Science, Christmas, and candy all in one simple activity to try with the kiddos this season. Our Christmas Skittles science activity is a fun twist on the classic experiment. You will love how easy it is to set up and try with kids of all ages this holiday. Enjoy hands-on Christmas science experiments for kids!
Christmas Skittles Experiment
Tips For Skittles Experiment
- Set this up somewhere where it will not be easily bumped but where you can easily watch the process unfold.
- You can also try arranging the Skittles into a Christmas-themed shape, like a candy cane or tree! It’s a great hands-on activity for kids of multiple ages.
- You can try this with M&M’s and compare or contrast the results.
- You can experiment by setting up one plate with warm water and one with cold water or other liquids like vinegar and oil. Encourage the kids to make predictions and observe the differences!
- Or you can even experiment with different types of candies!
- Kids will enjoy creating their arrangements and patterns with the Skittles. You should have multiple plates handy!
Supplies:
- Red and Green Skittles Candy
- Water
- White Plates
- Christmas Cookie Cutters
Instructions:
STEP 1. Set out a bowl of red and green Skittles, or let the kids sort them out themselves (save the rest of the colors for another time!
Let your child have fun arranging them in a pattern around the plate, alternating colors in any number they like- singles, doubles, triples, etc…
TIP: Add a Christmas-shaped cookie cutter to the center of the plate to add a little more of the theme and some additional color.
STEP 2. Before pouring in the water, ask your child to form a hypothesis: What will happen to the candy when it is wet? This is a great time to work on a little deeper learning.
💡 You can find information to teach kids about the scientific method here.
Carefully pour water into the center of the cookie cutter until it just covers the candy. Do not shake or move the plate once you add the water, as this will mess up the effect.
STEP 3. Watch as the colors stretch and bleed away from the Skittles, coloring the water. What happened? Did they mix? What if you used clear soda instead? Would that change the outcome?
Keep your eyes peeled for the results!
Note: After a while, the colors do begin to bleed together.
The Science Behind This Skittles Experiment
When you place Skittles in water, their colors start to dissolve. This process shows “stratification,” where different colors form separate layers in the water.
Each Skittle has a colored shell that dissolves at different rates because of the dyes used. Some colors move through the water faster, while others dissolve more slowly. This creates layers of color that don’t mix immediately, which is a fantastic way to see how different materials dissolve in water.
As time passes, the colors may eventually blend, but you can see the clear, colorful layers at first!
💡Explore more of the science behind the Skittles here.
More Awesome Christmas Science Experiments
- Fizzing Christmas Trees
- Santa’s Magic Milk
- Dissolving Candy Canes
- Peppermint Oobleck
- Grow Gingerbread Men Crystals
- Reindeer Toothpaste
More Fun Christmas Activities For Kids
- Christmas Science Activities
- Christmas Art Activities
- Christmas Jokes for Kids
- Christmas Games for Kids
Printable Christmas STEM Project Pack
200+ PAGES OF HOLIDAY THEME STEAM, STEM, Science, and Art!
- 25+ Christmas theme science and STEM activities with printable sheets, instructions, and useful information all using easy-to-source materials perfect for limited-time needs. Includes a holiday theme engineering pack with fun, problem-based challenges for kids to solve! NEW observation sheets included.
- Try a Santa’s Letter airplane challenge or take the gingerbread house-building challenge!
- Explore the five senses with a specially designed Santa’s Lab pack.
- Try a mini nature study with your favorite type of Christmas tree.
- Try your hand at building shapes with gumdrop structure challenge cards or build shapes with jingle bells. Or try the Christmas-themed paper chain challenge!
- Christmas Screen-free Coding activities include algorithm games, binary code ornaments, and more!
- Explore 6+ Christmas Art Projects with famous artist-inspired activities that combine art history, process art techniques, and more with simple to-do ideas.
2 Comments
Comments are closed.