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!
Spring Crafts for Kids
- Super cute Printable Name Flower Craft
- Simple Windsock Craft for kids
- Bleeding Tissue Paper Rainy Day Crafts for Kids
- EASY ink pad spring crafts for toddlers
- EDIBLE, Peeps Playdough Recipe
- Fun-to-Make and lovely painted flower craft preschool
- Make your own yummy milk Rainbow Toast
- This spin art Flower Craft for kids is almost as beautiful as they are fun to make
- Simple Sunflower Crafts that are bright, cheery, and simple to make
- This flower activity for preschoolers changes things up to use flowers to create art
- Plant a Number Line to 10 Math activity for pre-k and kindergarten
- Show off these pretty flower suncatcher craft
- 100 Flower Crafts from A to Z
- Silly Grass Head Craft
- Handprint Spring flower art projects
- Rainbow Hand Art Projects for St Patricks Day
- Looking for more fun color activities for kids don’t miss these 37 Colorful Activities for Kids
- Super clever, bubble wrap rain craft
- Wow! Over 100 Spring Crafts for Kids
- Dandelion flower craft project
- Stunning, Easy Stained Glass Art for Kids
- Kids will go nuts over this painting with cars rainbow project
- Amazing Bubble Painting process art project for kids
Spring Science
Check out these outrageously FUN spring science experiments for kids:
- Beautiful Chromatography Flowers made with science!
- Amazing Food Coloring Flower Experiment Worksheet where you can turn a flower into two seperate colors!
- Have you tried making butter experiment
- Colorful Jelly Bean Experiment exploring difusion and color matching with a simple activity for kids
- You’ve got to try this simple Color Changing Slime
- Simply Rainbow Density Experiment for springtime
- How Big is a Raindrop – try this raindrop experiment to find out!
- Egg Drop Challenge with marshmallows!
- You’ve got to try this Lego Balloon Car
- Make a popsicle stick catapult
- Colorful Polymer Chemistry Experiment
- MUST try capillary action experiment
- Lego DIY Zipline for your backyard
- How to Make a Weather Vane the EASY way
- Pop Rocks Experiment kids will LOVE!
Flower Printables
Looking for some fun, educational spring theme ideas to make learning fun this April and May? Check out these fun resources:
- Cute, free printable Flower Shape Craft for kids
- Flower Rhyming Words Worksheet
- Sunflower Alphabet Matching
- Flower Mazes – Free Printable Sight Word Worksheets
- Pretty Flower Name of Number Puzzles
- F is for Flower Handprint Craft
- Count to 20 Spring Playdough Mats
- Rainbow Shape Playdough Mats
- Spring Do a Dot Printables
- Flower Letter Matching Printable
- Grow a Plant Sequencing Worksheets
- Fun Spring Flower SIght Word Game
Spring Printables
- Spring Jelly Bean Egg One to One Correspondence Activities
- Super cute Carrot Shape Playdough Mats for Spring
- Count the Bunny Number Flashcards
- Rainbow Color Matching Game
- Practice adding numbers with this free printable Spring Addition Matching Game
- Planting Carrots CVC Words Activity
- Fruit Loop Rainbow Printables Ten Frame Math Activity
- Practice making shapes with these flower playdough mats
- Spring Flower Counting Games for Preschoolers
- Grab these cute Spring Printables Sudoku Puzzles for kids
- Seed Find the Letter Worksheets
- Frog Alphabet Game Matching Printable
- Kite Beginning Sound Activities printable craft for spring
- Print and GO Spring Scavenger Hunt
- Spring Step by Step Drawings
- Practice reading with this Spring sight word cut and paste reader
- Worm Worksheets Pack
- Spring Telling Time Worksheets
- Digraphy Activity to improve reading and spelling skills with these spring puzzles
- Cute Blubird Soring Blends Activity for first and second graders.
- LOTS of fun PLANTS arts and crafts for preschool and kindergartners