Oil and Water Don't Mix

No, there's no profound life-lesson hidden in that title, just the scientific fact that oil and water don't - well - mix.

After sharing a flavored water with Bailey on our trip home from the grocery store, Mommy had an inspired moment; a flashback, really, to days spent in the First Baptist Church of Upland children's area where there was an ancient bottle of blue oil and clear water that kept me fascinated week after week.  

It was time to pass the "tradition" on to Bailey. 

After nap time, and a swim outside with sis, we gathered the necessary ingredients and got to work.

First we filled the bottle half-way with oil and Bailey elected to dye it red. When we first put the red food coloring into the bottle, it beaded up on the oil and I thought the experiment was going to fall apart on step one, but we gave the bottle a good shake and the oil took on a ruby hue.  

Next came the water.  I filled up a measuring cup with some of the good ol' tap water and Bailey squeezed the last of our blue food coloring into the glass.

After that, the fun part!  I gently poured the water into the bottle as Bailey watched.  I couldn't see her face - I was trying not to spill blue dyed water all over the kitchen - but she was rather quiet, leading me to believe she was at least somewhat intrigued by what was happening.  The blue water "sank" to the bottom and the two colors didn't mix.  No purple!!!

Then the extras...we took some beads (original bought for some lessons on stringing, but the holes turned out to be too small for the string...and for Bailey) and Bailey got to pick ten to add to the bottle.  And of course we practiced counting to ten: once as she selected the beads and laid them on the counter, and again as she plopped them into the red and blue solution.

Mommy glued the lid on, taped it up for good measure, and let Bailey go at it. Shaking the colors together and trying to find the ten beads.

If I had to do it over again, I probably wouldn't dye the water/oil such deep colors.  It makes the beads extra hard to find and the purple is so dark that it's hard for a preschooler to identify the color as purple. But aside from that, it was a success.

And, since Daddy came home with an empty Coke bottle after work, I guess we'll take another stab at it soon!