Bring the Magic of Winter to Life: Winter Magic Milk Experiment

Got milk? Then, you have everything you need to do this fun activity in your kitchen right now. It’s a fun winter-themed activity for the holidays. Grab your milk and create this Winter Magic Milk Experiment.

Want even more winter ideas? See this list of cool winter activities for kids.

It’s fun to watch the soap’s effect on the food coloring as it disperses and mixes together. The kids always have a blast with this fun magic milk experiment, and we make it over and over again.

My kids never get tired of these reactions, and I love that. It means they’ll want to do them again, and I’ll get to be a part of it, too.

This post may contain affiliate links meaning I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Read my disclosure policy here.

Fun Winter Facts for Kids

Winter is full of surprises, and there are so many fun facts that can make the season even more exciting. These little tidbits, from snowflakes to cozy nights, are perfect for sparking the kids’ imaginations.

Snowflakes Aren’t Always White – Did you know snowflakes can appear blue or purple in a particular light? It happens when they reflect the sunlight in just the right way.
Winter Quiet – Snow can make everything quieter. The snowflakes absorb sound, making winter walks extra peaceful.
Northern Lights – In some parts of the world, you can see the Northern Lights in the winter. It’s a colorful light show from the sky that’s a real treat.

Recommended Winter Books

On chilly days, we love reading books about winter and all the fun things that come with it. My kids enjoy hearing stories about snowflakes, animals, and the season’s beauty.

It’s a great way to keep them excited about winter while snuggling up together. Try some out with your kids.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats(1995-09-01)Over and Under the Snow Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter The Long Winter (Little House on the Prairie Book 6)Ten Sparkly Snowflakes: Twinkly Countdown Fun!Hiders Seekers Finders Keepers: How Animals Adapt in Winter

How does the magic milk experiment work?

Want the magic milk experiment explanation? First, ask the kids what they think about the process and then go from there. After they give their hypothesis, you can talk about the actual experiment.

Notice that when the food coloring is added to the dish, it sits on top. It does not initially mix with milk, which comprises minerals, fats, and proteins.

Once the cotton swab is added to the soap, it is dipped into the milk, and the colors begin to swirl and mix.

The soap breaks the surface tension of the milk as the fat molecules interact with the dish soap and begin to move around and swirl.

The soap seeks out the fatty molecules, and as they move and interact, the food coloring allows you to see this and how it moves. It processes a fun color reaction to watch.

As the reaction stops, the colors stop swirling. You can grab another cotton swab dipped in soap to start the reaction again in another part of the dish.

Recommended Winter Toys

When the cold weather keeps us indoors, I love having toys that can keep my kids engaged and entertained. It’s so nice to have options that let them play, learn, and use their imagination while staying cozy inside.

From building, creating, or having fun, toys keep my kids busy and happy during winter.

Colovis 16Pcs Snowman Decorating Kit, Snowman Making Kit Winter Party Kids Toys Christmas Holiday Decoration Gift(1 Pack)Mudpuppy Arctic Life Search & Find Puzzle, 64 Pieces, 23”x15.5” – Complete Puzzle to Find 40+ Hidden Images PLUS PLUS – Mini Maker Tube – Winter Snowflake – 70 Piece, Construction Building Stem Toy, Interlocking Mini Puzzle Blocks for Kids Wild Republic Polar Nature Tube, Arctic Animals, Kids Gifts, Educational Toys, Party Favors, 13-Piece Hasbro Gaming Don’t Break the Ice Game, Multicolor MAGNA-TILES Arctic Animals 25-Piece Magnetic Construction Set, The ORIGINAL Magnetic Building Brand

What milk is best for the magic milk experiment?

The best milk for this experiment has more fat. I used 2% milk, but whole milk would be even better since it has more fat. You want to be sure that whatever milk you use has fat content, which is key to the experiment.

My daughter was moving the plate, and then the colors inside the snowflake dispersed outside the cookie cutter, making it look prettier.

