• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Teach Mama

Education and Well-being for Every Child!

  • early literacy
    • alphabet
    • beginning sounds
    • phonics
    • phonological awareness
    • read-aloud learning
    • rhyming
    • sight words
  • reading
    • books
    • comprehension
      • activating schema
      • connecting
      • inferring
      • predicting
      • questioning
      • retelling / summarizing
      • visualizing
    • concepts of print
    • environmental print
    • fluency
    • non-fiction
    • spelling
    • word building
    • word consciousness
    • vocabulary
  • writing
    • creative writing
    • grammar
    • informative writing
    • tripod grip
  • STEM
    • math
      • computation
      • counting
      • numbers
    • science
  • Activities
    • birthdays
    • cooking
      • new for us foods
    • crafts
    • foundations
      • colors
      • critical thinking
      • fine arts
      • listening
      • pretend play
      • sorting
      • speaking
    • holidays
      • new year’s
      • valentine’s day
      • president’s day
      • st. patrick’s day
      • april fool’s day
      • easter
      • mother’s day
      • teacher appreciation
      • father’s day
      • july 4th
      • halloween
      • thanksgiving
      • christmas
    • family life
      • family fun
      • giving back
      • lunchbox love notes
      • school
    • indoor activities
    • outdoor activities
  • digital literacy
    • computer time
    • iPad for learning
  • Shop
home / Blog / science / science experiments for kids / painting with candy: candy experiments (part two)

painting with candy: candy experiments (part two)

This page may contain affiliate links. Learn More.

November 4, 2010 by Teach Mama 11 Comments

320 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

Maddy, Owen, and Cora had an absolute blast performing candy experiments using their Halloween loot this week, but I think the most fun they had stemmed from our own experiment missteps.

We tried to conquer the Color Separation experiment, but our little sheets from the USA Science and Engineering Festival didn’t outline the experiment steps like we (I) needed them to.paint with candy candy experiments

(Please note: I should have done a little more research to prepare, but I, too, was in a candy fog, I admit. I’m sure if any other person read the directions on the handy dandy little Candy Experiment Sheets, she’d have no problem whatsoever!)

Here’s how my scientists turned all Monet on me:

Painting With Candy:

The goal of Color Separation Experiment is to let brightly colored candy dissolve in water, then use coffee filters so that the different dyes separate and climb up the filter paper.

Sounds incredibly interesting and magical, right?

paint with candy | candy experiments

Maddy dips her Skittle ‘brush’ into the water, ready to paint!

paint with candy | candy experiments

paint with candy | candy experiments

paint with candy | candy experiments

My little experiment sheet from the ‘Fest didn’t outline the steps like I needed them to be outlined, but what my little scientists learned was that the dye on their candy worked just as well as the watercolors in their palates. And this was fine with me.

We reviewed the sheet a few times, tried to follow the directions, but Maddy, Owen, and Cora got majorly distracted by their inner artists.Ā  So they spend a solid 30 minutes painting.

They rolled, they dropped, they blended, and they drew.Ā Ā  With Skittles.

We talked about how the colors moved up and around the coffee filter and how they could stamp colors onto the filters if they placed the filter on the color-saturated plate.

paint with candy | candy experiments

Candy painting was not the cleanest of activities. . .

paint with candy | candy experiments

paint with candy | candy experiments

. . . but it was so much fun!

We watched the colors fade over time, when more water was added or when the whole paper was submerged. We wondered what would happen if we tasted the ‘paint’ (nothing) or if we tasted the colorless candies (no one wanted to).Ā  Unlike the times when we’ve played with Jell-O mix on wet fingers (accidentally, of course), these colors weren’t that sweet, so we did chat about where the sugar seemed to be in the candies (not in the dye–or not much in the dye).

paint with candy | candy experiments

paint with candy | candy experiments

We are totally hooked on candy experimenting!

Although that’s all we’ve done up to this point,Ā  we do have a ton of other ways we plan to play with our candy in the next few days. Ā  Until then, however, we’ve got a soccer season to close out, some Thanksgiving projects to begin,Ā  homework to be completed, and family coming in for the weekend!

