This one blew my kids’ minds. We drew spiders with a dry erase marker, poured in water and our creepy crawlies lifted right off the dish and floated.
It feels like magic, teaches a little science and cleans up in seconds.
How to Do the Floating Drawings Experiment
Halloween Feed the Monster Sensory Bins
Get the printableSmooth glass or ceramic dish
View on AmazonDry erase marker
View on AmazonCup of room temperature water
Pencil and a small square of paper
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Draw spiders
Draw small spiders on the bottom of the dish with thick lines. Keep every part connected, or the spider will break apart.
Add water slowly
Pour water gently along the side of the dish, not on top of the drawings.
Watch them float
The spiders lift off and float. Wiggle the dish to make them swim.
Draw a web
Draw a spiderweb on the square of paper.
Catch a spider
Lay the paper gently on the water over a spider and lift. The spider sticks to the web!
Why Do the Drawings Float?
Dry erase marker ink has a slippery ingredient that keeps it from sticking to smooth surfaces. That’s why it wipes off a whiteboard.
When water slides under the dried ink, the ink lets go of the glass. The ink doesn’t dissolve in water, so it stays together as a thin film and floats on top.
If a drawing won’t lift, make the lines thicker or try a different marker. Permanent markers won’t work.
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Love easy kitchen science? Try our Skittles experiment.
The sensory bin printables include
- Feed-the-monster bins for ABCs, numbers, shapes and beginning sounds
- Instant PDF download, nothing is shipped
Perfect for
- Halloween
- Preschool and kindergarten
- Classroom centers
Floating Drawings FAQ
The ink doesn’t stick to smooth glass and doesn’t dissolve in water, so water lifts it off as a floating film.
Draw a connected spider on a glass dish, pour water in slowly along the side and the spider floats up.
Make the lines thicker, keep all parts connected and pour the water slowly.
About 4 and up.
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From families like yours
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