COFFEE FILTER RAINBOWS

•  Flatten round, fluted coffee filters and cut them in half.
• Invite your children to brush water over the filters to dampen them.
• Then show them how to make arcs on their filters with watercolors or washable markers to create rainbows.
• Explain that the rainbow colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.  (Yes, I know there are seven colors –instead of blue, there is violet and indigo.  However, with preschoolers, I prefer to use the six basic colors.)
   

RAINBOW MURAL

• Give each child a piece of white paper (3” x 6”), some glue and a glue brush.
• Have your children brush blue all over their papers.
• Then set out some red 1” tissue squares.
• Have each child cover their paper with the red tissue squares.
• Another day have your children cover another 3” x 6” paper with orange tissue squares, and so on, until each child has done a rectangle in each rainbow color.
• When dry, take the children’s rectangles and create a wall or bulletin board tissue paper rainbow.

RAINBOW ARCS
This is a fun easy project for young children.

• Take a red, yellow and blue crayon, remove most of the paper on the crayons and tape the three crayons together.
• Have children take the taped crayons and use them to create a rainbow collage on a plain piece of white paper.

RAINBOW PASTA GAME

• Dye stringable pasta in batches of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.
• Let your children use the pieces for these tree games.
• Sort and count the pasta pieces by color.
• Place or glue the pieces on matching colored paper.
• String the pasta on shoelaces or pieces of yarn.

RAINBOW RIBBONS

• Give your child six sections of ribbon; one red, one orange, one yellow, one green, one blue, and one purple.
• Show your child how to line them up in the correct order.
• Then mix the ribbons and let them try to put them in the correct order.

Note:  This game will be easier for the child if you have a rainbow hanging in  your room.
 

RAINBOW STREAMERS
You can make your child a fun rainbow prop to use while dancing around the room.  For this activity you will need a small margarine or cottage cheese plastic lid and some tissue paper strips or ribbons.

• First, take the lid and cut out the center, leaving a plastic ring.
• Next, cut 1” x 24” streamers, one red, one orange, one yellow, one green, one blue and one purple or purchase small colorful ribbons.
• Tape or glue the streamers or ribbons around the rim on one side of the plastic ring.
• Give the ring to your child and have her hold it on the side of the ring without the streamers.
• Have your child notice how the streamers fly out behind her as she runs or dances around.

RAINBOW LANGUAGE

RAINBOW RHYMES
Teach the following rhymes to your children and emphasize the rhyming words.
 

RAINBOW OVER THE SEA
                Rainbow, rainbow over the sea,
                Over the mountain, over the tree.
                Rainbow, rainbow over the bee,
                Over the flowers, over me!
                                                                Jean Warren

 
PRETTY RAINBOW
                Rainbow, rainbow in the sky,
                Pretty colors up so high.
                Oh, I wish that it would stay
                Bringing color every day.
                                                Jean Warren
 

RAINBOW SNACKS – can be found at the Food Station under Spring Food.

RAINBOW DISCOVERIES (SCIENCE) – can be found at the Discovery Station under Spring Discoveries.

RAINBOW SONGS AND RHYMES – can be found at the Music Station under Spring Songs.