• SHOP PRODUCTS
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Laughing Kids Learn

Where learning is made fun

  • Home
  • Sensory Play
  • Art & Craft
  • Numeracy
  • Literacy
  • Science
  • Recipes
  • Video

Magic Milk Science Experiment

August 3, 2014 by Kate 81 Comments

Here is a magic milk science experiment that your children will want to do again and again! Read on to learn how to do the magic milk science experiment and why it happens. 
Magic Milk science experiment for kids

This particular science activity is lots of fun and a great introduction to those children who haven’t had much experience in observing chemical reactions etc. I had shared this magic milk science experiment a long time ago and it proved particularly popular on my Laughing Kids Learn Facebook page.

Recommended age: 2 years +
(Active supervision is always advised with my activities)

What you will need for milk experiment

Magic Milk Science Experiment

You will need – 

  • plate
  • 1/2 cup – 1 cup milk
  • 1 drop of dishwashing liquid
  • food colouring
  • toothpicks (optional)

This science experiment is simple to set up and quickly gets to the ‘wow factor’ that will bring a smile to your child’s face.

Lots of colours in this science experiment about colour

Simply begin by pouring milk onto a plate. You will need to ensure you have enough milk to cover the base of the plate.

Add a few drops of food colouring to the milk (see above). This will give you a great opportunity to talk about colours and point out if any of them mix together to form new colours. 

Observing milk experiment changing colour

Let the magic happen!!

Carefully add one drop of dishwashing liquid to the middle of the milk.

Quickly a chemical reaction will occur, which will see the colours begin to spread away from the dishwashing liquid drop and begin mixing and churning the colours.

Color magic milk science experiment for kids

It’s absolutely amazing and you can observe it continually move and swirl for a decent amount of time!

Slowly it mixes together and pushes the colours further away from the dishwashing liquid and having it sink to the base of the plate. 
Colour changing magic milk science experiment for kids. Using toothpick to swirl it around.
For a bit of fun I decided to give Possum a toothpick. She loved using it to encourage the swirling motion and seeing how they all mixed around each other and created something new to look at.

What is the science behind it, simply put?

Milk is made up of mostly water but it does contain vitamins, minerals, proteins and small droplets of fat. The fat and proteins are super sensitive to changes in the milk and so when the dishwashing liquid is added a chemical reaction occurs.

The soap and fat work hard to join together, which causes the movement. When food colouring is added we are able to witness this chemical reaction occurring. See here for more information.

Going further

You might like to experiment further by adding an extra drop of soap to see if there is more movement. If you see more movement you’ve discovered that there was still more fat that hadn’t combined with the soap. You might like to continue the process.

mixing and changing colours in this magic milk science experiment for kidsThis is certainly a science activity your child will love to do and ask to have you repeat over and over again and again, and you’ll do it because it’s so fun to watch! Check out Coffee Cups and Crayons who have also done this experiment here.

Would your child love observing this science experiment?

Some other ideas you’ll love – 

how to make flavoured sherbet. Simple recipe and edible science activity for kids.     how to make crystals science activity   How to grow lettuce indoors with kids   How to grow a carrot top

Ebooks available featuring Laughing Kids Learn
Zero to Two: Book of Play    Three to Five Playful Preschool ad

Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, Science Tagged With: colour, indoors, preschooler, science, toddler

Comments

  1. Nicole - Educationali Insights says

    August 9, 2014 at 2:07 am

    This is so fun and easy. I really admire all of the cool experiments that you do with your little one.

    Reply
    • Melodie Nichols says

      March 27, 2017 at 3:32 am

      You are right even though I don’t have kids.

      Reply
  2. Nicole - Educational Insights says

    August 9, 2014 at 2:08 am

    Wow, this is so fun and easy. I really admire all of the cool experiments that you do with your little one.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      August 9, 2014 at 3:59 pm

      Awww thanks Nicole! We do have lots of fun. Thanks for popping by and taking the time to comment. 🙂

      Reply
    • Dhwani says

      December 29, 2020 at 8:25 pm

      What is the Aim behind this experiment?

