Make a rainbow - learning about colours
Rainbow made by Hester!
You may have seen the window rainbow trend on social media at the moment; people all across the world are crafting their very own rainbows, and affixing them to their windows for passersby (particularly children) to spot. Children everywhere are getting involved… and if you’ve a a child at home, you might be searching for rainbow crafts for preschoolers that will enable you and your little one to take part too!
The premise is that during this time of social distancing, children can no longer see their friends, visit their families, or go to playgrounds or children’s groups. But one thing they are being encouraged to do, is go out on walks. With this in mind, people are making rainbows for the children and everyone to try and spot on their walk and spread some hope for everyone to see, like a giant neighbourhood game of “I Spy”. This brilliant idea is spreading joy in these troubled times, and is something that someone of any age can get involved with!
The best thing about it is that you can craft your rainbow out of any material, it can be as big or as small as you like, and you could spend 5 minutes or 5 hours making it- it really doesn’t matter. You could even make one for every window in your house! (now there’a a great idea for keeping those little hands busy whilst we’re all stuck at home!)
You can use finger prints, stickers, tissue papers, paint etc.
There are plenty of rainbow crafts for preschoolers to explore and have fun with, and here is one of them
YOU WILL NEED:
A large, clear, sealable freezer bag (this needs to be big enough for the card to fit inside)
This fantastic rainbow craft for preschoolers is quick, easy, and mess-free… as long as you sneak in the first few steps away from your toddler… otherwise it won’t stay mess-free for long!
STEP 1:
Begin by putting blobs of paint onto your white cardstock, starting with your red on the outside, and working towards the middle in rainbow colour order. I just squeezed bits out directly from the pot, but you could use spoons or spatulas to get the paint out if it’s easier… just make sure you don’t mix the colours, as it will ruin the effect.
STEP 2:
Next, carefully insert your paint-blobbed cardstock into the freezer bag, making sure you don’t let the paint smear on its way in. Only once it is completely enclosed in the bag can you let the top of the plastic touch the paint. Seal the bag tightly shut (I also covered the sealed end with masking tape to make sure no paint could escape).
Now you’ve sealed everything up- it’s time to get your toddler involved!
STEP 3:
Find a nice, flat surface that your child can sit at, and use your masking tape to tape your cardstock in the bag down. This makes it much easier to work with (and playing with the masking tape is yet another fun activity for kids)
Now the fun really begins…
STEP 4:
You may need to start things off by showing your child what to do. Slowly push the paint around, through the bag, then encourage them to do the same. This is not just visually fun for them, it’s also a great sensory activity as the paint through the bag will feel cool and malleable… which will be just as exciting to them as the pretty patterns they can make with it!
Between you, make sure all the blobs of paint have been moved around the cardstock, so there are no big lumps of paint anymore (this will help to ensure it dries relatively quickly).
STEP 5:
Remove your masterpiece from the freezer bag very carefully, again avoiding smudging the paint as you peel it or cut it from the bag, and pull it out.
STEP 6:
Leave it to dry somewhere warm (in the sunshine or near a radiator), and within an hour it should be ready to display. Once you’re happy that it’s completely dry, use your masking tape to affix it to the inside of your window, ready for passers-by to spot.
Your little one will be so pleased with their own handiwork, only needing a little help from you – and best of all there’s no paint to clean up after… win-win!
Maybe extend your activity to find the colours of the rainbow in your house. Can you find a green/red/blue/yellow etc items in your house and outside and name them?