“Bring out the watered color and mix it up”
What preschooler doesn’t love water play? The pouring and the mixing seem to keep them busy for hours. So next time you take out the water change it up a little and give them colored water. Let them watch the colors mix and see what new color appears.
Age:
2 and up
What you need:
- Water
- Food coloring (blue, red, yellow)
- Containers to pour water in and out (we use leftover containers, cups, bowls, etc.)
- Droppers
How to:
This is such an easy way to keep your children busy. It can be done indoors, in the tub, or outdoors for easy clean-up.
1. Fill containers with a few drops of food coloring and water. We use primary colors (red, yellow, blue) so that when the colors mix children can be amazed by the secondary colors they create.
2. Set up the play space with empty containers, jars, bowls, spoons, etc.
3. Then bring out the containers with the primary colors and let your child start mixing.
4. You can also bring out containers with plain water so they can watch the colors they create turn lighter and create shades.
When my children do this activity it starts out with many beautiful colors. Yellow, red, blue, green, orange, purple, and many different shades. By the end of this activity, each container is filled with the same color and that is OK and expected.
Objective:
This is an opportunity to explore colors and help children see that two different colors will make a new color. Children will be working on fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and math concepts, such as less and more.