Floating Spiders | Dry-Erase Marker Experiment
If you are looking for an easy but festive Halloween STEAM experiment, look no further! This simple floating dry-erase marker experiment is easy enough for your child to try – and is so much fun!
What is the Science Behind the Dry-Erase Marker Experiment?
Dry-erase markers contain an oily silicon, making the ink easy to remove. That is why they have the name “erase”. It gives the marker’s ink a slippery quality, so it can be easily removed from surfaces such as whiteboards, glass, metal, or ceramics.
When you dip the ink into water, the water slips right underneath the ink, giving it a floating effect without dissolving.
How to Try the Dry-Erase Marker Experiment
For this dry-erase marker experiment, we drew spiders to get in the Halloween spirit. Here’s how we made the spiders float!
Materials:
- Black Dry-Erase Marker
- Clear Dish
- Metal Spoon
- Water
Instructions:
- Fill the dish with water. Feel free to make this more enjoyable by creating a spider web to place under the clear dish.
- Draw the spider on the metal spoon with the dry erase marker. Make sure all the lines are connected.
- Slowly dip the spoon into the water, making sure all of the spider design is lifted off the spoon.
That’s it! Feel free to play with the floating spiders by moving the water around or taking a straw and blowing on them. But try not to touch the spiders – they may stick!
Floating Spiders Experiment – Video Tutorial
Questions to Ask Your Child After the Experiment
- What happened when the spider touched the water?
- Why do you think the dry-erase maker spider floats on the water?
- What happens when you blow air on the floating spider or touch it?
Did you enjoy this experiment? We have additional engaging activities in store for you and your family! Discover more interactive children’s activities, parenting tips, and book recommendations in our Family Resource Library. Here are a few of our favorites:
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