Natural dyeing

We worked today to make Easter egg dye the old fashioned way. First, we started by chopping up some red cabbage. 

Many children enjoy the fine motor challenge of chopping and slicing with the safety knives. They observed the leaves, testing and smelling them. Ben described the odour as "broccoli mixed with toe jam" which I thought was an excellent description! 

We boiled up the leaves (Pee-you!) and Surprise! The dye turned out to be blue. 

Next up were some beets. These were much more difficult to chop but had a vibrant pink colour. 

They were described as smelling like carrots or like cherries. 

Another surprise! The dye turned out orange. Later, we added vinegar and it turned back to pink. Chemistry is so much fun!

Here, the scientists are decanting the dye into a jar, then they taste tested the cooked beets. Yum!

And finally, we boiled up some turmeric, another pungent aroma. This time the dye turned out exactly as predicted- yellow. 

Now we have a lovely set of primary colours to have fun with tomorrow. The science part is done and the art begins.