      Reply
  3. gwenda kilian says

    August 11, 2014 at 11:25 pm

    Love all the recipes please keep me posted.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      August 12, 2014 at 8:49 pm

      Have you subscribed to my blog Gwenda? I’d love to have you on board and that way you won’t miss a post. Click over to my blog http://www.laughingkidslearn.com and add your email address. Warm regards, Kate

      Reply
  4. Heather says

    August 18, 2014 at 4:33 pm

    Great idea
    It doesn’t work with ecostore dishwashing liquid but my 3 year old had a great time swirling the colours
    Great blog!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      August 18, 2014 at 4:58 pm

      Thanks Heather for sharing that information. Very helpful!
      I’m really glad your little 3 year old still enjoyed the activity. We had lots of fun with it and little Possum found mixing the colours quite irresistible too. Hope you’ve had a chance to subscribe to my blog. Thank you kindly for your comments. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Meg says

    September 27, 2014 at 8:15 am

    I love this and all of your posts. I have a little man (1 this December) and I have so many things to do with him, thanks to you!
    Cheers from Seattle!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      September 27, 2014 at 9:06 pm

      What a beautiful message to send me Meg. Thank you so very kindly. I’m thrilled to hear that you’re enjoying the posts I’m sharing and it is keeping your little one year old busy. I can imagine the visual of this science experiment would impress. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Dixie says

    January 24, 2015 at 12:40 pm

    I love your experiments.
    I teach a science club at the Boys & Girls Club
    And I frequently use your ideas.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      January 26, 2015 at 5:02 pm

      Thank you Dixie! I really appreciate hearing that. Feel free to send me through a photo and I can share it on our FB page. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Kelly says

    February 24, 2015 at 2:29 am

    This experiment is even better if you use half and half. More fat equals more reaction 🙂

    Reply
    • Kate says

      February 24, 2015 at 8:11 am

      So half milk and half detergent?

      Reply
      • E says

        April 11, 2015 at 4:29 am

        Half & Half is a high-fat milk product — half milk half cream.

        Reply
        • Kate says

          April 11, 2015 at 11:49 pm

          The more fat in the milk the greater the reaction will be thanks E. 🙂

          Reply
  8. slumteacher says

    December 7, 2015 at 10:56 pm

    I would like to show this at a school in a slum area in Africa. However, I’m reluctant to “waste” any foodstuffs, in particular if the kids would long for eating/drinking it. Does anybody have an idea how the milk could possibly be replaced by other ingredients? Obviously fat would be required. I assume that the color of the milk also plays a role, so it is probably not easy.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      December 7, 2015 at 11:16 pm

      Thank you for your comment. I am no aware of any alternatives and can appreciate your thoughts on this. Is it possible for them to see a video of it being done. I know it isn’t the same as them actually doing it, but I’m sure they will still get the wow factor. Hope that helps.

      Reply
      • Helen says

        January 19, 2016 at 12:35 pm

        Thanks for this great idea! I am a homeschool mom and we are doing science experiment week.
        We are sooo doing this one this week! It’s very affordable and you already have the items on hand. Perfect!

        Reply
        • Kate says

          January 19, 2016 at 11:33 pm

          Hi Helen! So wonderful to receive your message. I’m thrilled you are going to give this experiment a go. We absolutely love it. 🙂

          Reply
      • luke says

        February 19, 2016 at 2:06 am

        thank you

        Reply
        • Kate says

          February 21, 2016 at 1:16 pm

          You are very welcome Luke!

          Reply
    • Heather says

      April 15, 2017 at 10:06 am

      You could probably use oil and water as a substitute for milk.

      Also, if you are going to use this to teach kids, it’s probably important to note that this isn’t a chemical reaction. Chemical reactions involve an irreversible change to the molecules themselves and are either exo or endothermic. This is neither. It’s actually physics…the milk’s surface tension is disturbed by the presence of dishwashing liquid (it probably wouldn’t work with dishwasher detergent, so if people are having issues, double check which kind of detergent you are using). Still a very cool demonstration of science. I can’t wait to try it with my niece.

      Reply
      • Kate says

        April 16, 2017 at 5:52 pm

        Thank you for your great comments. I will keep them in mind the next time I do a similar type activity.

