Crafts & Activities
Rainbow Yarn Picture
Yarn in all colors of the rainbow (red, orange,
yellow, green, blue and purple)
white glue
light blue construction paper
cotton balls
scissors
liquid starch (optional)
Cut equal lengths of each color of yarn.
Dip a piece of yarn in the starch (use glue if you do not have starch).
Wipe off extra liquid/glue. Do the same for each color. Place
the yarn on light blue paper to form a rainbow. When all the yarn
is in place, glue on the cotton at one end of the rainbow to make a cloud.
Note: If you want the rainbow to be a full
arch, the lengths of yarn will have to be different. The top color
will be the longest, and the bottom color will be the shortest. Lay
out the yarn and cut before starching/gluing.
Rainbow Streamer Dance
Attach streamers in rainbow colors to paper plates
- one for each child. Play the music "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"
from the Wizard of Oz. Have the children dance and move their rainbow paper
plates to the beat of the music.
Rainbow Books
For each book:
Staple 7 pieces of white construction paper along
one side. Draw a rainbow with crayons and print "Rainbow Book" on
the front cover. Draw an arc at the top of each page to represent
each color, a red arc on the first page, orange on the second, the yellow,
green, blue & purple.
Collect magazines and catalogue pages that have
lots of colorful items on them. Have scissors, glue, crayons and
markers available. Encourage the children to look through the magazines
and catalogue pages and find items that match the colors on each page.
Cut the items out and glue them onto the matching color page.
Rainbow Sculptures
Paper plate or cardboard for each child.
Let each child choose what colors of sculpture dough
he wants to shape and mold. They will enjoy molding and creating
their own rainbow sculptures. Let the sculptures harden and then
display them around the room.
Water Play
Fill the water table with water. Each day
add a different rainbow color food coloring. Add a few drops of coloring
to the water as the children watch.. Have them observe what happens as
the food coloring settles and dilutes. Add a few more drops.
Now what is happening to the water? Continue adding more colored drops
until the water is the color you want it. Add clean plastic containers,
funnels and plastic pitchers for them to pour, fill and dump with.
Rainbow Wheel
For each wheel: Divide a large piece of
round cardboard into 6 sections. Color each section a color of the
rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple). Color 3 wooden
clothes pins to match each color. Put the clothes pins in a container.
Place the rainbow wheel and clothes pins on table.
Have the children squeeze the clothes pins open and slip them on the edge
of the matching colored section of the rainbow wheel. Continue until
all the clothes pins have been matched.
Tri-colored Rainbows
Have the children choose 3 or 4 felt markers or
crayons of their choice; tape them together so they are in a straight line.
Show them how to create a rainbow arch with the markers or crayons!
Make Rainbows
Cut circles out of construction paper in each
of the rainbow's colors in the following sizes: red (9"), orange
(8"), yellow (7"), green(6"), blue (5"), purple (4"). Have the children
glue the orange circle on top of the red; the yellow on top of the orange;
the green on top of the yellow..and so on ending with purple! Encourage
the children to center each circle on top of the other - but let them be
creative - no one rainbow will be the same!! Cut each completed circle
in half! You will have lots of rainbows to hang around the room or
the let children take one home!
Rainbow Necklaces
Supply the children with fruitloops and yarn to
make a wonderful necklace they can eat!
Kool-Aid Rainbows
Let the children sprinkle different colors of
dry kool-aid or other dry drink crystals on a piece of paper. Supply
them with spray bottles filled with water, show them what happens when
they spray the drink crystals. Add a bit of oil to the water bottles,
shake well and spray...what happens now??
Over the Rainbow Hike (contributed by
Brynn (Brynn59) at the
Child's
Play Forum)
Take a walk outside and see how many different
things you can find of each color. Keep track of what you find.
Cooperation Game (contributed by Brynn
(Brynn59) at the
Child's
Play Forum)
Let your children work together to create this
rainbow on the floor. Ask your children to look around the room, collect
all the red objects in a pile. Repeat with the remaining 5 rainbow colors.
Then let your children arrange the objects on the floor in a rainbow shape.
First have them put all the red objects in a big arch, then the yellow
objects under them and so on, until the rainbow is completed.
Rainbow Experiment (this idea came via
email - Thanks, Kim! (preschool teacher)
Make ice cubes in three different colors - red,
yellow & blue. Make sure each child will have 2 yellow, 2 red
& 2 blue ice cubes. Put a yellow and red in a zip lock bag---
have the children rub their hands and blow on the bag to watch it change
colors. What color is it? It is such a blast to see their eyes and expressions
when they shout "Orange!". Do the same for the yellow & blue (makes
green) and the red & blue (makes purple) VERY FUN!!!!!! then
we let each child show their parents before throwing them away.
Science - Make a Milky Rainbow (Contributed
by: CBA-Childcare By Anna-Lise)
Pour 2-3 cups of milk into a 8-9" baking pan.
Add 6-8 drops of liquid food coloring to each corner of the baking pan
(yellow in one corner, green in another etc.). Add 6-8 drops of liquid
dish detergant in the middle and watch the rainbow form.
Songs, Finger Plays & Nursery
Rhymes
Red Dress
Mary wore a red dress,
Red dress, red dress.
Mary wore a red dress,
All day long.
Substitute each child's name. Help them decide
on a article of clothing they are wearing and its color.
Rainbow Colors (contributed by
Brynn (Brynn59) at the
Child's
Play Forum)
(Tune: Hush, Little Baby)
Rainbow purple, rainbow blue
Rainbow green and yellow, too
Rainbow orange, rainbow red
Rainbow smiling overhead.
Come and count the colors with me
How many colors can you see?
One, two, three, down to green,
Four, five, six can be seen
Rainbow purple, rainbow blue,
Rainbow green and yellow, too.
Rainbow orange, rainbow red,
Rainbow smiling overhead.
Rainbow (contributed by Brynn (Brynn59)
at the Child's
Play Forum)
(Tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb)
Rainbow over the waterfall, waterfall, waterfall,
Rainbow over the waterfall, Rainbow over the tree.
Rainbow over the mountain, mountain, mountain,
Rainbow over the mountain, Rainbow over the sea.
Rainbow over the flowers, flowers, flowers,
Rainbow over the flowers, rainbow over the bee
Rainbow over the dancers, dancers, dancers,
Rainbow over the dancers, Rainbow over me!!
Recipes
Sculpture Dough
9 cups of laundry soap flakes or concentrate
6 small bowls,
4 cups of water
food coloring.
Pour the soap flakes into a large bowl.
Add a cup of water. Stir until thick, adding more water as needed.
Divide the dough into the smaller bowls. Tint the dough in each bowl
a different color of the rainbow with food coloring.
