Colorful Celery

Watch how water spreads through a plant.

Ages

3-5


What you need: 

  • Celery stalk with leaves 
  • 2 cups 
  • Water 
  • Red and blue food coloring 
  • Knife

What to do:

  1. Make a cut up the center of the celery. (Only parents should use the knife!) Start at the bottom and go about halfway up so the celery has two "legs."
  2. Fill each cup with water. Put several drops of blue food coloring in one cup. Put red food coloring in the other cup. 
  3. Place one celery "leg" in each cup. 
  4. Let the celery sit overnight. 
  5. What does the celery look like in the morning? What color are the leaves? Explain to your child that the water traveled from the bottom of the plant to the top. That way water gets to every part of the plant that needs it. 

Learning Benefits: 

  • Supports observation skills 
  • Shows how water moves in plants
Science & Nature Activities
Observation
Experimentation
Age 5
Age 4
Age 3
Science Experiments and Projects
Plants
Early Science