Create a Rainbow in a Bag – Pinch and Mix Color Mixing

By Blog Editor Susan Wells

I’m occasionally asked by teachers and school groups to bring in a few hands-on science experiments for a class. One of my all-time favorite go -to activity is color mixing with Pinch and Mix goo. Steve Spangler Science sells and all-in-one Pinch and Mix Kit for 30 students or a smaller group. You can also use gel cake frosting if you want to do it yourself.

Start this activity with a literature connection by reading the book Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh. Mouse Paint is a delightful story about three white mice who discover jars of red, yellow, and blue paint. Creativity ensues as the mice explore what happens when they begin to play in the puddles of paint. Wondrously, the three primary colors they began with become secondary colors as they play.

Now it is your turn to delight and discover. Discuss what the mice found and what happened after they were coated in one color paint and messed about in another color. Then make your own color connections by pretending you are little mice mixing the colors in your zipper-lock bag!

Squeeze 1 to 2 tablespoons of each color of goo into the bag. It’s best if you place one color in each corner and one in the middle. Then gently squeeze air out of the bag and seal it. Pinch and mix the colors together by blending the primary into secondary colors. The bag will start to take on a soft, stained glass look.

Hold it up to a light or a sunny window.

Some kids will gently and carefully blend their colors, but most will grab and squish the bag until the colors turn army green, grey and putrid purple. Don’t worry about a failed activity; the kids will still find beauty and discovery in their crazy-made colors.

Make sure you keep a Sharpie nearby, because the kids will want to bring home their creations.

For more on this fun and colorful activity, visit the Pinch and Mix Experiment page.