Kaylin Meck
EASY STEM ACTIVITIES: Rainbow Addition 🌈
Updated: Mar 18, 2022
Hey Mommas! Check out the post below for TWO easy STEM activities perfect for spring break week & St Patrick's Day. There is even a freebie attached at the bottom of the post if you would like to extend the activity into something more educational. I hope this brings your daily #momlife a little bit of joy! Finally, be sure to follow me on Instagram @themeckhouse_blog for updates on new posts and sneak peeks into our daily lives. 💕💕

Right now, a day in the life at The Meck House almost always includes some type of made-up science "experiment". We are REALLY into experimenting right now thanks to the Netflix show Emily's Wonder Lab. And OK, I'll be honest it is pretty cool. Emily is this super badass momma who is teaching kids to love chemistry. She has some pretty over-the-top stuff in her show but also always includes an "at-home" version at the end of each episode. If your kids are into anything science, sticky, or explosive you're going to want to check it out.
Needless to say, we have started attempting these activities with some luck. I won't lie it can get messy, but so far the kids are loving it and their faces when they create it on their own (with my supervision) is worth it. Plus if you are similar to me, you can have them help with the clean-up process!
The kids have even begun creating their own ideas including freezing water, testing color-changing LOL dolls (which is a whole other topic, have you seen those things?!), etc. Two weeks ago we even did an activity called Rainbow Rain which was super cute. I'll attach a photo below. ⬇️

The materials for this one included a clear vase, shaving cream, and food coloring. I didn't have any white foaming shaving cream so I improvised with a 6-year-old bottle of hair mousse. It seemed to do the trick. 😉
The steps included-
fill vase 3/4 full of water
spray shaving cream on top to create clouds
let kids drop different colors of food coloring on top
watch & discuss what happens
I'll include some videos of our conversations on this one. I did it (like I do most things) on a whim with about 5 minutes passing between the idea in my head and the execution of the STEM activity. Carl watched the video and his response was "You're such a teacher". 🤦♀️ So I guess you can take the teacher out of the classroom.. and all that jazz.
Sofia's Thoughts on Raining Rainbows (click the arrow to expand)
Bubba's Reaction (I know he is just too cute)
Alright, Alright, I'll stop showing off my kids and get to the next and final simple rainbow STEM activity I'm sharing today. This one is gaining a lot of traction online and I have to say now I know why. Check it out, it is called Walking Water. 👀
For a more in-depth explanation, you can check out the website Fun Learning For Kids.
Overall it is pretty easy, but as you know I do not like to spend money and am a firm believer in the "use what you got" & "keep it simple" mentalities, so we tweaked it a bit. The kids and I simplified the materials list and made this rainbow STEM activity come to life!
6 cups (clear if possible but again, use what you got mommas!)
paper towels
red, yellow, and blue food coloring (here is a pack if you need it)
Steps:
place cups in a circle
fill every other cup 3/4 full of water (so 3 should have water & 3 empty)
use 5 drops of food coloring per color (I did the 1st cup red, 3rd cup yellow, and 5th cup blue)
place folded paper towel in each cup (triangle shape) to connect them all together
watch & discuss what happens
*optional step- draw what you see, I gave the kids a blank piece of paper and told them to draw what they saw. (you can print this freebie if you prefer!)
And that's it, mommas! These easy at-home rainbow STEM activities are perfect for simple fun or even celebrating St Patrick's day. The next rainbow activity I want to try out is the one with Skittles and water. Have you seen that one yet??
Tell me in the comments ⬇️ or on Instagram- Are your kids into science as much as mine? What STEM activities have you been trying at home?
💕💕Sending you love & momma to momma support,
Kaylin
Free activity sheet linked below (this would be great for older kiddos)