Capillary Action Walking Water

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. 

YOU’ll NEED for this Timelapse Kids Science Experiment

• five clear glasses filled with water
• three primary colorings (yellow, blue and red)
• droppers
• paper napkins
• a tray ( we are using a wooden tray, which I lined with a shelf-liner).

The three primary colors are what ALL other colors are made of.

HOW TO CONDUCT this Capillary Action Walking Water

First, add to glasses one, three, and five –  yellow, blue, and red coloring respectively, leaving 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 …

An hour later … 

A TIP: 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.

A few hours later.

Capillary action occurs because water molecules bond together due to forces of cohesion and adhesion, as well as 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 a “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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FOR MORE EYE-DROPPER Kids Crafts

FOR MORE RAINBOW STEM kids activities

FOR MORE CHROMATOGRAPHY stem kids challenges

Lastly, for more on COLOR MIXING, please see HERE Painting with Colored Vinegar on Baking Soda Science Experiment. For more on SCIENCE experiments, see HERE here a video post “Float or Sink Tangerine Science Experiment.

Please let me know which chromatography stem challenge was your favorite?

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