Try this Skittles rainbow density experiment for kids to explore sugar, solubility, and liquid density. Printable worksheets included!
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We have done this Skittles rainbow density experiment more times than I can count — and every single time my kids are just as excited to watch the colors stack into a perfect rainbow.
There’s something magical about pouring liquid candy into a test tube and seeing it form clean, colorful layers instead of mixing together. It feels like a trick… but it’s actually science!
This easy density experiment is a hands-on way to explore sugar, solubility, particles, and liquid density — and it’s simple enough to do at home or in the classroom.
And yes… it involves Skittles. 🍬🌈
Check out all our Science Activities here like this Grow a RAINBOW Paper Towel Experiment, Bouncy Egg Experiment, and have more fun with this kindness Skittles game!
We’ve Tried It Multiple Ways
We’ve made this experiment using:
- A regular Skittles bag
- A tropical Skittles bag
- A mix of both
If you have the tropical pack, you’ll get blue. If you’re using a regular bag, you can still create beautiful layers.
In fact, in the printable instructions I include an option for making a lighter green and darker green layer (by using different numbers of green Skittles). The darker green naturally forms when more sugar dissolves — so it not only looks great, it reinforces the science concept of density.
You don’t have to use every color — you just need each cup to have a different number of Skittles.
Watch the Experiment in Action
If you’d like to see exactly how we pour the layers without mixing them, I included a full step-by-step video in this post including how we drip the liquid down the inside of the test tube.
Watching it first makes it much easier to get those clean rainbow layers.
Why Kids Love This Experiment
many times because it’s so colorful, and easy to do!
The kids:
- Love counting out the Skittles
- Love watching the colors dissolve
- And especially love seeing the rainbow form layer by layer
It’s hands-on, colorful, and gives instant visual results — which makes the science stick.
Make It Even Easier with Printable Worksheets
To make this experiment simple to teach and easy for kids to understand, I created no-prep printable worksheets to go along with it.
The printable pack includes:
- Guided questions about particles, solubility, and density
- Step-by-step directions
- Observation pages
- Density explanations (kid-friendly)
- Drawing activities
- Kindergarten versions and upper elementary versions
Everything is ready to print and use — whether you’re teaching one child at home or a full classroom.
The Science Behind the Rainbow (Simple Explanation)
When we add Skittles to water, the candy coating dissolves. The sugar and food coloring spread out evenly in the water. When something dissolves in water, we say it is soluble.
But here’s the important part:
The more Skittles you add to the same amount of water, the more sugar particles dissolve into that liquid.
More sugar particles = a more dense liquid.
Density is how much “stuff” (particles) is packed into a space. When a liquid has more dissolved sugar, it becomes heavier for its size — which means it will sink below liquids that have fewer dissolved particles.
So when we carefully layer our Skittle liquids in order from most Skittles to least Skittles, they stack into a rainbow instead of mixing together.
And it never gets old watching it happen.
🧪 How to Do the Skittles Rainbow Density Experiment
Materials
- Skittles (regular or tropical pack)
- Water
- Clear cups (1 per color)
- Test tube or clear glass jar
- Pipette or eye dropper
- Spoon (optional, for stirring)
- Paper towels (for spills)
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Add Equal Water to Each Cup
Pour the same amount of water into each cup.
We used about 3 tablespoons of water per cup, which gave us enough liquid to fill several small test tubes.
(Using the same amount of water in each cup is important so the only thing changing is the number of Skittles.)
2. Add Different Numbers of Skittles
Place a different number of Skittles in each cup. For example:
- Red – 2 Skittles
- Orange – 4 Skittles
- Yellow – 6 Skittles
- Green – 8 Skittles
- Dark Green – 10 Skittles
- Purple – 12 Skittles
You don’t have to use these exact colors — just make sure each cup has a different number of Skittles.
If you don’t have blue (from the tropical pack), you can make a lighter and darker green layer by simply using more green Skittles. The darker color naturally forms because more sugar dissolves.
3. Let the Skittles Dissolve
the Skittles to sit in the water until the candy coating dissolves.
This usually takes about 5–10 minutes.
You can gently stir if needed.
You’ll notice:
- The color spreads through the water
- The Skittles lose their coating
- The liquid becomes more vibrant with more Skittles
This is because the sugar and color particles are dissolving into the water.
4. Layer the Liquids
Using a pipette or eye dropper, carefully transfer the liquid into your test tube.
Start with the cup that had the most Skittles (the most dense).
Slowly drip the liquid down the inside of the test tube.
Hold the tube steady and do not shake it.
Continue layering from:
Most Skittles to Fewest Skittles
If poured gently, the liquids will stack into a rainbow instead of mixing together.
If you pour too quickly, they may mix — so go slow!
(You can watch exactly how we do this in the video included above.)
🌈 Want to Turn This Into a Complete Science Lesson?
If you’d like to take this experiment beyond just “wow, that’s cool!” — I created easy, no-prep printable worksheets to guide students through the learning.
The printable pack includes:
✔ Step-by-step student directions
✔ Observation recording pages
✔ Draw-the-results activities
✔ Density and particle modeling
✔ Vocabulary support (density, soluble, particles)
✔ Kindergarten versions and upper elementary versions
✔ Short-answer and checkbox assessments
Whether you’re homeschooling one child or teaching a classroom, the worksheets make it easy to turn this colorful experiment into meaningful science learning.
Just print and teach.
👉 You can grab the printable worksheets here:
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