Coffee Filter Rainbow Experiment and Craft
Finding simple crafts for kids that are also educational is a win-win in my book! This fun coffee filter rainbow experiment and craft are one of those amazing activities. Your kids can have fun watching science in action and make an adorable craft at the same time!
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I love how easy this coffee filter rainbow experiment is to make! And it makes the perfect craft for the spring months!
Looking for more kids craft ideas? Check out my cupcake wrapper flower post to see another simple flower craft your kids can make.
Coffee Filter Rainbow Craft
Rainbow coffee filters not only look beautiful, but they’re also so much fun to make! That means this awesome spring science experiment is an educational activity and art project all in one.
To create this rainbow coffee filter science experiment, you’ll need:
- Round coffee filters: The round coffee filters are the best option for this craft because you can flatten them out and fold them to turn them into a semi-circle for your rainbow.
- Water-based markers: Using water-based markers is essential for this project. Markers that aren’t water based won’t work as well to create the fun tie-dye effect on your coffee filter rainbows.
- Paintbrush: You’ll need a paintbrush for two different aspects of this craft. But don’t worry, you can use the same paintbrush for both parts of the art project.
- Water: While it looks like the coffee filters are painted, you’ll actually use water to create the designs. How fun is that?
- Paper plate: If you plan on turning your science experiment into a cute craft, you’ll need a full-size paper plate to finish the project.
- Blue paint: To create the sky for your rainbow, blue paint is a must!
- Cotton balls: Add cotton balls to your coffee filter rainbow to make some clouds in the sky.
- Glue: Put the craft together with a little bit of glue.
This coffee filter rainbow experiment is perfect for kids of any age! Even little ones will have fun painting the rainbow and watching the cool effect it makes!
How Do You Make a Rainbow Coffee Filter?
To make your coffee filter rainbow, you’ll first need to prep your coffee filters. Start by flattening the filters out. Then, fold one filter in half, then in half again and lay it on a flat surface. I suggest placing your filters on a paper plate to reduce the mess.
Next, use the markers to color in a rainbow on the coffee filter. Color lines in:
- Red
- Orange
- Yellow
- Green
- Blue
- Purple
As you can see from the picture, the lines don’t need to be fully colored in or perfect in any way. Scribbles and uneven coloring is fine, which means this simple project is great for kids of any age!
After the rainbow is colored in, fill a small bowl with water and dip a paintbrush into the water. Paint the water over the marker, pulling the brush out toward the edge of the filter. Continue doing this until the entire filter is damp.
This is where science and art work together! With this fun coffee filter rainbow science experiment, your kids will see diffusion and solvency in action!
- Diffusion happens when particles of a high concentration move to an area of low concentration. When you place the water-soaked paintbrush on the water-based marker, the color diffuses across the coffee filter.
- Solvency occurs when the water is added to the water-based marker. Since the ink in the marker is water-soluble, adding water to the ink on the coffee filter causes a reaction that makes the ink spread. Other types of markers, like permanent markers, are alcohol soluble. That means this method of painting won’t work with them!
Coffee Filter Rainbow Craft
Now that your rainbow coffee filter experiment is finished, it’s time to start crafting! Start by setting your coffee filter rainbow aside and allowing the filter to dry completely.
While the coffee filter is drying, you can start preparing your sky for your rainbow craft. Use blue paint to paint a paper plate until it’s fully covered. We used a paper plate cut in half for this craft, but you could use a full plate, too.
Give your paper plate and coffee filter time to dry completely. Then, unfold the filter to reveal a full rainbow. Glue the filter to the top of the paper plate with a glue stick. A glue stick is the best option for this step because of the thinness of the coffee filter. Regular glue may be too damp, causing the coffee filter to get wet and rip.
Finish your coffee filter rainbow craft by gluing a few cotton ball clouds to the bottom of your rainbow.
This adorable coffee filter rainbow experiment is not only fun to make, but it’s also so cute! And since it’s such an easy project to put together, there’s no reason that kids of any age couldn’t have a blast learning and creating as they make this cute spring project.
Coffee Filter Rainbows
This simple coffee filter rainbow is a cool science experiment and cute craft for kids all in one.
Materials
- Coffee filter
- Washable markers
- Water
- Paintbrush
- Paper plate
- Blue paint
- Cotton balls
Instructions
- Fold the coffee filter in half, then in half again. Use the markers to color a rainbow on the coffee filter.
- Fill a small bowl with water and use the paintbrush to paint the water on the coffee filter.
- Allow the coffee filter to dry completely, then unfold the coffee filter once so that it’s only folded in half.
- While the coffee filter is drying, cut the paper plate in half, then paint one half blue. Allow to dry completely.
- Glue the coffee filter to the top of the paper plate.
- Glue cotton balls on the bottom of the coffee filter to look like clouds.
More Fun Kid’s Craft Ideas:
Cupcake Wrapper Flower Craft for Kids
Simple Cupcake Wrapper Butterfly Craft for Kids
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Emily is a midwestern mom of two boys. She loves all things DIY — from home renovations to kids birthday party planning. Whether she’s making a new farmhouse craft for her home or helping her kids with a cool activity, you can bet she’s in the middle of some kind of DIY project (or three) right now!
