Colour Changing Milk Experiment

Materials Required

1. Wide shallow bowl, large lid or shallow container
2. Milk―1 cup
3. Detergent
4. Food dye
5. Skewer, cotton bud, stick or toothpick
6. Gloves (for food dye)

Preparation

Source all your ingredients – Gather materials

Method (or Ideas)

1. Set up your ingredients and source a bowl/plate.
2. Add about 1-2 cm (deep) milk to bowl/plate.
3. Add a few drops of food dye into the milk.
4. Then add a few drops of dishwashing detergent and watch what happens!
5. Use the skewer/stick or cotton bud to move around the dye in the milk to watch the colours merge and create new colours.

Facilitation Tips – What To Say

• What is going to happen? Ask your child to predict
• What happened?
• Why did this happen?
• What happened to the colours?
• Will the same thing happen if we do it again?

Extend the Experience

• Other simple science experiments e.g. volcano- bi-carb/food dye/vinegar

WHO Guidelines for Physical Activity & Sedentary Behaviour

Removing chairs and encouraging your child to stand while completing this experiment can reduce time spent sedentary.

Early Years Learning Framework

Outcomes

1. Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating
2. Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity
3. Children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another

Principle

Principle 1: Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships. Through a widening network of secure relationships, children develop confidence and feel respected and valued.

Practice

Practice: Learning through play. Play can expand children’s thinking and enhance their desire to know and to learn. In these ways play can promote positive dispositions towards learning. Children’s immersion in their play illustrates how play enables them to simply enjoy being.