Do you love Spring?
Yes, of course!
Spring is an excellent time for kids to try out new fun activities.
We have something exciting for you… Color-changing Flowers! This activity teaches kids about one of the fundamental processes of plants — how they transport water from roots.
What do you need for this activity?
- White flowers with stems (preferably carnations or white roses)
- Bottles of liquid food coloring (Red, Blue, and Yellow)
- Water Jars
- A pair of scissors
- Notepad/Journal
- Magnifying glass (to observe the cross-section of stems after flowers change their color) – optional
Method:
STEP 1: Wash the jars and fill them with fresh tap water.
STEP 2: Next, add 3-5 drops of color to the jars. You can mix colors to form new ones (blue+yellow = green)
STEP 3: Cut half an inch of the stem at the bottom and place the flowers (by their stems) in the jars.
STEP 4: Leave the jars in the shade overnight.
Avoid disturbing the jars and handle the flowers delicately when you examine. You can also record the observations in a journal.
Some common observations:
- Flowers start changing color overnight.
- The first signs of the color show along the periphery of the petals.
- The bottom of the stem also takes the color of the water.
- Flowers with bigger petals change colors relatively faster than the one with smaller petals.
And VIOLA!
Bonus Step: Cut the stem into two halves (length-wise) till the flower. Next, insert each half into two different colored water jars and observe the change in the colors of the petals.
Tell your kids:
Water and nutrients travel from the bottom of the stem to flower petals through vein-like tubes called xylem. When you cut the stem into half (by its length), you can see that the xylem picked the color of the water.
Capillary action, cohesion, and transpiration are the three processes that cause water to move from the stem to the flowers.
Send us your creation!
We’d love to see how your activity turned out. Share your snaps with us on Facebook or Instagram – and make sure to tag #playshifu!