• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Shop
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Amazon Favorites
  • My Account
  • Log Out

A Dab of Glue Will Do

Little Learners, Big Ideas

  • Literacy
  • Math
  • Science
  • Seasonal
  • Teacher Ideas
  • Membership
Home
  • SHOP
  • Blog
    • Literacy
    • Math
    • Science
    • Seasonal
    • Teacher Ideas
  • Membership
  • Amazon Favorites
  • About

PSPKK12

Rainbow Science Experiment: Density for Kids

I'd love it if you shared!

648 shares
  • Facebook10
  • Twitter
  • Reddit

Kids will have a blast with this rainbow-colored density jar! Use this density for kids science demonstration with your class to show how liquids can have different densities and to explain the basics of density to your students.

A jar with different colored liquids layered on each other

Getting the Rainbow Science Experiment: Density for Kids Ready

Gather these supplies before getting started. This is a demonstration, so you only need to make one tower with your class.

Your students will love this fun science experiment! You'll need a couple simple materials for this density for kids science experiment.

Materials needed:

  • Food coloring (red, green, blue, and purple)
  • Hair gel
  • Honey
  • Olive oil
  • Vinegar
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Tall container or jar

Setting Up the Rainbow Density for Kids Science Experiment

You’ll want to dye the ingredients ahead of time or the classroom will be a mess.

Add ½ a cup of each ingredient to individual small containers:

  • Dye the gel purple
  • Dye the honey blue
  • Dye the vinegar green
  • Dye the alcohol red
  • Leave the olive oil yellow.

Doing the Rainbow Density for Kids Science Experiment

Discuss the concept of liquid density. How is density useful?

Carefully supervise the kids as they stack the ingredients. Add hair gel, honey, vinegar, then oil.

Very carefully, add the rubbing alcohol a few drips at a time to the mixture. If you add it too quickly, the red layer will fall to the water level and won’t make the distinct red/orange line above the oil.

Your students will love this fun science experiment! You'll need a couple simple materials for this density for kids science experiment.

Science Questions to Ask

  • What is density?
  • How can you tell how dense something is?
  • What are the densest things?
  • What are the least dense things?

The Science Behind the Rainbow Density for Kids Science Experiment

Each liquid has a specific density. Although density is different from weight,  it sometimes helps kids to think of density and weight as similar. Liquids that have a higher density will fall below liquids with a lower density.

In this experiment, the hair gel is the most dense, honey is next, vinegar is in the middle, olive oil is less dense still, and rubbing alcohol is the least dense liquid. You can see this in action when you dye the liquids different colors and stack them.

More Science Activities and Ideas

Walking Water Science for Kids

Science Notebook

Plants Unit

Want science planned for you ALL YEAR LONG?!

Do you want science planned for the ENTIRE CALENDAR YEAR!? This Endless Science Mega Bundle will save you so much time and keep your students engaged and excited about learning. This amazing resource contains 53 science topics including life science, physical science, earth science, and animal studies.

Filed Under: Experiments Tagged With: First Grade, Kindergarten, Science

You May Also Enjoy These Posts

From fun games to math and literacy to engaging science activities these January classroom activities will get the year started off in the right way.Pipe clean salt crystal rainbows on a white tableTwo jars full of colored liquid with a celery stalk sticking out of each one

Reader Interactions

3 Comments

  1. Shannon

    February 28, 2021 at 1:37 pm

    I haven’t tried this yet, but is there a specific food coloring you need to use? Is it hard to dye any of the materials?

    Reply to this comment
  2. Kay

    March 1, 2021 at 7:14 pm

    You say “honey” but you show Karo Syrup?

    Reply to this comment
  3. Johnie Cromeens

    April 24, 2022 at 2:36 pm

    I am constantly browsing online for ideas that can benefit me. Thx!

    Reply to this comment

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

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

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Grade Level Key

  • PS PreSchool
  • PK Pre-K
  • K Kindergarten
  • 1 First Grade
  • 2 Second Grade

Hello Friends!

I’m Jennifer…. I taught Kindergarten and 1st grade. At a Dab of Glue Will Do, we help busy teachers and their little learners by creating awesome classroom resources which makes teachers’ lives easier and encourages kids to love learning.

Meet the Team

Join the Club!

When you join the Dollar Teachers Club, you get access to all of the printable AND digital products we’ve ever made, all of our freebies, exclusive monthly resources made just for you, and lots more, all in ONE place. Save some money, some stress, and lots of time, and join the Dollar Teachers Club today!

Learn More

Do you like freebies?

A rhyming freebie just for you...

Words That Rhyme Sort

Download!

Words That Rhyme Sort

CAT and HAT? NET and BED?
Rhyming can be tricky! Grab this Words that Rhyme Sort freebie to help your students listen for rhyming pairs.

Sign up for one of these FREE email courses for more helpful tips!

Small Groups Email Course

Get Started

Small Groups Email Course

Digital Learning Email Course

Get Started

Digital Learning Email Course

Name Building Email Course

Get Started

Name Building Email Course

Differentiation Email Course

Get Started

Differentiation Email Course

Join us over on Facebook for conversation, tips, and teaching ideas for your little learners!

Join the Facebook Group

Must-Read Posts from the Blog

A black piece of construction paper with a ball of foil and a grey painted moon on the paper.
The letter L made out of salt on a paper with green liquid in a dropper being dropped on
3 cups on a table in the dark with glowing liquid inside

Copyright © 2023 A Dab of Glue Will Do •  All rights reserved  •  Privacy  •  Site Design by Emily White Designs

648 shares
  • 10