Rainbow Milk Experiment

Rainbow milk is a fun experiment with food coloring, milk, and dish soap. The dish soap reacts with the fat in milk to make a fun and exciting display of color. This is a simple experiment that uses normal household items that most people will have already. Children will love this experiment!

Rainbow Milk Instructions

Step 1 – Pour some milk into a shallow dish or bowl or plate, until the milk covers the bottom.

Step 2 – Add some drops of food coloring on the milk. Put the food coloring in the middle; 3-4 drops per color.

Step 3 – Dip the Q-tip into the dish soap and place in the center of the food coloring drops.

Step 4 – Watch in amazement as the colors dance across the surface of the milk.

How does the Magic Rainbow Milk work?

The dish soap causes the fat and the water in the milk to separate and spread apart. The result is the dancing motion of the food coloring in the milk. Whole milk and 2% milk contain more fat than other milk. You can have the children hypotheses what will happen with the different types of milk.

Supplies Needed for the Rainbow Milk

· Milk (I used 2%, but you may want to try different types)

· Food Coloring (the more colors the better)

· Liquid soap

· Shallow dish/plate/bowl

· Q-tip (if you do not have this you can just add drops of liquid soap)