Watch water magically 'walk' from one cup to another using colorful paper towels! You will learn about capillary action and how plants move water from their roots to their leaves.

Materials

• clear plastic or glass cups (same size, 5)
• paper towels (heavy-duty absorbent, 4 sheets)
• water (about 4 cups)
• red food coloring (10 drops)
• blue food coloring (10 drops)
• yellow food coloring (10 drops)

Safety

• Adult supervision is recommended when handling glass cups.
• Be careful with food coloring as it can stain clothes and countertops.
• Protect work surface. Materials may stain clothing.
• Adult supervision required for children under 8.

Steps

1. Line up the 5 cups in a straight row, leaving a small gap between each one.
2. Fill the 1st, 3rd, and 5th cups about 3/4 full with water. Leave the 2nd and 4th cups completely empty.
3. Add red food coloring (about 5 drops) to the 1st cup and stir.
4. Add yellow food coloring (about 5 drops) to the 3rd cup and stir.
5. Add blue food coloring (about 5 drops) to the 5th cup and stir.
6. Fold each of the 4 paper towel sheets into long, thin strips (about 1-2 inches wide).
7. Place one end of the first paper towel strip into the 1st cup (red water) and the other end into the 2nd cup (empty).
8. Place the second strip into the 2nd cup (empty) and the 3rd cup (yellow water).
9. Place the third strip into the 3rd cup (yellow water) and the 4th cup (empty).
10. Place the final strip into the 4th cup (empty) and the 5th cup (blue water).
11. Wait for several hours or overnight and observe how the colored water 'walks' across the bridges into the empty cups, mixing to create new colors!