Walking Water Rainbow

    Walking Water Rainbow

    The elf started an experiment before bed and it worked while everyone slept. Colored water climbed paper towel bridges between cups and filled the empty ones with a rainbow.

    Instructions

    1. Line up seven clear cups in a row on a towel.
    2. Fill cups 1, 3, 5 and 7 three-quarters full of water. Leave 2, 4 and 6 empty.
    3. Add food coloring: red in 1, yellow in 3, blue in 5, red in 7.
    4. Fold paper towel strips lengthwise and drape one between each pair of cups, ends touching the bottoms.
    5. Over a few hours the water walks along the towels and mixes, so orange, green and purple appear in the empty cups.
    6. Sit the elf at the end of the row with a napkin cape as his lab coat.

    Tip: Set it up right before bed. Most of the walking happens in the first three or four hours.

    Quick Info

    Setup Time
    10 min
    Mess Level
    Low Mess

    Quick wipe down

    Best for Ages
    3-10
    Est. Cost
    ~$8

    What you'll need

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    Clear plastic cups

    7

    Amazon

    Food coloring

    red, yellow, blue

    Amazon

    Paper towels

    Have at home

    Water

    Have at home

    Love this idea?

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