There’s something magical about color—it grabs attention, sparks creativity, and makes learning stick. Whether you’re a parent looking for something fun to do on a slow afternoon or a teacher planning an easy-prep activity with a big visual payoff, these two STEM activities for kids blend science and art in the most colorful way. 

Colorful Science: The Skittles Color Experiment

You may have seen this floating around the internet, and for good reason. This simple science experiment never fails to wow kids (and adults, too!). It’s the perfect combination of quick setup and big results—and all you need are a few kitchen staples.

What You’ll Need:

• A handful of Skittles (Jellybeans or Gummy Bears work too)
• Warm water
• A white plate

What to Do:

1. Arrange the Skittles in a circle around the center of the plate. Try alternating colors for a rainbow effect!
2. Warm up a cup of water.
3. Gently pour the water into the center of the plate—just enough to reach the edges of the candy.
4. Watch as the colors begin to spread and swirl across the plate. No stirring needed—just observe!

The sugar and food coloring dissolve into the water, spreading outward and creating a beautiful, stripe-like pattern.

The Teaching Moment: This STEM activity is a great way to introduce kids to basic scientific concepts, such as solubility, diffusion, and observation skills—all through a bit of candy magic. After, students can detail the steps of the experiment and write about their results.

Colorful Chameleon Art Inspired by A Color of His Own

A super simple painting technique will make this kid-friendly art project both easy and fascinating. But before diving into art making, you’ll want to read Leo Lionni’s classic book A Color of His Own. 

While the text is simple, the message is powerful. A chameleon wishes he had a color of his own like other animals. Tired of constantly changing, he sets out to find consistency—but discovers that friendship and being together matter more than staying the same. 

This book pairs beautifully with the vibrant chameleon painting below.

What You’ll Need:

• The book A Color of His Own (or find a read-aloud online)
• Tempera paint
• White cardstock
• Popsicle sticks
• Chameleon template (optional)

What to Do:

1. Read the book aloud and discuss its message: How does the chameleon feel when he changes colors? Why is the ending important?
2. On white cardstock, place small dots of paint in a vertical line (straight from the bottle works great).
3. Drag a popsicle stick horizontally across the page, pulling the colors together.
4. Let the paint dry completely.
5. Once dry, trace or glue a chameleon outline over the colorful background and cut it out.
6. If you’d prefer to skip the painting, let kids decorate a chameleon template using crayons, markers, or collage materials.

The Teaching Moment: A Color of His Own reinforces the value of friendship, an essential part of adolescence that happens most often in the classroom. Older kids can learn about the importance of individuality and togetherness, while younger audiences can learn about colors.

Check out our full list of friendship stories and consider the free friendship writing as an add-on to this colorful art project!

More STEM activities for kids!

For more ways to blend art and science, check out our pack of End of School Year Countdown activities and STEM projects. Filled with 10 days of hands-on activities for art, math, reading, science, and writing!

These colorful STEM activities require minimal prep and materials, but encourage observation, creativity, and conversation for kids of all ages. Most importantly? They spark joy and wonder.