“Walking Water” and Waiting for Spring (A Bible Science Experiment)

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1)

“Walking Water” and Waiting for Spring (A Bible Science Experiment)

This Bible science experiment with colored water can demonstrate the power of God slowly bringing life back into the plants and trees in preparation for Spring – and also that being patient can be exciting! Watching the water from the yellow and blue cups blend together to make green can teach children that God’s light will bring the green of spring to the icy places of winter; we just have to wait for it to happen.

Total Experiment Time: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Materials

– 3 clear cups or drinking glasses
– Food coloring: yellow, blue
– 1 white paper towel

Instructions

1. Fill two of the cups with water.

2. Cut the paper towel in half and fold into two long strips.

3. Add food coloring, blue in one cup and yellow in the other.

4. Place empty cup in the center.

5. Explain to the children that the yellow cup represents the light of God, and the blue represents the chill of winter.

6. Place one end of each paper towel in the empty cup and the other ends in each cup of colored water.

7. Explain to the children that the two colors are going to magically walk up the paper towels and make a whole new color in the middle, green for spring– “But we have to wait!”

8. Wait 30 minutes to an hour for the colors to blend. Do you see how the yellow water slowly made the blue water green?

Explanation

The process of water “walking through” a paper towel is called capillary action. The water moves along by filling the tiny gaps in the paper towels. When water meets up with an absorbent substance such as a paper towel, it wants to penetrate it. This happens because the adhesive force between the water and the paper towel is stronger than the cohesive forces inside the water itself. This is the same process that causes water to move from the top of a plant down into the roots and vice versa.

Conclusion

Watching for spring to arrive is a little like watching water climb up paper towels. You’d think it could never happen and when it does it happens slowly! But as we speak, God is very slowly bringing life back into the trees and plants. Over the next month or two, we might begin to see some leaves on the trees, and before we know it, the icy blue of cold weather will become the radiant green warmth of spring.

You might also be interested in these other awesome winter and spring Bible science experiment activities!

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