STEAM Powered Holi Celebration

Holi is an Indian festival of colours. As Mother Nature starts adding more colours to our surroundings, we Indians like it to celebrate to welcome Vasant ritu or spring season. Our club also decided to play with colours; not in usual way, but by conducting colourful experiments. These experiments not only pleased our eyes but filled our hearts with joy!!

Our Holi Special Experiments

Holi Special Experiment 1: Rainbow with skittles(video)

This is one of our most favourite experiments. While fighting with the temptation of putting the skittles in the mouth instead of the plate, we managed to arrange them in a round shape making a pattern of colours. The next step was to just pour water and watch. What an easy experiment to do! As we were waiting for skittles to show their colour magic, we discussed what to expect and why. We were awestruck by the view that unfolded in front of our eyes. You can enjoy it too!!

Holi Special Experiment 2: Walking water (video)

We had setup this experiment earlier in the day. Kids kept observing what’s happening from time to time. At the same time, they were pondering on what’s changing and why. By the time we had the session that was conducted in the evening, the rainbow was ready. It was super fun to watch the transportation of water and mixing of the colours. We kept the setup for next two days and kept observing how the colours darkened and paper towels were shaded with mix of colours. Simple experiment but so much to learn and observe!!

Holi Special Experiment 3: Magic Milk (video)

This was our almost 4^th or 5th time performing this experiment. And every time we do it, it delights us as never before!! The wait and watch actions, the little colourful storms in the milk and the beautiful patterns add to the sheer excitement. J

Holi Special Experiment 4: Sugar Density tower

I had created colourful solutions of same amount of water in 4 cups with different sugar quantities dissolved in them. When we started to stack one solution on another, however slowly we tried the solutions got mixed. And the mixture got new colour. After trying multiple times, we concluded that the difference of dissolved sugar should have been more. What do you think?

And you know what, instead of getting disappointed, we discussed how perseverance is required to keep trying experiments by changing variables until we succeed. So much to learn from these little scientists!! J

Holi Special Experiment 5: Water water, where do you go

At the end, it was time to play with all the left over colour water! With the help of droppers, we created beautiful colour patterns on paper. Kids made discoveries like the same colour water was getting absorbed in different ways in different types of paper napkin or paper towel. Also by varying concentration of colours in the water added different shades of same colour. This simple activity was so much fun that nobody wanted to stop doing it even though it was time to end the session. We left all those colour papers to dry; to be used for later for any craft activity. What a colourful way to learn absorption and evaporation etc. concepts!! 

Thus, we added more colours to our Holi; without actually putting them on our body but letting them play with each other; in a unique way of celebration. I’d shared the videos on my Facebookpage and Youtube channel , so that other kids can also try them. I was very glad when Sara, our little friend, who had also attended the session; tried the experiments on her own again and shared the pictures. So proud of her!! J

Done by Sara!

Happy Holi!! Happy STEAMing!! :)