This quick prep kids’ science experiment is a must-try for winter! Just grab a bag of candy canes and a bowl of warm water and you’re ready to make candy cane stripes magically disappear.
Follow the simple step-by-step below and then grab 30 more easy-to-follow science experiments kids will beg to repeat (plus a no prep science journal to keep track of their results!) in our shop!
To prep the simple kids’ science experiment, I invited my five year-old to play with a candy cane for a few minutes.
We talked about what it felt like (hard, smooth), what it looked like (red, white, curvy) and what happened when we tried to bend it (the candy cracked).
Disappearing Candy Cane Stripes
Next, we made predictions about what would happen when we placed it in a simple bowl of warm water!
I grabbed a new candy cane and handed it to my son.
We walked over to the sink and turned it to hot.
After waiting for it to warm up enough, we filled a small bowl with water.
We dropped the candy cane into the bowl and watched to see what would happen next.
After just a few seconds, we noticed small red clouds forming around the candy cane.
Those clouds grew and grew over the next minute, melting away the stripes.
Once all of the stripes disappeared, we pulled the now white candy cane out of the water and placed it next to some fresh ones.
Pretty cool, huh?!
My son and I talked about the predictions we made at the beginning – comparing them to the actual results – an important step in helping kids learn the scientific process. Then, we grabbed another cane and started all over again!
The Science Behind It
Candy canes are made with sugar. When sugar is placed in water, it dissolves – changing from a solid to a liquid.
30 More Inspiring Science Experiments for Kids
Grab 30 easy-to-follow science experiments kids will beg to repeat (plus a no prep science journal to keep track of their results!) in our shop!