Looking for an apple-related science activity that will mesmerize kids and grownups alike? Try growing a candy apple!
This isn’t the kind of candy apple you may have eaten before. Instead, this candy apple is “grown” using M&Ms and a bit of dissolving science. And it makes for a great fall STEAM activity for kids.
I absolutely adore these M&M experiments so much that I like to pull them out as a bit of a party trick when other kids come over to play.
I hope you and your children will enjoy this activity as much as we do!
Note: For more apple activities, see my Apple Unit Study page.
To grow a candy apple, you will need the following materials:
- A plate
- Red or green M&Ms, depending on your preferred apple color
- A couple of brown M&Ms for the stem
- Water
Begin by making a circle of red or green M&Ms in the middle of your plate. Add a small “stem” at the top using two brown M&Ms.
Slowly pour water in the middle of the apple until water is touching all of the M&Ms.
To see what happens next, check out this short video:
Amazing, right?
What’s the science behind growing a candy apple?
The hard shell of the M&Ms is made with water soluble colors. When the water touches the M&Ms, the colors begin to dissolve off of the M&Ms and run into the water, turning the candy apple a bright red or green color, depending on the M&Ms you are using.
And if you enjoy growing a candy apple, you might also enjoy these other M&M activities:
More apple resources
More apple posts from Gift of Curiosity:
- Apple Unit Study
- Apple Printables Pack
- Apple Do-a-Dot Printables
- Apple taste testing
- Apple rotting experiment
- Dissecting an apple
- Apple sensory bin
- Apple Montessori activities
For more kid-friendly apple activities and apple printables, see my Apple Unit Study page and my Apples Pinterest board.
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