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.
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.