        Reply
  9. Kris says

    September 9, 2016 at 3:42 pm

    You named your child Possum?

    Reply
    • Kate says

      September 11, 2016 at 8:35 am

      Yes. 🙂

      Reply
      • bexxa says

        February 11, 2019 at 5:22 am

        nice name

        Reply
  10. Joy says

    September 27, 2016 at 11:30 pm

    you make Grandparenting babysitting a “joy” …thank you for all the easy and quick ideas!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      September 28, 2016 at 5:39 pm

      Oh Joy, you make me smile from ear to ear. Thank you so much. Love to hear which activity you have enjoyed the most. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Dena says

    November 8, 2016 at 10:54 am

    I’ve tried this with whole milk and 3 different types of dish soap and I can’t get it to work! What am I doing wrong?!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      November 9, 2016 at 2:12 pm

      How unusual! The fat in the whole fat cows milk reacts to the dish soap. I can only image that you might be using soap free variety of dish soap or a variation of milk (soy, almond etc won’t work). Let me know how you go Dena.

      Reply
  12. Maria says

    January 23, 2017 at 4:49 am

    Thank you! My 8-year-old loved it and my 15-month old liked watching it. Thanks for sharing!!!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      January 23, 2017 at 9:59 pm

      You’re so very welcome Maria. Thrilled you were able to entertain both ages. 🙂

      Reply
  13. Tracy says

    February 14, 2017 at 2:53 am

    I tried this with my 3 and a half year old today & it didn’t work. We ended up with a murky mess. It seemed there was a reaction as soon as I added the food colouring (I hadn’t added the soap at this point). It was fun to do anyway as we tried to figure out why it didn’t look like your photos and we got a “wow” regardless! Thank you

    Reply
    • Kate says

      February 14, 2017 at 6:05 pm

      Hi Tracy. I’m so confused why it wouldn’t work for you! It’s the detergent attaching itself to the fat molecules in the milk that causes the reaction so you should see a reaction when you have the milk and food colouring together then add the detergent. Sometimes if you don’t have a full fat milk it can reduce the reaction. I’m glad you still had fun.

      Reply
  14. Nicola says

    March 6, 2017 at 8:33 am

    Is your child learning about colour? You’ll be amazed at the beautiful creation you make together in this easy and inexpensive activity! Who says art and science don’t mix?

    Reply
  15. Cool dodo says

    March 25, 2017 at 4:24 am

    The is goneing to be good i like a lot me will do it at home i like do cool thing

    Reply
    • Kate says

      March 30, 2017 at 2:14 pm

      Have fun with it. 🙂

      Reply
  16. Rhona Ubalde says

    November 12, 2018 at 1:58 pm

    SOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

    Reply
    • Kate says

      November 19, 2018 at 11:00 pm

      Thank you! 🙂

      Reply
  17. Liezel Scharnick says

    July 1, 2019 at 2:52 pm

    I am from New Zealand.

    Reply
  18. Aleina says

    June 4, 2020 at 12:59 am

    Thank you so much! we had a blast!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      June 9, 2020 at 2:11 pm

      Yay! That’s wonderful news.

      Reply
  19. Cornelia Cefai says

    October 4, 2020 at 5:10 pm

    Hello lovely blog and photos BUT please adjust your explanation. This is NOT strictly a “chemical reaction” as the molecules do not break and form new bonds to form new chemical entities, instead they simply move around due to intermolecular forces between the different molecules – fat, protein and water – where positive, negative, hydrophilic or hydrophobic ends of the different molecules attract or detract one another …here is an excellent explanation 🙂

    https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/adventures-in-chemistry/experiments/colors-move.html

    Reply
    • Kate says

      October 5, 2020 at 1:13 pm

      Gah, that’s a difficult explanation for a toddler. Can you somehow simplify for our younger audience? Thank you for helping me teach out community.

