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Rainbow Density Science Experiment – FUN Spring Activities

January 24, 2021
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by Beth Gorden

Explore density for kids with this beautiful rainbow density experiment which is the perfect spring science project. Use this density science experiment with kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th graders. Plus, because this is such an easy rainbow science idea – it is simple to add to even busy days in March, April, and May!

Explore density for kids with this beautiful rainbow density experiment which is the perfect spring science project. Use this density science experiment with kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th graders. Plus, because this is such an easy rainbow science idea - it is simple to add to even busy days in March, April, and May!

Rainbow density experiment

This density science experiment is a fun rainbow activity for kids as kids will learn about not only density for kids, but create a beautiful density science experiment.  This spring science experiment is perfect for kindergarteners, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, and grade 4 students.  I love that this rainbow science experiment is super simple and easy to try!

When we study materials in science, we talk about it’s characteristics. These characteristics help us to describe a substance and compare and contrast it to other substances. Two of the first characteristics we learn about is how much something weighs (mass) or the size of something or how much space it takes up (volume). There is another important characteristic that is related to both mass and volume – density.

Density experiments for kids

What Is Density? Density is the relation of the mass of a substance to it’s volume. Have you ever picked up a rock and a piece of cork of the same size. The might have the same volume, or take up the same amount of space, but the rock definitely weighs more (has greater mass). This means the rock has a higher density. It’s molecules are packed together in an arrangement that fits more mass into the same amount of space as the piece of cork.

Just as solid materials have different densities, so do liquids. The density of liquids depends on the mass of the molecules that make up a liquid and how closely those molecules pack together. You can easily see the difference in the density of 2 liquids, oil and water, by adding equal parts of oil and water into a glass. Watch the liquids separate. The oil is more dense than the water and will sink to the bottom of the glass leaving an obvious separation of the two liquids.

We can change the density of a liquid by dissolving another substance in it. This adds mass to the liquid with only a minor affect on the volume. We can demonstrate this with a simple, fun density activity.

density

Rainbow experiment

You will need:

  • 4 glass containers (I used small prep bowls from my kitchen)
  • food coloring: red, yellow, blue, green
  • water
  • sugar
  • eye dropper or transfer pipette

Rainbow science experiment

Line up the glass containers and label them 1 through 4. Add sugar to the containers as follows:

  • #1 – no sugar
  • #2 – 1 Tablespoon of sugar
  • #3 – 2 Tablespoons of sugar
  • #4 – 3 Tablespoons of sugar

After you have added the sugar, add water to container #4 one tablespoon at a time and stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Make a note of the amount of water used and then add the same amount of water to the remaining 3 containers so that all volumes are relatively the same.

Next, add 3 drops of food coloring to the containers, so that you have one container of all four colors.

density experiment

Density experiment

Now, for the fun part! Grab the pipette and squeeze the bulb. Place the tip into the liquid of container #1, which has the lowest density. Let go a little on the bulb of the pipette so that just a small amount of liquid enters the pipette. Be careful to hold this pressure on the bulb and remove it from container 1. You don’t want to squeeze any liquid out or suck any air into the pipette.

density experiment

Liquid Density Experiment

Put the tip of the pipette into container #2 and release a little more pressure on the bulb allowing just a bit of the next liquid to enter the pipette. You should see a layer of each color in the pipette. Do this slowly as possible so the colors do not mix. Repeat with containers 3 and 4 in that order.

You should end up with a rainbow in your pipette! Because of the added sugar, the liquids are now at different densities with container #1 having the lowest density (pure water) and container #4 having the highest density (the largest amount of dissolved sugar). By coloring the liquids, you can actually see the differences in density as the colors remain separate with just a little blending. (This just adds to the cool rainbow effect!)

Don’t worry if you mix the liquids up too much in the pipette. It takes a steady hand, but you can get it with a little practice.

​  growing a rainbow capillary action experiment Have you ever tried making a Rainbow in a Jar project? If you haven't tried this classic density experiment, I'm going to show you how easy it is to make with a few common household items! This rainbow science experiment is so pretty and will amaze your preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade students. Try this rainbow experiment as part of a weather theme, St Patricks Day activity, a rainbow theme or a spring activity for kids.  Kids are going to love this really fun Frozen Rainbow Eruptions science activity where kids will make beautiful rainbows as they create a chemical reaction! This baking soda and vinegar experiment! This rainbow activities for preschoolers usese a couple simple materials for a mesmerizing, colorful preschool summer activity! Use this rainbow science with toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd graders.

