Learn how to make these beautiful chromatography flowers using coffee filters and markers. This is both a fun art project AND a simple science experiments for kids that explores colors while making pretty craft flowers for spring and summer. This STEAM project is the perfect spring activity for toddler, preschoolers, pre k, kindergarteners, first grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd graders.
Spring is almost here and one of our favorite parts of spring is when all the beautiful and colorful flowers start blooming. I just love all the beautiful colors and varieties of flowers! From roses to peony, tulips and daffodils to petunias – there are so many different looking flowers! Botanists estimate there are more than 10,000 species or types of flowers in the world today! That’s a whole lot of variety that come in different colors, patterns, and scents too!
So we we began exploring chromatography in our science lesson this spring, we decided to make beautiful flower crafts! This easy science experiment is perfect for toddler, preschool, pre k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade students. It even makes a clever, pretty hand-made Mothers Day craft. As this project is both science and art, it is called a STEAM project for kids!
This spring themed Chromatography Flowers Science Project is so much fun to make and enjoy as an easy craft for kids!
Chromatography Flowers
Kids love mixing colors and learning how to combine colors to discover amazing new results. Have you or your child ever wondered about separating colors or pulling colors apart to see what colors came together to create that color. You can’t separate your child’s paint colors, but through a special scientific process called chromatography, you can split colors into their original hues. This simple chromatography project is a great way to explore that concept with preschoolers, prek, kindergarteners, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, and grade 4 students as part of an art project or cool science project for kids.
What is Chromatography
Colors are made up of many different molecules that mix together to create the single color registered by our eyes. But through the process of paper chromatography we can separate the different colors of pigments so our eyes register all the colors that mixed together. So, as the water travels it separates the colors.. Different molecules move across paper at different rates. As a result, components of the first color separate allowing us to see the colors that created it.
Note: You will need to use secondary or tertiary colors for this to work. This can be a great way to teach how we have these different categories of colors and why.
Chromatography for Kids
Looking to try this beautiful flower chromatography, spring science experiment? Here are the supplies you will need:
- Coffee Filters
- Water
- Washable Markers (or water soluble)in secondary and tertiary colors (try felt tip pens and these watercolor marker )
- Small syringes (think of the type that come with baby medication) or pipettes
- Plates or a plastic table cloth are recommended to protect your table
- Pipe cleaners in green
Flower Chromatography
Flatten out some coffee filters. Then create a circle or simple line design in the middle using any secondary or tertiary color you wish. Try this with all the colors you can get your hands on: red, pink, yellow, orange, purple, black, brown, and every variations. I suggest trying both dark green and light green and noting what colors make these shades different. Also, see how we made half the circle with a turquoise color and the other half with lime green?
Add about 0.5 mL of water to the center of your coffee filter. Watch to see what happens!
Flower Science Project
Your colors should start spreading and separating as the water travels along the filter. If you want your color to spread a little farther, add another drop or two of water. Another option is to fold your coffee filters and stick them in a glass with about an inch of water – with this method you don’t need a dropper.
Let the filters dry completely so you are ready to make this spring activity. Now is a great time to explore what colors came out of the ones you started with.
Fun Science Experiments for Kids
Once the filter papers are completely dry, bundle them into flower like shapes and twist at the bottom.
Isn’t it amazing how you can make these beautiful flowers with science?
Now attach the green pipe cleaners (also known as chenille sticks) to the bottom of the coffee filter flower by twisting it around the funnel shaped part to create the stems.
You’ve just created a beautiful spring bouquet of flowers with science and a little art. Keep them for yourself or gift them as a wonderful spring present, perhaps for Mother’s Day!
Paper Chromatography
Kids of all ages will be amazed at the different shades of colors that magically appear as the colors separate in this fun Flower Science Project.
You can create a this beautiful Flower STEM project!
Flower Activities for Kids
Looking for more fun-to-make flower crafts or activities using flowers? You will love these projects for April, May, June, and July!
- Suncatcher Flower Craft
- Painting with Flowers
- Spin Art Flower Craft
- Painted Flower Craft
- 100 Spring Crafts and Kids Activities
- Poppy Flower Craft
- Spring Flower Hand Art
- Simple Sun flower Craft
- Dying Flower Activity (you can even make a flower more than one color!)
Science for Kids
Looking for lots more fun, science experiments for kids? You’ve GOT to try some of these outrageously fun science experiments for kids! We have so many fun, creative and easy science experiments for elementary age children:
- 100 Amazing Food science experiments for kids – arranged by type of science
- Colorful Capillary action science experiment (also known as walking water)
- Amaze kids with these 12 Hands on Science experiments with batteries
- 24 Epic Solar system science projects to try this week
- Fun Water balloon science experiment that explores density
- 50 Fun Preschool science experiments the whole family will want to try
- Simple Galaxy science project
- Easy and Fun Dancing Raisins Experiment
- Learn about weather as you find how to make a weather vane
- Eye opening Eye science experiments
- Easy-to- make Air pressure science project
- Amazing POP rocks science experiment is one of our all-time favorite science experiments we like to do during the summer are
- Stunning Chromatography Flowers are so pretty you’ll forget it was as science project!
- How to Make a Lava Lamp – super easy and SO cool!
- 30 Simple machines science projects kids will want to try
- Easy, fascinating, and colorful project answering Why do Leaves Change Color Experiment
- Free Printable Animal Classifications for Kids Cootie Catchers
- 19 Edible science experiments – which delicious project will you try first?
- HUGE Free Solar System Unit (coloring pages, hands on science projects, worksheets, and more!)
- Pipe Cleaner Constellation Activity (As seen on Good Housekeeping!)
- Teach kids about conductivity with this fun squishy circuits projects
- Amazing, Heat Sensitive, Color Changing Slime
- Life Cycles for Kids (from penguin to sunflower and spider to turkey we have LOTS of life cycles to explore and learn about)
- EASY, Colorful Oil and Water Science Experiment
- Kids will be amazed as you change colors of white flowers with this Dying Flowers Science Experiment
- This super cool Lego Zipline is fun and simple to make
- Human Body Project
- Check out this super cool look INSIDE a Volcano Project
- Exploding Watermelon – science experiment that explores potential and kinetic energy with a big WOW moment!
- Memorable Life Size Skeletal system science project – includes free printable template
- Find LOTS more Easy Science Experiments for kids of all ages!
