Exploring Colors
LESSON 1
Children will explore colors by mixing them to observe how they change, then connect color mixing to the changing leaves.
The book “Mix it up,” by Herve Tullet.
6 glass jars
Food coloring
Pipettes
Optional:
The book “My Favorite Color: I Can Only Pick One?” by Aaron Becker
Materials
Gather materials
Fill three of the jars with water, and then add yellow food coloring to one, red to another, and blue to the third.
Preparations
Facilitate the color mixing activity, ensuring that children understand the process.
Encourage active observation and discussion during color mixing.
Guide the discussion about the names of colors created.
Supervise and assist children in cleaning up materials.
Effectively link the color mixing activity to the topic of changing leaves.
Document children's responses and questions for further exploration.
Lead the mobile-making activity, involving children in the process.
Objectives for Teachers
Children practice mixing primary colors to create secondary colors.
Children identify and name the colors they create.
Children practice caring for and cleaning up materials.
Children engage in active listening during the story reading.
Children make connections between color mixing and leaves changing colors.
Children share their prior knowledge about leaves.
Children participate in the creation of a colorful leaf mobile.
Objectives for Children
Collect and Connect
Practice singing and coming up with actions to this poem/song.
You can find different renditions of how to sing this song on YouTube. Here is a popular version.
Come, Little Leaves
“Come little leaves,” said the wind one day.
“Come over the meadow with me and play;
Put on your dresses of red and gold,
For summer is gone and the days grow cold.”
Soon as the leaves heard the wind’s loud call,
Down they came fluttering, one and all;
Over the brown fields they danced and flew,
Singing the sweet little songs they knew.
-George Cooper
Activity Flow
Begin by inviting your child to select two primary colors and use the pipette and empty glass jars to begin mixing these two colors. Observe the gradual change of the colors as they blend and change into entirely new colors. Encourage them to repeat this activity until they have successfully combined the primary colors to produce green, orange, and purple. Then invite your child to try mixing all the colors together to see what color they create. Prompt a discussion about the colors and each of their names.
After exploring color through mixing, work together to clean up the activity. After tidying up, find a comfortable place to read the story “Mix it up.”
After reading the story, tell your child that just like the color changing activity, you have noticed something else changing color outside. Give them clues to see if they can guess what you are talking about (leaves).
Next, ask your child what they know about leaves. Allow them to answer, it might be helpful to write down their answers. Then ask your child what they want to know about leaves. Again, it might be helpful to write down their answers.
Tell your child that for your next activity, you will be going on a nature walk to look for and collect colorful leaves. Ask them what color of leaves they think you will find. After they share the colors, invite them to help you create a mobile. Use a stick or an embroidery hoop, and add a string for each of the colors you mixed and created during the color mixing activity (6). Tell them that you are going to use the mobile to attach the colorful leaves to.
