Submitted by: Lenora Falciani, a teacher at Teacher, Hope Preschool, Ashburn, Virginia.
Objectives:
Teaching the concept of color mixing to your young kinderartists.
What You Need:
A tray work space and a smock
nine small containers filled with about 1/2 cup of water (Small paper cups cut in half work nicely)
red, yellow and blue food coloring
six eye droppers
a small paper plate
an adult
What You Do:
Place a plastic tray, tub lid, or cookie sheet on a table to use as a work space.
Fill six small containers with water about a 1/2 cup or less.
In three other containers dilute food coloring making a 1/2 cup of red, yellow and blue liquid. Mention that these are the primary colors and that it is possible to make other colors by mixing them together.
Let the child use the eye droppers to explore the colors and make new ones. Talk with them about what is happening to change each of the colors. ( With older children help them make up formulas. Have them dictate or if possible write the formula on index cards. Observe how many drops of each color are added to another color to make a new color. )
After the child has talked with you about the changes observed and has mixed various colors, give him the opportunity to paint a picture with the new colors. Try paper plates or different kinds of paper for different results. Coffee filters or paper towels make interesting designs with watercolors and give opportunities for talking about "absorption".
Give the child some instruction and practice using the eye droppers with clear water.
KinderArt ® Preschool/ECE
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