I found the idea here: http://www.playdoughtoplato.com/kids-science-disappearing-candy-cane-stripes/
And I couldn't wait to try it with Monkey!
Supplies: candy canes, dish or bowl, water
First, we unwrapped a couple of candy canes and touched and tasted them. I even got Monkey to break one. I asked him what he thought might happen if the candy canes got wet. He wasn't really sure, which is fair. It takes a lot of practice to get children to be able to give a guess/hypothesis about something if they don't have any knowledge or experience of the situation to draw on.
Next, I filled the glass dish with some hot water; just the hottest water I can get out of my kitchen tap, no need to boil.
After that, Monkey put the candy cane into the water.
The results are immediate! You can see the colours on the candy cane start to disappear instantly, and they form a little cloud in the water around the candy cane.
In less than five minutes, almost all the colour was dissolved into the water, and the candy cane was visibly "melting away"... Monkey's words!
Here is a comparison of the candy cane we put in the water next to a newly unwrapped one.
This is a really simple, fast experiment which makes it perfect for young children. I'm not using specific vocabulary with Monkey yet (e.g., predict, observe, result), at least not purposefully. Instead I ask him what he sees and what is different from when we started.
Now we're off to eat the rest of the candy canes! :)
Merry Christmas!!
Mar
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