Mix It Up

What To Do

Chromatography Flowers:

• Fill a small amount of water (½ inch) into a short glass or cup
• Take a coffee filter and draw a thick hollow circle with your water based marker in the middle of the coffee filter
• Fold the coffee filter in half twice to create a triangular shape
• Open the coffee filter such that there is one (1) layer on a side and three (3) layers on the other, this will create a cone
• Balance the cone into the glass so the tip of the cone touches the water but the coloured circle does not touch the water
• Let sit for a minute or so to allow the dyes to separate
• Remove the coffee filter from the glass and set the filter onto a towel/paper to dry
• While drying, you may start Fireworks in a Jar and the filter paper should be dry once the second activity is completed
• Once dry, trim off any white edges
• Fold the coffee filter in half four times and cut the edge so that it is round like a petal
• Open the coffee filter and bunch it up with the center pressed together to firm a mini stem
• Wrap the mini stem with a pipe cleaner or use clear tape to attach your flower to an end of a pencil/pen

Fireworks in a Jar:

• Fill a jar or clear cup with cold water about half way
• Add a few drops of liquid food colouring into your ¼ cup of vegetable oil
• Break up the droplets of food colouring in your oil by tapping them with a fork
• Slowly pour the oil into the water such that there is a layer of oil covering the water before the food colouring droplets pour into the jar
• Observe!