Rainbow Science

Looking for fun rainbow experiment ideas to get kids excited about exploring the world around them? Don’t miss these clever rainbow activity ideas!

rainbow color matching game rainbow rhyming puzzles rainbow worksheets rainbow math

Rainbow Printables

Snag these rainbow worksheets and printable rainbow activities to make learning fun this spring:

​pretty rainbow craft for spring  Looking for a quick and easy spring craft for kids? You will love this beautiful tissue paper rainbow craft! This simple craft is perfect for toddler,  pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade students! All you need are a few simple materials and you will love a really pretty preschool rainbow craft. Use this spring craft idea to celebrate springtime, st patrick's day activities for preschoolers, summer craft, or anytime you want to brighten up your window with a pretty suncatcher craft.  If your kids love slime - they are going to flip over making Rainbow Slime! Use this rainbow activity for kids as part of your next rainbow theme for spring or summer. This colorful slime recipe is also a really fun St Patricks day activity, a weather activity, or a color theme too!   Toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade and 4th grade students will love this rainbow art ideas. Just follow our simple rainbow slime recipe and we will show you how to make rainbow slime. 

Rainbow Crafts and Activities

Looking for some really cute, simple, and beautiful rainbow craft ideas? Check out these fun rainbow crafts for preschoolers!

FREE Seeds Find the Letter Worksheets ladybug alphabet activity Spring Letter Matching Activity for preschoolers and kindergartners easter or spring bunny alphabet matching game for pre-k and kindergarten

Spring Alphabet Printables

FREE Spring Initial Blends Sort - this is a fun, hands on consonant blend activity for first graders to practice in a fun literacy game #blends #literacy #firstgrade Make practicing sights words FUN with this cute Bug Sight Words Game for preschool, pre k, kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade students to practice common dolche words.   farm sight word games for kindergarten FREE Butterfly Rhyming Games - this is such a fun spring literacy game to work on rhyming with preschool, kindergarten, and first graders. #rhyming #kindergarten #educationalspring

numbers to 20 counting board game for kindergarten and first graders spring additon game adding 10s to 1s on a hundreds chart

Spring Math

rainbow activities for preschoolers addition clouds spring math for preschoolers umbrella counting craft preschool

Spring Math for Preschoolers

butterfly activity Introduce children in pre-k, preschool, kindergarten, first grade, and 2nd grade to learning to read a clock with these fun Garden themed Telling the Time Worksheets. Concentrating on learning the o'clock and half-past times, these worksheets are a great way to introduce time and reading a clock to your children. Simply download pdf file with clock worksheets and you are ready for fun, free math worksheets with a fun flower theme. carrot shape playdough mats FREE Hungry Caterpillar Number Book - Practice Counting and writing numbers with this super cute, free printable for Toddler, Preschool, and Kindergarten age kids! LOVE THIS! (kids activities, eric carle day, homeschool, preschoolers, prek) #hungrycaterpillars #numberworksheets #preschool

Kindergarten Spring Math

spring worksheets to roll and dab with bingo daubers

Free Spring Printables

Your kids love mazes, but they've never seen something as incredibly COOL as this  maze potato! This potato maze will blow kids away as they watch potatoes grow, learn about plants and their need to head towards the light. This plant activity for kids is perfect for spring or summer learning. All you need to try stem activities are a few items you probabaly have around the house to try this plant experiments for kids from preschool, kindergarten, pre-k, first grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd graders too! Make teaching kids about weather fun and EASY with this free weather unit. These Weather Worksheets help kids explore a variety of weather topics as well as some weather themed worksheet for early math and literacy too. Use these free weather printables as preschool, 1st grade, 2nd, grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade and kindergarten weather worksheets. Simply print pdf file with weather worksheets for kids and you are ready to learn! Kids are going to love this crazy cool bouncy egg experimert! Children will be amazed by this egg experiment where they will literally dissolve the shell of a raw egg to create a bouncy egg. This bouncy egg vinegar project is fun for preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th grade students. Plus our version of this egg in vinegar experiment has a fun, colorful twist! Have you ever tried making a Rainbow in a Jar project? If you haven't tried this classic density experiment, I'm going to show you how easy it is to make with a few common household items! This rainbow science experiment is so pretty and will amaze your preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade students. Try this rainbow experiment as part of a weather theme, St Patricks Day activity, a rainbow theme or a spring activity for kids. 

