This experiment helped my daughter truly understand why we have primary colours and secondary colours. We set this up at our table and checked back in every once in a while. Some colours worked better than others because the paper towel bits I used weren’t exact.
Start by filling 3 cups with water about 3/4 full. Then, add 10 drops of red to one cup, yellow to the 2nd and blue to the 3rd. I placed them in a circle (or a hexagon!) with an empty cup in between each of the primary colours. I’ve also seen this done in a line, but I feel it demonstrates just how colours mix and the actual colour wheel if you use a circle.
Cut 6 equal strips of paper towel. I cut them in wider strips and then folded them once. Place the paper towel with one end stuck in a primary colour cup and the other end in an empty cup. The paper should reach the bottom of both cups to work well.
Then step back and watch the colours mix! It’s really fun to have a time-lapse video in place to watch the colours climb into the empty cups.
Planet Plan-it! 