Demonstrate capillary action - Fun at-home activities for Kids.

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Demonstrate capillary action

Use colored water and celery stalks or paper towels to observe how plants draw water upward, recording observations and timing the capillary action.

Table of contents

Step-by-step guide to demonstrate capillary action using colored water and celery or paper towels

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Capillary Action in Plants | Simple Demonstration with Tissue Paper and Colored Water.

What you need

Celery stalks or paper towels, clear jars or cups, water, food coloring, ruler, notebook, pen or pencil, timer or clock, scissors or a knife, adult supervision required

Step 1

Choose whether you will use celery stalks or paper towels for your experiment.

Step 2

Gather two clear jars or cups and set them on a flat table.

Step 3

Fill each jar halfway with water.

Step 4

Add about 8 drops of a different food coloring to each jar so each jar has its own color.

Step 5

Gently swirl each jar until the color spreads evenly through the water.

Step 6

If you chose celery have an adult trim about 1 inch off the bottom of each stalk.

Step 7

If you chose celery place one trimmed stalk into each jar with the cut end submerged in the colored water.

Step 8

If you chose paper towels fold two strips and dip one end of each strip into the different colored jars so the other end hangs out.

Step 9

Start a timer or note the current time in your notebook to mark the beginning of the experiment.

Step 10

Write "0 minutes" in your notebook and make a short note about what the celery or paper towel looks like right now.

Step 11

Every 15 minutes for the next hour look at your experiment and write a brief note about how the color is moving.

Step 12

Use the ruler to measure how high the color traveled on the celery or paper towel and write that measurement in your notebook.

Step 13

Check again after 24 hours and write a final observation about how far and how fast the color moved.

Step 14

Share your finished creation and what you observed on DIY.org.

Help!?

What can we use if food coloring, celery, or clear jars are hard to find?

If food coloring is unavailable use concentrated natural dyes like beet juice or turmeric mixed into the water, substitute white carnations or other firm stems for celery, and use any clear drinking glasses or plastic cups instead of jars so you can still watch the colored water.

My color isn't moving up the celery or paper towel—what should I check?

Check that you followed the step to trim about 1 inch off the celery so the cut end is fresh and fully submerged or that the folded paper towel end is actually sitting in the colored water and not dangling above it so capillary action can work.

How can I modify the experiment for younger or older children?

For younger kids use paper towels, fewer timed observations, and an adult to write the '0 minutes' note, while older kids can use celery, record observations every 15 minutes, measure color height with the ruler, and analyze the rate of movement.

How can we extend or personalize the activity after the 24-hour check?

Extend it by placing one celery stalk or a folded paper towel between two jars with different colors to create blended bands, try mixing color combinations, measure the new heights with the ruler, and share your results and photos on DIY.org as the instructions suggest.

Watch videos on how to demonstrate capillary action using colored water and celery or paper towels

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Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

Capillary Action Explained | Kids Science Experiment | How plants Grow

4 Videos

Facts about plant biology for kids

🌊 Capillary action lets water climb narrow tubes — the thinner the tube, the higher the water rises (Jurin’s law).

🥬 In a classic celery experiment, colored water shows up in the stalk’s veins in a few hours and in leaves within about a day.

💧 Water molecules stick to each other (cohesion) and to plant walls (adhesion), forming a continuous water column up the xylem.

🌳 A single mature tree can transpire hundreds of liters of water per day — that evaporative pull helps lift water from roots to leaves.

🧻 Paper towels and cotton wick water by capillary action too, which is why they’re great for absorbing spills and transferring dyes.

How do you demonstrate capillary action with colored water and celery stalks or paper towels?

To demonstrate capillary action, pour colored water into clear cups and place trimmed celery stalks (cut base straight) into each cup, or dip one end of a folded paper towel into colored water and the other into an empty cup. Start a timer and record observations every 10–30 minutes, noting color travel and height with a ruler. Take photos or draw sketches to document changes; expect color to rise over several hours to a day.

