Swirling Milk

Today's Activity:

Drops of food colour swirl on the surface of milk when a toothpick introduces a droplet of dishwashing liquid. The colours do not mix with each other, but continue in separate in swirling patterns. The toothpick can be dipped into the milk again and will reactivate the swirling motion. Moving the toothpick to a new spot can later result in mixing of the various colours.

Materials Needed:

A flat glass dish about 15 cm diameter and at least 2 cm deep.
Warm skim milk (cover the bottom of the dish to about 1 cm deep).
Several food colours (red, yellow, blue, and green work well).
A film canister filled with dishwashing liquid.
A toothpick.

The Experiment:

Place a dish containing milk onto the table and allow it to become motionless. Then drop two drops of each food colour at separate points around the edge of the dish (be careful not bump the table or do anything that would mix the colours). Now dip the end of a toothpick into the dishwashing liquid and touch it lightly in the middle of the milk (hold it there for at least 30 seconds before lifting the toothpick out).

Introduction:

Perform the experiment and show the children how the food colours swirl in different patterns across the surface of the milk. It looks very attractive, don't you think so? Each colour remains separate just like you and I are different people.

If we love each other like Jesus loves us, then we will be like swirling colours that attract our eyes. And others will then be attracted to Jesus and come to know Him as their Saviour.

We are God's Children:

1 John 4:11 tells us that since God loves us, we also should love one another. This is not some sort of soppy love. Real love is where we care for one another, help each other and are kind to one another.

I know it's hard to love your brother or sister, especially when they annoy you. It's also not easy to love people who you don't like, such as kids who continually tease you, bully you or look down on you. But Jesus told us to love our enemies by doing good to them. We are told how to love others in 1 John 3:18, which says:

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

Guided by God:

And so it's very important to think about how we treat other people and how they see us. If we love each other like Jesus loves us, then we will be like the colours swirling about in this milk. Others will see this and just as the swirling colours attract our eyes, they will be attracted to Jesus and come to know Him as their Best Friend and Saviour.

Will you ask God to help you love and care for others? If you do, you will grow as a Christian and please our Lord Jesus Christ. And you will be a beautiful coloured pattern in God's eyes!

God bless!