Again, many thanks to Loralee for her work on candyexperiments.com and for her inspiration on our own Candy Experiments (part one) as well as today’s post.

Happy experimenting!

Want a few more fun, foodie-science ideas?

Check out:

  • candy experiments, play with color
  • candy experiments part 1
  • paint with candy
  • candy cane experiments, 2.0
  • learn with food
  • get kids to try new foods
  • fractions with food
  • chocolate math
  • monster sandwiches

About the Author

Hi, I’m Patricia, an elementary teacher and reading specialist, turned homeschool mom. I also have a master's in psychology, specializing in children's issues. Read More…

Teach Mama: View My Blog Posts
Previous Post: « playing with candy: candy experiments (part one)
Next Post: teaching kids to stand up for themselves »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. dana says

    November 4, 2010 at 12:18 pm

    we did the other experiments when the pea had his friend over and it was a ton of fun! they loved it! alas, i forgot to take pictures. sigh.

    Reply
    • amy says

      November 4, 2010 at 12:58 pm

      So fun! You are an awesome mom to do this on for playdate, Dana!!

      Reply
  2. Holly A. says

    November 4, 2010 at 2:17 pm

    We’ve been crazy about these candy experiments too since I discovered her site. We also had trouble not having the directions for the full experiment, because we were trying to use the sheet I got from her website. So…I went back to her candy experiment site and made little science experiment cards that outline the full directions. I printed them out and put the whole set in our science box. Now, when the mood strikes to do an experiment we have all the directions in front of us. I uploaded the file in case you’d like a copy too.

    You can download one here: https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=1at5rh3C2tfwenty852dOpMaSdbq7_s-wqp8j85l5r0fEtg4amVTqthuxf-QL&hl=en&pli=1

    Reply
    • amy says

      November 4, 2010 at 5:04 pm

      eeeee! you are so super-smart! many thanks for sharing this doc, and I’ll be sure to print them out and keep them close at hand!

      Reply
  3. Elizabeth @ Ucreate with Kids says

    November 5, 2010 at 7:13 pm

    Thanks for sharing this website! I love your take on the experiments. Just featured it. šŸ™‚

    http://ucreatewithkids.blogspot.com/2010/11/tutorial-candy-experiments.html

    Reply
    • amy says

      November 6, 2010 at 11:54 am

      yeah, Elizabeth! Can’t wait to check it out!!

      Reply
  4. Tania says

    February 10, 2011 at 7:43 am

    I’ve tried it with lacasitos and smarties and didn’t work. But you can try it with markers. It really work. Just if you want to try it again.
    http://upocodtodo.blogspot.com/2011/02/cromatografia.html
    I follow you and always read your blog.

    Reply
    • amy says

      February 10, 2011 at 8:39 am

      thanks so much for trying it, for linking back, and for writing, Tania!! Looking forward to staying in touch!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Teach Mama!

Patricia Moore profile image

Hi, I’m Patricia, an elementary teacher and reading specialist, turned homeschool mom.

After our three kids graduated high school, I went back to school to become a marriage and family therapist who has specialized in children’s issues.

I love helping families find all the fun and deep learning possible for their children.

I’m so glad you’re here on Teach Mama and I look forward to helping you on your journey!

Search

Trending Posts

july 4 fun games from teachmama.com

july 4th activities for kids & families

july 4th funky sparkle flag pen

ringin’ in the 4th with sparkle pens and flag treats

shrinky dink flag bracelet: super-cool patriotic craft

shrinky dink flag bracelet: super-cool patriotic craft

Footer

Hi! I'm Patricia.

nice to meet you!

My family currently lives in Central Texas. A few of my favorite things include baking, teaching, and working with children.

Learn More

Sign Up for Email Updates!

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Copyright © 2025 · Niche Theme

Copyright © 2025 Ā· Teach Mama Ā· Privacy Policy Ā· Log in

  • 2
320 shares