Spring Science Ideas

Spring is the perfect time to study plants for kids! Here are some fun plant experiments to learn more about photosynthesis, pollination, capillary action, and more!

spring-simple-windsock-craft-for-kids You will love this outrageously fun painting with cars activity where kids will make a cheery rainbow painting using hotwheel vehicles. This rainbow painting for kids is a silly rainbow painting ideas that your kids will LOVE! Use this for a rainbow theme, car theme, spring theme, or just a fun play ativity with kids. Try this car activities for kids with toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade students.  Fun to make Tissue Paper Butterfly Craft Whether you are making a classic pasta necklace craft or creating your own work of art using pretty, colorful pasta as a starting point - let me show you how to dye pasta. After I show you how to color pasta you can whip up a some beautiful pasta to make first grade, kindergarten, toddler, and pasta necklace activity! Making a Preschool necklace craft is just one of those kids activities every child should do. Not only is it fun, but it is great for strengthening hand muscles too!

Spring Crafts for Kids

Whether you want to make colorful spring rainbow crafts, umbrella rain crafts, butterfly crafts, or baby animal craft projects, we’ve got some cute ideas!

If you are looking for a fun unique activity using eggs, you will love this silly egg head craft. This egg shell diy chia pet is cute, simple and silly spring activities for kids. This egg shell craft is fun for toddler, prsechool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, and 2nd graders too! Fun summer activity for bucket list rainy day craft for kids with bleeding tissue paper Amazing Bubble Artwork for Kids - this is such a fun, simple, colorful and FUN summer activity for kids! This kids activities is not only fun to make but makes a beautiful art project too for your summer bucket list. Perfect for toddler, preschool, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade kids.

Spring Craftivities

These fun ideas are a combination of spring crafts and spring activities:

Dandelion Art Project for toddlers, preschoolers, pre k, kindergartners, and kids Beautiful delphinium craft making easy egg carton flowers! This flower craft for kids is a pretty and simple summer craft for kids of all ages! Looking for fun pasta crafts to make with leftover dyed pasta? This super pretty mosaic pasta project allows kids to create beautiful pasta pictures by pressing different colored noodles into clay.  This pasta art is such a fun, engaging craft for kids of all ages from toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd graders too. Make a pretty blooming hyacinth craft to celebrate the arrival of spring. This clever flower craft uses gift bows to make this EASY project!

Flower Crafts

EASY Stained Glass Craft for Kids - this fun art project is great for kids of all ages from toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartners, elementary age age and families to make to bright their front door or a window up with a spring craft for kids. You will love this art project things to do in the rain! We've got over 50 fun, engaging rainy day activity for kids to try! From rainy day crafts to  rainy day activities - we've got so many creative things to do on a rainy day. Get ready to have the BEST day ever with these things to do on a rainy day at home with toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade students! Whether your kiddo is fascinated by the possibilities of aliens from outer space or you just want to make a super cool car-of-the-future, this balloon hovercraft is loads of fun! This cd hovercraft is simple to make in just 5-10 minutes and loads of fun to fly for hours and hours! Try this cd balloon hovercraft experiment for a fun kids activity for preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th graders too. Looking for a super cool kids activity that combines art and science? This super cool drawbot is as fun to make as it is to play with. The scribble bot is quick and simple to put together with things you have laying around the house.  Then make some really cool art projects with the help of your scribble robot. This electronics experient is fun for kids of all ages from preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th graders too. We've included instructions to make this summer activity for kids or use it in your school as an electricity experiment for kids.

Fun Spring Activities for Kids

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About the author

Beth Gorden

Beth Gorden is the creative multi-tasking creator of 123 Homeschool 4 Me. As a busy homeschooling mother of six, she strives to create hands-on learning activities and worksheets that kids will love to make learning FUN! She has created over 1 million pages of printables to help teach kids ABCs, science, English grammar, history, math, and so much more! Beth is also the creator of 2 additional sites with even more educational activities and FREE printables - www.kindergartenworksheetsandgames.com and www.preschoolplayandlearn.com

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