Be A Soap-er Hero

Now, more than ever, it is so imperative that we are vigilant about washing our hands! We need to show our kids the importance of fighting off germs and bacteria with the best method that we have to stay healthy: soap!  Let's be soaper heroes and fight of germs and viruses together! 

Use this fun milk art activity as a way to show your kids why we need to wash our hands. It’s a “hands on” experiment (literally!).

Part one: Milk art

Materials:

• A glass dish pan 

• ½ cup of 2% milk

• Dish soap

• Q-tip

• Food Coloring, more than one color

Directions:

1. Pour the milk into the pan. Make sure that the pan is as still as possible. 

2. Put one drop of each color of food dye in different places in the milk.

3. Dip the end of the q-tip in a small amount of dish soap

4. Touch the q-tip to the different drops of food dye. 

5. Watch what happens! Make your milk art. 6. To clean up, pour the milk out. Do not drink. 

What can you learn from this experiment?

Milk has fat in it and the food coloring floats on top of the fat. The fat is all connected with bonds.  Dish soaps are used on greasy or oily dishes because it breaks the bonds in fats allowing them to separate. When you add the dish soap to the milk, the fat separates and moves making your magical milk art! (excerpt from Science Fun for Everyone)

Part 2: Washing your hands experiment

Teach your child the importance of washing your hands! Especially in a time like this, it is so important to be mindful of germs. 

1. Pour fresh milk into the pan

2. Put 2 drops of food coloring into the pan (choose 2 different colors)

3. Have your child put their dry right pointer finger into one of the drops. 

4. Ask them what happens to the dye.  Nothing!

5. Have them look at their finger.  They should see the coloring on their finger.  Explain that when we touch items, germs and viruses can transfer to our hands which can be very dangerous!

6. Now have them dip their left pointer finger in dish soap.  

7. Have them put that finger into the other drop of food coloring.

8. Watch what happens- the dye disperses! 

9. Have them look at their finger, it should be clean and should not have any dye on it. Explain that soap scares away germs and viruses.

Tip: Have your child sing a song while washing their hands! Happy Birthday is a great one! 

Shoutout to Science Fun for the idea!