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April 27, 2020 By Brandy Leave a Comment

Home » Craft Tutorials » Kids Crafts

Colored Carnations Science Experiment

Filed Under: Kids Crafts Tagged With: Kids Gardening

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This colored carnations science experiment doubles as a beautiful centerpiece! Watch as the color rises through the stem and throughout the petals like magic! 

Looking for more fun activities for kids? Here’s a collection of fun backyard games for kids!

This colored carnations science experiment doubles as a beautiful centerpiece! Watch as the color rises through the stem and throughout the petals like magic!

Watch our step by step video!

I remember making colored carnations for a science experiment when I was in the 3rd grade. It was so fun to watch them turn from white to blue and green. It seems like every science fair that I’ve ever been to has a colored carnations display! It’s such a simple experiment, and a great visual for kids in learning how plants work! I thought it would be fun to make them with my girls, who LOVE having flowers in the house.

Colored Carnations Science Experiment

You only need 4 things to complete this project: carnations, water, food coloring and cups! I LOVE these little science flasks that we have. I’ve used them for so many things and they are actually part of my Halloween decor.

What Causes the Carnations to Change Color?

Have you ever wondered where the water goes when a plant is watered? Coloring the water with food coloring is an easy way to see how water works with flowers, also known as capillary action. As the water moves through the tiny tubes, it nourishes the flower and the dye allows you to watch the entire process.

 

More Fun Science Experiments for Kids

Homemade Rock Candy

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Easy Science Experiments for Kids

food coloring and glass vases with white carnations

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Colored Carnations Science Experiment

This colored carnations science experiment doubles as a beautiful centerpiece! Watch as the color rises through the stem and throughout the petals like magic!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Wait time3 hours hrs
Total Time3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Cost: $5

Equipment

  • vases or cups
  • sharp knife or scissors

Materials

  • white carnations
  • food coloring

Instructions

  • Add 10 drops of food coloring into a small vase.
    adding drops of food coloring into vase
  •  Fill with water. Add more drops if necessary to achieve a nice dark color.
    cups of colored water for carnations science experiment
  • Cut each stem on an angle and place inside vase.
    placing stems in vases
  • Wait and watch! Within a few hours you'll begin to see the flowers begin to change color! As the flower drinks the water, it runs through the stem as well as all of the petals!
    white carnations in vases
  • Have the kids predict which flower they think will result in the darkest shade. It may not be the one they think! We thought purple would certainly be as dark as the blue, but that wasn't the case. The green and blue flowers came out the most vivid, with the others being more of a pastel shade (still beautiful!).
    colored carnations in vases after sitting in water a few hours

Video

Notes

Not only does is this a fun project to watch, it makes a pretty centerpiece for your table too!

finished colored carnations in colored water vases

This post was originally shared as a guest post on Little Passports in 2017.

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About Brandy

Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com without any additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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