Colors

• To introduce children to the primary colors: red, blue, and yellow.
• To introduce children to secondary colors: green, orange, and purple.
• To show color separation.
• To allow explorations of color mixing with paints.

• Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

• Coffee Filters (paper)
• 1 Black Magic Marker (washable)
• 2 White plastic trays, 6 holes each, for paint discs NOTE: Please make sure the paint discs are dried off when finished to encourage longevity of the colors.
• 12 Paint discs
• 54 Color paddles
• 6 Crayola classic markers
• 6 Crayola fingerpaints (2 blue, 2 yellow, 2 red)
• 10 Chubby paintbrushes
• 2 Wooden tops
• 18 Aprons NOTE: The finger paint is washable, but if it is left to dry on the aprons or trays, it is difficult to wash off. Promptly applied water gets the paint out of clothing.
• 18 Cookie sheets NOTE: Cookie sheets should be completely dried by towel or air before putting away to avoid rusting.
• 12 Boxes of Crayola Crayons (8 count)
• 3 Boxes of Large Crayola Crayons (washable – 8 count)

• Ardley, Neil. Science Book of Color. Gulliver Books, 1991
• Lobel, Arnold. The Great Blueness. Harper, 1968.

• Paper copies of the bookmark are included in the kit. PDF and JPEG copies are available here.
  • PDF - 4 bookmarks per page. Ready to print in color.
  • JPG - single high quality jpeg image.

• Objectives
  • To introduce children to the primary colors: red, blue, and yellow.
  • To introduce children to secondary colors: green, orange, and purple.
  • To show color separation.
  • To allow explorations of color mixing with paints.

• Introduction
  • What is color? (NOTE: The dictionary definition of color is “a phenomenon of light or visual perception that enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects.”) Since this makes no sense to young children, discuss tangible signs of color.
  • Who is wearing Blue? Yellow? Red? Etc.?
  • How can we change colors? (paints, crayons, markers, lights, food stains, etc.)
  • How can we make new colors?

• Program
  • Read story – MOUSE PAINT by Ellen Stoll Walsh.
  • Take a washable black felt tip marker and make a bold circle around the center part of a coffee filter. (A folded piece of paper towel will also work.) Now fold the coffee filter into quarters and place the point of the paper in a small amount of water. The paper should act as a wick, drawing water up the paper. When the water hits the marker, it should start to break down the colors of the black as the water extends out to the edges. (NOTE: Effectiveness varies with paper type and marker.)
  • Spin the wooden tops to show color blending of blue and red. If it moves fast enough, you do get purple. Use color paddles to show mixing of colors. NOTE: If there aren’t any bright lights in the room, this might not work well as a group activity. There are plenty of paddles (54) to hand around to let individuals try mixing colors.
  • Show the mixing of colors: Smear a spot of blue finger paint on a piece of paper. Ask what color we should use to make green (or purple). If there is a bit of uncertainty, try both and show what happens. Show how using more or less of a color affects the final color. Repeat the demonstration with the water colors cautioning not to use too much water or there won’t be enough color. Also show the techniques with markers.
  • Put an apron on each child. Give a metal tray (cookie sheet) to each child. Give a piece of paper to each child, which should be kept on the tray. Let children choose whether to experiment first with water colors or with finger paints. If time allows, let them do a second “painting” with the other type of paint.

• General
  • It was surprising to find that although most of the children knew what new color was made by mixing two primary colors, they had difficulty thinking in reverse when asked what colors should be used to make green.
  • This really is not as messy as may be assumed since the metal trays do curtail the spread of paint on the table and are easily washed. NOTE: They should be completely dried by towel or air before putting away to avoid rusting.
  • Many children will prefer the paint to the markers, but some may be squeamish about the paint mess. One caution with markers is that few children draw with marker colors one on top of the other, so they may draw a picture, but are less likely to experience the mixing of colors to create new colors.
  • The finger paint is washable, but if it is left to dry on the aprons or trays, it is difficult to wash off. Promptly applied water gets the paint out of clothing.
  • It is best to have an adult squeeze the finger paint out on the individual papers as colors are requested. A little bit goes a long way.
  • The water color paint discs are designed to fit in the white trays with the six holders. Please make sure the paint discs are dried off when finished to encourage longevity of the colors.
  • A good follow-up story for this program is Arnold Lobel’s THE GREAT BLUENESS which shows a different perspective on colors. It is too long to use with the other activities in a 45 minute program.