What materials do I need to show capillary action using celery or paper towels?

You will need clear cups or jars, water, washable food coloring, fresh celery stalks with leaves or white flowers (optional), paper towels, a ruler, a timer or clock, a notebook and pencil for notes, and a camera or phone for photos. An adult should have scissors or a knife to trim stems. Use non-toxic washable dyes and cover surfaces to prevent stains.

What ages is the capillary action celery or paper towel experiment suitable for?

This experiment is great for preschoolers through teens with adjustments: ages 4–6 can watch and point out color changes with an adult; ages 7–10 can make simple measurements, time observations, and record results; ages 11+ can manipulate variables (different plants, temperatures) and analyze rates. Always supervise cutting and handling dyes, and adapt explanations to the child's level of understanding.

What are the benefits, safety tips, and fun variations for the capillary action activity?

Benefits include hands-on learning about plant biology, observation skills, scientific recording, and patience. Safety tips: use washable, non-toxic food coloring, protect surfaces, and keep kids from tasting liquids; adults should handle cutting. Variations: use white carnations, split stems into multiple colors, compare paper towels versus celery, change water temperature, or measure how fast different plants transport water for extended investigations.

Ready to create?

All Activities

Demonstrate capillary action

Use colored water and celery stalks or paper towels to observe how plants draw water upward, recording observations and timing the capillary action.

Table of contents

Step-by-step guide to demonstrate capillary action using colored water and celery or paper towels

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

Capillary Action in Plants | Simple Demonstration with Tissue Paper and Colored Water.

What you need

Celery stalks or paper towels, clear jars or cups, water, food coloring, ruler, notebook, pen or pencil, timer or clock, scissors or a knife, adult supervision required

Step 1

Choose whether you will use celery stalks or paper towels for your experiment.

Step 2

Gather two clear jars or cups and set them on a flat table.

Step 3

Fill each jar halfway with water.

Step 4

Add about 8 drops of a different food coloring to each jar so each jar has its own color.

Step 5

Gently swirl each jar until the color spreads evenly through the water.

Step 6

If you chose celery have an adult trim about 1 inch off the bottom of each stalk.

Step 7

If you chose celery place one trimmed stalk into each jar with the cut end submerged in the colored water.

Step 8

If you chose paper towels fold two strips and dip one end of each strip into the different colored jars so the other end hangs out.

Step 9

Start a timer or note the current time in your notebook to mark the beginning of the experiment.

Step 10

Write "0 minutes" in your notebook and make a short note about what the celery or paper towel looks like right now.

Step 11

Every 15 minutes for the next hour look at your experiment and write a brief note about how the color is moving.

Step 12

Use the ruler to measure how high the color traveled on the celery or paper towel and write that measurement in your notebook.

Step 13

Check again after 24 hours and write a final observation about how far and how fast the color moved.

Step 14

Share your finished creation and what you observed on DIY.org.

Help!?

What can we use if food coloring, celery, or clear jars are hard to find?

My color isn't moving up the celery or paper towel—what should I check?

How can I modify the experiment for younger or older children?

How can we extend or personalize the activity after the 24-hour check?

Watch videos on how to demonstrate capillary action using colored water and celery or paper towels

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

Capillary Action Explained | Kids Science Experiment | How plants Grow

4 Videos

Facts about plant biology for kids

🌊 Capillary action lets water climb narrow tubes — the thinner the tube, the higher the water rises (Jurin’s law).

🥬 In a classic celery experiment, colored water shows up in the stalk’s veins in a few hours and in leaves within about a day.

💧 Water molecules stick to each other (cohesion) and to plant walls (adhesion), forming a continuous water column up the xylem.

🌳 A single mature tree can transpire hundreds of liters of water per day — that evaporative pull helps lift water from roots to leaves.

🧻 Paper towels and cotton wick water by capillary action too, which is why they’re great for absorbing spills and transferring dyes.