You can show your children a visual rainbow of molecules with this simple science experiment. It’s a great way to explore what happens to leaves in the fall!

Travis and I had been waiting to do this activity all season, but the leaves were stubbornly slow to change. Finally we spotted a landscape of vibrant reds, oranges,  and yellows, and couldn’t wait to take them home and experiment.

First, tear up the leaves into pieces, and divide into glass bowls, one color per bowl. Travis loved the tearing!

Mash the leaves slightly using a pestle or muddler.

Ooh, next up was a grown-up ingredient: Rubbing alcohol. Travis very carefully helped me pour enough in each bowl just to cover the leaves. Place the bowls in a baking dish and add a few inches of hot water.

Now cut a coffee filter into strips, and drape over chopsticks (or kebab skewers, or pencils – anything long and straight), letting one side dangle down into the rubbing alcohol. Place the entire baking dish some place dark and let sit overnight.

In the morning, you’ll see bands of color on each filter strip! This shows the layers of color that were in each leaf, slowly revealed as chlorophyll breaks down in cold temperatures. To be honest the yellow and orange were a bit underwhelming, but it was neat to see several layers of color exposed in our red leaves.

In sum, a neat science experiment!