types of flowers, however they all have four basic parts; the petals, the sepals, the carpel and the stamen.
Read more here.
Materials
- small glass or vase filled with water
- food coloring
- white carnation flower
- adult scissors/knife
Language Skills
Math & Science Skills
Problem Solving Skills
