The Skittles Experiment
By Laura Anastasia
My kids were a big fan of the Skittles experiment. After all, it is part science experiment, part art project, and
part an excuse to eat candy. I loved that the setup was easy and my kids were entertained for a good 20-25
minutes with little work on my end. You’ll need: Skittles, a cup of warm water, and a white plate or bowl (one
per kid).
Directions:
Give each child a plate or bowl and a handful of Skittles. Encourage them to arrange the Skittles in a circle
around the edge of the plate, although the exact placement does not matter. Ask: What do you think will
happen to the Skittles when we add water? Why?
Pour water into the center of the plate and wait. Within a few minutes, you’ll see a rainbow effect. (Don’t
move the Skittles until it is done!) Encourage your kids to make observations. Ask: What happened? Where did
the colors come from? Why didn’t the colors mix?
Explain that Skittles are coated in food coloring and sugar. The food coloring and sugar dissolve when water is
added. They spread through the water.
Take it further:
Re-do the experiment, this time using hot water for one plate and cold water for another. Time the
reactions. Which temperature makes the reaction happen faster? Why might that be?
Let your Picasso try the experiment again, this time arranging the Skittles in any pattern. Then add
water. How does the placement of the Skittles affect how the colors spread?
Re-do the experiment with other candies, some candy-coated and some not. How do the reactions
compare? Why might that be?
Find more fun candy experiments at: http://www.science-sparks.com/2014/06/17/candy-science/.
1. Arranging the Skittles.
2. The magic starts to happen.
3. The rainbow is done.
4. We cleaned our plates, flipped the Skittles
over, and experimented with other
patterns.