My daughter usually enjoyed adding more food coloring and soap to see what happened. Then, the kids created a heaping mess, which was always fun to watch.

She said she was creating a magic potion. I loved that she was creating and using her imagination simultaneously. She seemed to think she was making magic, the cutest thing ever.

To transform the regular magic milk experiment into a winter-themed one, you need only add a snowflake cookie cutter to the supplies list.

Recommended Winter Activity Kits

I’ve found that printable activity kits are a lifesaver during the winter months. They’re perfect for keeping my kids entertained when we’re stuck inside.

With everything from coloring pages to counting activities, these kits offer so much variety and make it easy to set up fun activities. My kids enjoy them, and I love how they help with learning while we all stay warm and cozy.

Winter Science Project Supplies

You have everything you need in your kitchen right now to do this. Below is an example of some things that you need or should think about getting for the experiment. Of course, you can always make any experiment work with what you have, but these are also fun to add.

milk
Liquid food coloring
Dish soap
Cotton swabs
Dinner plate or shallow dish
Small container

If you don’t have a snowflake cookie cutter, you can use a gingerbread man or Christmas tree to change up the theme of the experiment and the colors to match.

This is a super simple way to make this experiment unique. The more shapes you can use, the better. The kids will have a blast and be looking for new shapes to use.

How to make this Winter season experiment?

We love simple science experiments that we can quickly assemble with no fuss. They are the perfect way to have something fun for the kids while combining learning.

This winter-themed snowflake magic milk experiment is a fun spin on the regular magic milk experiment. I’m always looking for ways to change things up and make it seasonal, and this is perfect.

Milk is made up of fats that you can’t see, although it looks like one uniform liquid. It contains water, fats, and proteins.

When you add your food coloring, it looks like it just sits on the milk.

For this winter-themed experiment, we chose only to use purple and blue. We wanted darker colors that evoke winter.

Once you dip your cotton swab into the milk, you’ll see the food coloring begin to disperse and mix, which is the fun part.

As you hold the cotton swab in the milk, you see the colors swirl; you can then dip the other end into the soap to keep doing it again. It’s such an incredible process to see!

More Winter Activities

Don’t miss out on these other great activities, too. The more you can introduce fun learning activities to the kids, the more they’ll want to dive in and do fun learning. These are a great way to combine learning and fun and will make the kids want to explore even more.

Simple Magic Milk Science Experiment

This easy science experiment brings a fun twist to learning. Vibrant swirls appear by adding food coloring to milk and dipping a cotton swab in dish soap, making it a perfect way to explore basic science concepts hands-on. It’s simple, engaging, and a great introduction to chemical reactions for kids!

Materials

1 1/2 cups of milk
Liquid food coloring
Dish soap
Cotton swabs
Dinner plate or shallow dish
Small container

Instructions

Pour about one tablespoon of dish soap into a small container.
Pour milk onto a plate. (It’s ok if you see bubbles.)
Drip a few drops of food coloring of choice in the center of the milk. You can get creative with where you drop the drops and space them out how you wish. (Note: Food coloring may spread out slightly as pictured.)
Dip a cotton swab into the dish soap.
Place the cotton swab in the middle of the colors and watch what happens! You should see the colors spread out towards the sides of the plate and change over time. You can repeat this step a few times.

Notes

Kids can take their cotton swabs and “draw” or “swirl” in the colors. Eventually, the colors mix until the milk becomes one color.
If you allow the milk to sit a while before all colors are mixed entirely7, you can see the milk change in neat ways, as pictured here.
Watch over time how different things look!
When complete, dispose of milk in the sink.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

This is a super simple way to change up this experiment in a new and unique way. The more shapes that you can use for this experiment, the better. The kids will have a blast and will be looking for new shapes to use for this experiment.

Don’t forget that you can also do this at other times of the year. Change up the coloring and shapes you use; this can easily be a year-round activity.

Winter Magic Milk Experiment