      Reply
  20. Cathy says

    January 30, 2021 at 9:07 am

    There is no chemical reaction going on here. Cute way of explaining hydrophobic, hydrophilic interactions but it is not chemical.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 25 science experiments for preschoolers says:
    January 15, 2015 at 9:00 pm

    […] Magic Milk Science Experiment (Laughing Kids […]

    Reply
  2. Science in the Kitchen | Science is everywhere says:
    January 29, 2015 at 4:55 pm

    […] Magic Milk […]

    Reply
  3. Milch mit Lebensmittelfarben | Linksammlung Schule says:
    March 30, 2015 at 4:20 am

    […] oder von laughing kids learn […]

    Reply
  4. 30 Science Experiments You Can Do At Home - says:
    August 29, 2015 at 2:39 am

    […] Magic Milk Science Experiment [Laughing Kids Learn] […]

    Reply
  5. 20 Fun STEM Activities for Preschoolers | Cribsters.com > Find Child Care, Reviews, Advice says:
    September 17, 2015 at 5:32 am

    […] Magic Milk Science Experiment from Laughing Kids Learn […]

    Reply
  6. Entretenimiento: 18 experimentos que harán que los niños sueñen con ser científicos | Quitopolis says:
    October 24, 2015 at 8:50 am

    […] laughingkidslearn […]

    Reply
  7. 18 experimentos que harán que los niños sueñen con ser científicos | YaLoSabe.net says:
    October 24, 2015 at 8:52 am

    […] laughingkidslearn […]

    Reply
  8. 18 experimentos que harán que los niños sueñen con ser científicos | La Ciudad - El Diario Digital de la Ciudad de Goya - says:
    October 24, 2015 at 9:01 am

    […] laughingkidslearn […]

    Reply
  9. 18 experimentos que harán que los niños sueñen con ser científicos | Secreto Cotidiano says:
    October 24, 2015 at 12:04 pm

    […] laughingkidslearn […]

    Reply
  10. 18 experimentos que harán que los niños sueñen con ser científicos | Puebla Directo says:
    October 25, 2015 at 8:02 am

    […] laughingkidslearn […]

    Reply
  11. 18 experimentos que harán que los niños sueñen con ser científicos – Radio Chapelco says:
    October 27, 2015 at 6:02 am

    […] laughingkidslearn […]

    Reply
  12. M Week – Life @ the Mill says:
    March 21, 2016 at 2:03 pm

    […] the time, so they were thrilled when I told them we would be doing a milk experiment this week from laughing kids learn!  I poured some milk in a bowl and each girl got to drip some food coloring […]

    Reply
  13. Ink-possible problem? – Bioactive Learning says:
    May 8, 2016 at 3:58 am

    […] tension and the ink dances.  Or so it would appear from videos and pictures, such as here or here.  However, I believe these are all based on either American food colourings (where the legislation […]

    Reply
  14. Rainy Day Activities for Pre Schoolers | Outsidetheboxnz says:
    May 21, 2016 at 2:57 pm

    […] 2. Magic Milk Experiment […]

    Reply
  15. Summer Learning Loss: A Simple Plan to Fight It (with free writing jar printable) • Love Learning for Life says:
    June 8, 2016 at 11:15 pm

    […] Magic Milk Science Experiment – from Laughing Kids Learn […]

    Reply
  16. Mad Scientist Birthday | Learning is Living says:
    June 18, 2016 at 6:08 am

    […] Magic Milk […]

    Reply
  17. Science Experiments with Colors - Utah's Adventure Family | Utah's Adventure Family says:
    September 6, 2016 at 12:50 pm

    […] My toddler especially loved the magic milk science experiment. He had so much fun watching the colors swirl around, and then at the end, he slowly mixed the colors until it was a muddy brown. All you need for this one is milk, food coloring, and dish soap. The simple directions are on Laughing Kids Learn. […]

    Reply
  18. The Magic Milk Experiment – The Sauce says:
    June 10, 2017 at 12:37 am

    […] I came across a craft this morning (here) and it was so easy and looked so interesting I had to give it a shot. And I think you’ll enjoy […]

    Reply
  19. STEM for Kids: 10 Hands-On Science Experiments - Mama Teaches says:
    June 24, 2017 at 9:57 pm

    […] Magic Milk Science Experiment […]

