Earth Day Science – Celery Water Pollution Experiment for Kids

As you celebrate Earth Day for Kids on April 22nd, it is a great time to talk about protecting our planet. This simple Earth Day Science activity helps young kids in preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade think about pollution in our water and out it may impact all of us. All you need are a few simple materials for this celery experiment making it the perfect Earth Day Activity for Kindergartners! This easy pollution experiment for kids is fun and memorable.

Earth Day Science

Use this Earth Day Science Experiment to help preschoolers, kindergartners, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 students think about taking care of our beautiful planet. Due to their age, young children need quick and easy activities to keep their attention. This celery experiment is super simple with a clear comparison for children to draw. Whether you are a parent, teacher, or homeschooler – you will want to try this water pollution experient for kids!

Looking for more kindergarten science experiments? We’ve got lots of resources including free simple machines coloring pages, easy paper bag lungs, cool ice cream volcano, free biome coloring pages, and animal habitat pritables.

Celery Experiment

All you need to try this celery experiment for kids are a few simple materials you probabaly have laying around your house:

• 2 stalks of celery
• 2 jars, bowls, or containers that are at least 3″ deep
• food coloring
• water

Earth Day Science Experiments

This expermiment works best with a control and a dye version so they can see the impact of pollution clearly.

• Jar 1 – clear tap water
• Jar 2 – mix tap water with food coloring

Note: we used red food coloring, but any color will do.  I suggest NOT using blue as kids think of it as the color of water and NOT green as it won’t pop with the green vegetable.

Water Pollution Experiment for Kids

Explain to children that jar 1 has clear water. You can see through it. Do you think you would want to drink that water? This is what we want our water to look like. Now look at jar 2 with the food coloring. Explain that sadly some of our water on our planet is being polluted and is no longer clear, clean, or safe to drink. Some factories dump chemical byproducts into the water and people litter garbage that ends up in our water. You may even want to put some plastic or other “garbage” in with Jar 2 as a clear visual it is pollution.

Place a stalk of celery in each.

HINT: You can have children record their findings on this free printable Scientific Method Worksheet

Water pollution experiment for preschool

While you wait to see what happens to your celery, this is a great time to diver further into water pollution and the effect it has on us humans, animals, and our fragil ecosystems.

These are all delightful and varied books to teach kids about protecting our planet. Pick them up at your local library or add them to yoru personal library by clicking on the images above to learn more, add to cart, and snag your own copy.

Water pollution activities for kindergarten

By the time you’ve finished reading your books and talking about conservation you should begin to see a change in the celery. As children what they can observe. Why do you think that happened?

water pollution experiments for kids

Move on to another earth day activity for kids to allow the celery to continue moving along as the colored water is absobed through the stem and moved throughout the stalk and leaves through capillary action. (Learn more about capillary action for kids).

earth day experiments

When you check back later in your day you can see the pollution has impacted all parts of the celery stalk and changed the color. Write down your observations on your worksheet and discuss. Did they hypothesize that would happen? Ask children what they think the impact of pollution is for our bodies?

Take this experiment one step farther and have them move the colored celery stalk into the clear, non-polluted water. If we work to protect our planet and remove the pollution. Can we heal the Earth and make things better? Kids will be amazed to see how the celery improves. You might even start with 2 stalks of celery in the pollution one so you can move only 1 to the SAVE THE PLANET clear water to show the difference cleaning water can have to restore the original color of the celery as a comparision to the still polluted stalk.

Learn about amazing plants for kids iwith this intersting and fun botany lesson for kids! From fascinating facts about plants for kids, plant worksheets, hands-on plant activities, creative plant experiments, and even tests with answer keys to test what your child has learned, you will love this fun printable science lesson for kids! Use this plant lesson with first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th graders too.

 >>>> Get our plant lesson here <<<<<