Who needs a rainy day when you have
a snowy day! Create you own winter wonderland with colorful buckets of snow.
This is an easy and entertaining way to teach kids about primary and secondary
colors while they giggle and smile.
You will need
food coloring in the primary colors, red, blue and yellow
empty squirtable, clear plastic bottles (syrup, shampoo, etc)
tap water
clear plastic containers, tubs, or buckets
snow
towels
Prep
Have the kids bundle up and go outside to gather containers of snow. Be sure
that they get clean white snow, free of dirt, bird seed, tree needles, etc.
You will need one full container for each child doing the activity. Inside,
cover work surface with dry towels. Place a container of snow in front of
each child. Be sure to have a container for yourself to demonstrate how this
activity is done.
The Primary Colors
Begin by filling three clear squirt bottles almost full with tap water. Add
4-5 drops of primary food colors, one color per bottle, to create three bottles
of red, blue and yellow colored water. Place the tops tightly on the bottles.
Using your demonstration container, squirt each color into the snow
as pictured. Allow the children to do the same with their own containers.
Be sure to identify each color as they color their
snow.
The Secondary Colors
You can introduce the secondary colors by demonstrating on your snow. Squirt
some red onto a section of your blue snow, you have created purple. Do the
same by adding blue to the yellow and yellow to the red. Allow the
children to experiment, color and have fun. The creations that come of it
are usually quite pretty and each one is unique!
Mixing
Now that you have identified the primary and secondary colors, you
can further demonstrate by mixing any of the primary food colors together
in clear water. Using a simple glass jar, fill it 3/4 full with tap water.
Put 4 drops of red food coloring into the water. The children usually marvel
at the glory of the swirling colors. Let them! After a few moments, as the
red begins to settle, add 4 drops of yellow food coloring. Again, the children
will enjoy the mingling of the colors, so take this opportunity to point
at the colors in the jar and comment how the yellow is making the red turn
into orange. The final step is to allow one of the children to stir the mixture,
turning the water completely orange. Use a funnel to pour the contents of
the jar into on of the plastic squirt bottles. Repeat these steps with the
other colors (blue+yellow = green, blue+red = purple).
Outdoor Fun
When your indoor activities are complete, your kids will probably be asking
if they can color the snow outside. Why not! Identify an area in your yard
that they can squirt, paint, and color to their heart's content. After several
hours, the colored snow will fade considerably as the water settles downward,
but for a while their artwork will be visible. This activity is a lot of
fun and reduces the chance of Cabin Fever spreading through your house this
weekend.
About the Author
Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. She is also the owner of FamilyCorner.com
Magazine at http://familycorner.com Subscribe to her free kid's craft
newsletter, Busy Little Hands, by filling out the form on the left side
of this article
Learning from Nature : Cross-Curricular Activities to Foster Creative and Critical Thinking This supplemental educational resource for teachers of grades K–6 contains 50 units that explore nature through cross-curriculum lessons in science, language arts, math, social studies, and the creative arts. Teachers using this book will encourage further creative and critical thinking from students, while providing hands-on opportunities to explore and investigate. The 50 units are organized into six topics: In and On the Ground (insects, gems, grass, earthquakes, small mammals), On and In the Water (ducks, rivers, ponds, seas, water beetles), On Wings (bird habitats, bird songs), On the Air (fog, space, balloons, bubbles, music), and Personal Relationships with Nature (waking up, dreaming, flying, seasons). Nature is typically a science subject, but this book supplements a teacher's core curriculum in a variety of subjects. Teacher notes include additional activity ideas that correspond to the theory of multiple intelligences. Each unit is cross-referenced, making it easy to balance children's critical thinking skills.
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