Looking for a simple, hands-on science activity that delights kids while teaching them about how plants work? Try this color-changing celery experiment. It’s a fun way to explore plant anatomy and water transport—and it only takes a little prep and a few days of waiting.
🕒 At a Glance
-
Duration: 15–30 minutes of setup + 3 days of observation
-
Difficulty: Easy
-
Cost: $0–$10
🧾 Materials
-
2 stalks of celery (with leaves attached)
-
2 tubes or bottles of food coloring (different colors)
-
2 clear glass cups
-
1 pair of scissors (for adult use only)
-
1 large container of water
-
1 spoon for stirring
🧪 Instructions
-
Fill each glass cup about halfway with water.
-
Add ~20 drops of a food coloring into each cup.
-
Stir until the color is evenly mixed.
-
With adult help, trim off the bottom end of each celery stalk (about 1 cm).
-
Place one celery stalk into each colored water cup.
-
Set the cups in a place with natural light. Over the next several days, observe and record what happens to the celery leaves.
🔍 What’s Going On?
Plants move water and nutrients through internal tubes called xylem. When the celery stalk is placed in the colored water, capillary action pulls the water upward through the xylem, carrying the dye with it. Over time, the dye accumulates in the leaves, causing them to appear colored.
This experiment gives kids a visual demonstration of how plants “drink” and transport water from root to leaf.
💡 Tips & Extensions
-
Use more than two colors to see a range of effects.
-
Try splitting a single celery stalk lengthwise and placing each half in a different colored cup for a split-color effect.
-
Encourage kids to sketch daily changes or take photos.
-
Challenge older children to hypothesize which color will travel fastest or how much color will show in 1 vs. 3 days.
🌿 Educational Value
-
Demonstrates plant anatomy and fluid transport
-
Promotes observation, hypothesis, and scientific thinking
-
Helps kids connect abstract ideas (like “inside the stem”) with something they can see
-
Offers a low-cost, low-prep activity with a “wow” factor
Credit: Adapted from Generation Genius Generation Genius