The “must try” science experiment

It’s an experiment…

it’s a fine motor activity…

it’s kind of an art activity too?

What is this perfection?! It’s an oil and water science experiment and it’s a knock out.

I am not, in any way, over selling this activity. This is The Activity if there ever was one to try. It’s an oil and water science experiment that is too good to pass up.

RELATED: Do you have a science loving kid? Check out this list of classic science experiments that define childhood.

Oil and water science experiment is magical

There’s so much magic in a childhood science activity – from toddlers to big kids, science equals magic and for good reason.

It’s surprising.

It’s engaging.

It’s mysterious.

Science is ripe with the childhood curiosity that our kids are full of. So let’s add this amazing oil and water science experiment to the list because… well, you’ve got to see it.

But don’t worry: you do not need to be a whiz at science or have gotten a 5 of AP Bio. Science is so accessible to kids and accessible in your house (without any fancy supplies).

Looking for more structure each day?

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The Supplies

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• Oil: I use vegetable oil because it’s cheap
• Water
• Food coloring or liquid watercolor
• Small glasses or bowls: these are my favorites for drinking, art, and ice cream
• Pipettes or syringes (like the ones left over from little kid medicine)
• Cookie sheet, tray, or dish

I know this list is a little long, but it’s a lot of basic “pantry staple” supplies. I always have a few supplies on hand that are the absolute workhorses of my activities (you can see my list of must haves here).

The Set-up

Set the small glasses on the cookie sheet or tray to catch the spills. Fill with about 1/2 cup of oil.

In another glass or bowl, add a little bit of food coloring into a few tablespoons of water. You don’t need much and can refill if needed.

Set the pipettes in the tray and call it good. This activity is officially prepped.

Model this oil and water science experiment first

The very first time you try this experiment with your child, please model it:

“This is a pipette. I’m going to use it to suck up some of the colorful water. Then I’m going to gently squeeze it into the oil and see what happens.”

“Let’s try this together.”

Get ready for a big wow moment as you drip the colorful water into the oil.

RELATED: Need some fun, easy indoor activities for kids? Check out this viral list of favorites.

What is the science behind this activity?

Here’s a bit of why this works: oil and water have different densities and do not mix. Water is denser than oil, so the water droplets sink to the bottom of the oil.

For kids, the results of oil and water not mixing feels epic and magical.

If you are interested in more details, you can view more about this science here.

How to encourage scientific thinking with this activity

This activity is all about thinking. Make sure to ask questions as your child works:

“Why is this happening?”

“What do you notice?”

“Can you change the size of the bubbles?”

There are so many ways a child can experiment: varying colors, amount of water into oil, the speed. Try stirring the water into the oil and see what happens.

Bottom line: This activity is the COOLEST.

Is there a best age for this activity?

Remember: think stages not ages. This activity is best for ANY child who can use a pipette or a syringe. For my kids, this was between 2-3 years old. My son is 4 years old in these photos.

**My 11 year old neighbor loves this activity too so remember that there also isn’t an age limit on this activity.

Susie Allison, M. Ed

Owner, Creator

Susie Allison is the creator of Busy Toddler and has more than 2.3 million followers on Instagram. A former teacher and early childhood education advocate, Susie’s parenting book “Busy Toddler’s Guide to Actual Parenting” is available on Amazon.