Students will learn about coloring mixing by using cake frosting and food coloring.
By Andrea Mulder-Slater
There are only three main colors that make up all the other colors in the world. Without them there would be no colors. These three colors are red, yellow, and blue.
We call these colors the Primary Colors.
All other colors can be created by mixing the primary colors in various combinations. For example:
- Yellow + Red = Orange
- Red + Blue = Violet
- Blue + Yellow = Green
We call these colors the Secondary Colors
What You Need:
- vanilla cake frosting (store bought or homemade)
- red, yellow and blue food coloring
- bowls to mix in
- popsicle sticks for stirring
- paper plates
- plain vanilla cookies (optional)
- napkins
- white paper
What You Do:
- First mix together three different color frosting by adding food coloring to the vanilla icing. This can be done beforehand or during the actual color mixing lesson.
- Each child receives 1 paper plate and/or 4 cookies.
- Each child may then add one small spoonful of each color of icing onto one of the paper plates or cookies.
- Ask your children to predict what color will result when yellow and blue are mixed.
- Your children can then mix small amounts of yellow icing and blue icing together with a popsicle stick and spread the new color on a cookie or paper plate.
- Ask your children to predict what color will result when blue and red are mixed.
- Your children can then mix small amounts of blue icing and red icing together with a popsicle stick and spread the new color on a cookie or paper plate.
- Ask your children to predict what color will result when red and yellow are mixed.
- Your children can then mix small amounts of red icing and yellow icing together with a popsicle stick and spread the new color on a cookie or paper plate.
- Talk about these new findings and discuss color mixing.
- Draw a color wheel on a large piece of paper at the front of the classroom or on the chalkboard.
- Finally, have students create their own color wheels on paper using markers, crayons, paint or pencil crayons.
Some images: NCLighthousekeeper
