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For some reason, this experiment stands out as one of my favorites from childhood. I’m not sure if it’s because I thought Celery Capillary Action was magic or that my mom had magical powers.
It was probably more of the latter, which is why it was so exciting to recreate this “magical” absorption experiment for the kids – and they were no less in awe of the results!
This science experiment is so easy:
- Stick your celery stalks in a glass of colored water
- Check in on your experiment every few hours and observe capillary action at work
I let Jane set up the experiment herself.
Then we observed at about 12, 18, 36, and 48 hours to see what had happened to the celery and where the water went.
We talked about:
- How the water moved up the celery stalks
- How we could prove the water was moving up the celery stalks
- Why the water in the glass reduced
- Why the color became darker as more time passed
We also noticed that the celery stalks became more fragrant and the stalks became softeras the hours went on.
*Note: Again, just like our Mud Experiment, technically, the water is not being “absorbed” by the celery but is moving through the celery capillaries.
Do you have any favorite experiments from your childhood?
Check out these other activities in our Absorption Experiment Series:
- Science: Absorption Experiment with Sand & Water
- Art: Sponge Painting
- Science: Celery Capillary Action Experiment
- Art + Science: Tie Dye Towels
And here’s another absorption art activity that we did last year: Pipet Painting
LEARN! Absorption, capillary action, science