Crawling Water: A Simple STEM Experiment That’s Full of Color and Wonder!

By Fanisha – The Island Bloom Blog

This weekend, the kids and I had a blast with a simple but magical STEM experiment using just paper towels, markers, scissors, and water. We turned our paper towels into beautiful blooming flowers and watched them come to life with color!

This easy, low-prep science activity is great for visual learners and curious little minds. And bonus — it’s a creative way to explore how plants absorb water!

🧃 Materials Needed:

• Paper towels
• Washable markers
• Scissors
• A cup of water

✂️ Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Fold a paper towel in half.
2. Cut one side of the folded paper into a rounded/oval shape (this becomes the flower top).
3. Bunch or twist the bottom of the paper towel to form a stem.
4. Use markers to color the center of the petals.
5. Place the twisted end into a cup of water.
6. Watch the colors bloom! The water crawls up and spreads the ink outward.

🔬 What’s the Science?

This activity demonstrates capillary action — the same process plants use to absorb water through their roots and transport it to their leaves and petals.

The paper towel’s fibers pull water upward, and the ink from the markers travels with it. It’s a perfect mix of art and science in one simple setup!

👩👧👦 Meet My Little Scientists:

• Pumpkin (11) – The micromanager.
• Jayla (5) – Ran away while we laughed at the flower/li>
• CJ (4) – Our resident dinosaur-lover and science assistant!
• Mom (me!) – Leading the experiment and loving every moment of it.

Let us know if you try this at home and tag us on Instagram or TikTok @vagary340! Stay tuned for more fun DIYs and learning adventures from The Island Bloom Blog 🌴💡