    Reply
  20. Color Preschool Activities - Natural Beach Living says:
    July 13, 2019 at 1:27 am

    […] Magic Milk Science Experiment from laughingkidslearn.com […]

    Reply
  21. 150 Science Projects for Preschool Children & Kids - Mera Punjabi Suit says:
    March 27, 2020 at 1:03 am

    […] 1) Magic Milk Science Experiment […]

    Reply
  22. 51 Science Projects for Preschool Children & Kids says:
    March 27, 2020 at 2:30 am

    […] 1) Magic Milk Science Experiment […]

    Reply
  23. 51 Science Projects for Preschoolers at Home says:
    March 27, 2020 at 3:01 am

    […] 1) Magic Milk Science Experiment […]

    Reply
  24. 15 Simple And Fun Preschool Science Experiments And Activities – Sweet Saw says:
    January 9, 2022 at 5:07 pm

    […] Learn more: Laughing Kids Learn […]

    Reply
  25. 10 Toddler Science Activities That Are Full Of Fun – Sweet Saw says:
    January 10, 2022 at 8:00 pm

    […] Magic Milk Science Experiment: Perfect for little ones who have not yet experienced chemical reactions. (Laughing Kids Learn) […]

    Reply
  26. 20 Simple and Fun Preschool Science Experiments and Activities - Country Highlights says:
    April 19, 2022 at 11:53 pm

    […] Learn more: Laughing Kids Learn […]

    Reply
  27. 20 Simple and Fun Preschool Science Experiments and Activities – Daily Important says:
    April 19, 2022 at 11:56 pm

    […] Learn more: Laughing Kids Learn […]

    Reply
  28. 20 Simple and Fun Preschool Science Experiments and Activities - YoursBulletin says:
    April 19, 2022 at 11:56 pm

    […] Learn more: Laughing Kids Learn […]

    Reply
  29. 20 Simple and Fun Preschool Science Experiments and Activities - US Clock News says:
    April 19, 2022 at 11:57 pm

    […] Learn more: Laughing Kids Learn […]

    Reply
  30. Is Color Changing Milk A Chemical Or Physical Change? says:
    August 28, 2022 at 7:19 am

    […] https://laughingkidslearn.com/magic-milk-science-experiment/ […]

    Reply
  31. 21 Ridiculously Easy Science Activities For Preschoolers - Homeschool Newbie says:
    November 23, 2022 at 6:19 am

    […] Learn more about this activity at laughingkidslearn.com […]

    Reply
  32. Hands-On Physical Science Activities For Preschoolers | Kids Social Media Bio says:
    January 6, 2023 at 12:43 am

    […] This explicit science exercise is numerous enjoyable and a fantastic introduction to these youngsters who haven’t had a lot expertise in observing chemical reactions. From Laughing Kids Learn. […]

    Reply
  33. Palms-On Bodily Science Actions For Preschoolers - Pecunia Way says:
    January 6, 2023 at 5:27 pm

    […] This specific science exercise is plenty of enjoyable and an excellent introduction to these kids who haven’t had a lot expertise in observing chemical reactions. From Laughing Children Be taught. […]

    Reply
  34. Hands-On Physical Science Activities For Preschoolers says:
    January 6, 2023 at 6:14 pm

    […] This particular science activity is lots of fun and a great introduction to those children who haven’t had much experience in observing chemical reactions. From Laughing Kids Learn. […]

    Reply

Please Leave a Comment: Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome
Hello and welcome!
My name is Kate and I am a mum to two little girls, Possum and Boo. We have lots of fun together learning with play at home and are pleased to share some of what we do with you.
Read my about page to find out more.

facebookpinteresttwitterinstagramgoogle plusyoutube

Search

Find More Great Ideas Here:

sesnory play
art and craft
nummeracy
literacy
Science
recipes
videos

Join the Tribe!

Subscribe



Find Activities by Age

  • 0 – 12 months
  • 1 – 3 years
  • 3 – 5 years
  • 5 – 10 years

Find Activities by Celebration

  • Christmas
  • SHOP PRODUCTS

Privacy Policy

  • Disclosure and Privacy Policy

Find posts by month

Copyright © 2025 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in