Capillary Action Walking Water is a Timelapse Kids Science Experiment designed for preschoolers and kindergarteners to make secondary colors while exploring STEM.
Capillary Action walking water is a timelapse STEM kids science experiment on water and paper’s ability to transfer color from one glass to the other. When two primary colors mix together, in the process, they create secondary colors. This is also a fun sensorial activity for your child to learn primary and secondary colors while developing fine-motor skills while using droppers.
Supplies:
Below is the list of supplies you will need to conduct the Capillary Action Walking Water experiment:
- 5 clear glasses
- tap water
- 3 primary colors (yellow, blue, and red)
- droppers
- paper napkins
- *a tray
*Line a tray with a shelf-liner to make it less slippery/
The three primary colors are what ALL other colors are made of.
Color Mixing | Free 2-page Printable

Instructions:
Below are the steps on how to conduct this Capillary Action Walking Water experiment.
First, add to glasses one, three, and five – yellow, blue, and red coloring, respectively. Leave the two glasses in between with uncolored clear water. Next, fold paper napkins and insert them into the glasses to connect all the glasses with each other. Wait and observe …
A Tip on Types of Paper:
The thicker the paper, like a kitchen paper towel, the longer it will take to transfer water and color from one glass to the other. On the other hand, if the paper is too thin, like a toilet or tissue paper, it will simply dissolve prematurely, so paper napkins worked best for us for this experiment!
Revealing the science mystery of this Timelapse Kids Science Experiment
Capillary action is a process during which liquid, like water, moves up into a material with a lot of small holes (like paper). If the water is colored, the paper will show the passage of water more obviously. Capillary action happens when three forces called cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension work together.
Capillary action occurs because water molecules bond together due to forces of cohesion and adhesion and stick to other substances such as paper. Adhesion of water to the surface of the material (paper napkins) will cause an upward force on the liquid (colored water). The surface tension acts to hold the surface intact. Capillary action occurs when the adhesion to the surface material is stronger than the cohesive forces between the water molecules.
In the process of our capillary action experiment, primary colors mixed together with the help of “waking water” and paper napkins, making two secondary colors – green and purple:
- 💛 yellow +💙 blue =💚 green
- 💙 blue +❤️ red =💜 purple
Sunlight shining through the glasses made the colors even more inviting. So, are you ready for some fun with this capillary action experiment?
Please, always supervise your children.
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