Mixing Colors: Three Preschool Activities
Materials Needed
- Florist paper in several colors (colored, translucent paper)
- Poster board
- Colored markers
- Easels
- Paper (for painting)
- Fingerprinting kit
- Smocks (old shirts)
Modeling Mixing Colors
Hold up to pieces of florist paper in primary colors so that children can easily see them. Discuss that sometimes when two colors are put together, they create a third color. Ask students to identify the two colors that you are holding. Then lay the two pieces on top of each other and ask students to name the resulting color.
Color Mixing Chart
As a class, make a color mixing chart by using a large piece of poster board and colored markers. Complete the first row of the chart by drawing two squares that are the same colors as the florist paper you used in the previous step. Then make an arrow and draw a third square that is the resulting color.
Hand out several colors of florist paper to children and encourage them to combine different colors and discuss their findings. As each child shares the combination she tried, encourage the rest of the class to combine the same two colors to see whether they get the same result. When they do, add another row to the color mixing chart on the board.
Finger Painting
Provide each child with an easel, a large sheet of painting paper, and a finger painting kit. (Children can share kits if necessary.) Tell children that they can use the finger paints to learn more about mixing colors. Encourage them to experiment with different combinations, and circulate among the children to ask them questions about what they have discovered. When mixing colors, preschool ideas can run wild! For example, one child might mix all of the colors together to see the result, whereas another might mix the same two colors several times to make sure that the resulting color is still the same. After they have experimented for a bit, encourage them to use the color combining chart and to see whether it works with finger paints as well. Encourage them to add to the chart.
These mixing colors preschool ideas should give you a base for an exciting lesson on mixing colors. Look here for more ideas about mixing colors for preschoolers.
This post is part of the series: Colorful Preschool Lessons & Activities
Teaching your preschool class about colors can be a fun and creative process. Try the many ideas in this series to introduce colors to your class through songs, activities and games!
