How to Make Magic Milk
Magic Milk is a simple science experiment that kids of a wide age range can enjoy. Both my 3 -year old and 5 -year old enjoyed it, and if you peek closely at the photos, you can see that even my husband got in on the Magic Milk Action.
Making Magic milk is simple, you just need the right ingredients on hand. Starting with the milk, you want to use whole milk if available. The consistency of the whole milk seems to create more of a “burst” effect when touched with the q-tip.
To create magic milk, you simply add whole milk to a container. You don’t need much, just enough to cover the surface. Add droplets of food coloring throughout the milk, but do not mix them in! The more colors you use, the more of a tie-dye effect you will get in your milk.
Next, mix warm water with dawn dish soap in a separate small container.
Dip a q-tip into the soapy water solution then slowly dip into the milk and food coloring solution.
As the q-tip comes in contact with the water, you will see the reaction!
As this happens, ask your child to describe it. What is happening when the q-tip touches the milk?
Here’s some insight as to why this reaction occurs from Steve Spangler Science:
The molecules of fat [in the milk] bend, roll, twist, and contort in all directions as the soap molecules race around to join up with the fat molecules. During all of this fat molecule gymnastics, the food coloring molecules are bumped and shoved everywhere, providing an easy way to observe all the invisible activity. As the soap becomes evenly mixed with the milk, the action slows down and eventually stops. This is why milk with a higher fat content produces a better explosion of color—there’s just more fat to combine with all of those soap molecules.
-Steve Spangler Science
This is why whole milk is so vital to this experiment. The more fat molecules, the more movement you will see when the soap hits the milk.
Hope your little one enjoys this activity!
