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March 5, 2016

Exploring Rainbows, Lights, and Color Science Play for Kids

The first thing I do when I notice raindrops on a sunny day is look to the sky for a rainbow. If the kids and I spot one we usually have what feels like only mere seconds to observe it before it disappears. We never get the chance to fully admire them and we definitely never get close enough to touch one (wink, wink). To help answer my kid’s questions, today’s activity is all about finding easy ways to explore rainbows, lights, and color with the kids in a hands on Science Activity. If we are lucky, maybe a little leprechaun will show up with a pot of gold :).

Exploring Rainbows, Lights, and Color Science Play for Kids: Kids can create rainbows and refract light using prisms or cds like a raindrop while exploring color and light for an exploratory science activity for hands on learning. This activity is perfect for spring, St. Patrick's Day science, or learning about weather and rainbows.

Light is fun for kids to explore because it is something we can see, but we can’t touch breaking a lot of norms they are used to experiencing.

Exploring Rainbows, Lights, and Color with Kids

Exploring Rainbows, Lights, and Color Science Play for Kids: Kids can create rainbows and refract light using prisms or cds like a raindrop while exploring color and light for an exploratory science activity for hands on learning. This activity is perfect for spring, St. Patrick's Day science, or learning about weather and rainbows.

Pin me please! 🙂

 

More Rainbow Activities: Rainbow Letter Match Printable, Rainbow Sensory Bin, Paper Plate Rainbow Craft

Suggested Books:

What Makes a Rainbow?-affiliate link (This book is so fun with ribbons that make a rainbow)

 Rainbows Never End: and other fun facts (Did You Know?)-affiliate link

 The Magic School Bus Makes A Rainbow: A Book About Color (Magic School Bus)-affiliate link

 

Suggested Supplies:

Prisms-affiliate link

Flashlight

Mirror

Diffraction Rainbow Glasses-affiliate link (My kids play with these all the time. They make all light look like a rainbow).

Translucent Colored Shapes-affiliate link (perfect for light table play too)

Old CD

Magnify glass

Exploring Rainbows, Lights, and Color Science Play for Kids: Kids can create rainbows and refract light using prisms or cds like a raindrop while exploring color and light for an exploratory science activity for hands on learning. This activity is perfect for spring, St. Patrick's Day science, or learning about weather and rainbows.

Directions:

In short (and plenty of information for my little kids) rainbows appear in the sky because water refracts (bends) sunlight resulting in a spectrum of colorful light. For this activity we used prisms to bend light instead of water, but an old CD can make rainbows too. Since CD’s don’t look anything like a raindrop we used prisms to help make the connection between the prism and a raindrop more clear.

Exploring Rainbows, Lights, and Color Science Play for Kids: Kids can create rainbows and refract light using prisms or cds like a raindrop while exploring color and light for an exploratory science activity for hands on learning. This activity is perfect for spring, St. Patrick's Day science, or learning about weather and rainbows.

This activity was really self-guided. I showed the kids how to move the prisms in the sunlight and how to shine the flashlight on them and they set off to explore. First thing they did was try to catch the rainbows that were all over the walls thanks to our round prism (you can find them on online but I didn’t feel confident recommending a certain one because we already had ours). They noticed that they could see the rainbow on their hand but they couldn’t feel it. Next they took our translucent colored squares and set them on the prism which changed the color of the light. One of their favorite discoveries was using the magnify glass to refract the light inward making a brighter concentrated area of light. They were hoping to burn something with it but the light through the window was not hot enough (thank goodness crazy kids!–so if you are outside do make sure children are safe and not burning things or themselves.)

Exploring Rainbows, Lights, and Color Science Play for Kids: Kids can create rainbows and refract light using prisms or cds like a raindrop while exploring color and light for an exploratory science activity for hands on learning. This activity is perfect for spring, St. Patrick's Day science, or learning about weather and rainbows.

They also walked around the house with their diffraction rainbow glasses that look funny on, but are so cool you don’t want to take them off because it fills the room with rainbows that only the glasses wearer can see.

We found our triangle prism worked best in the dark with a flashlight angled at the side which only made one rainbow unlike the round prism.

 

More Science Activities by the Creative Preschool Team:

Design a Glider (Free Printable Included!) by Pink Stripey Socks

Evaporation Art with Puddles by Hand Made Kids Art

15+ Easy Preschool Science Ideas

Creative Preschool Learning Themes: Activities, Crafts, and Educational Ideas for all year

Filed Under: Colors, Learn, Rainbow, Science, Sensory Play, Sight, Spring, St. Patrick's Day, Weather 4 Comments

Top Resources

  • St. Patrick's Day ABC Alphabet Handwriting Book Printable Activity $3.00 $2.00 + tax
  • Alphabet Phonics Spinners: If you are at home or school this set of Alphabet Phonics Spinners makes learning letter sounds fun and engaging. (#Phonics #kidsactivity #homeschool #preschool #kindergarten #alphabet) Alphabet Phonics Spinners Printable Kids Activity $3.99 $2.99 + tax
  • Interactive Calendar for Kids: Print and assemble to teach kids days of the week, months, years, and holidays. #homeschoom #preschool #kindergarten Interactive Calendar for Kids *UPDATED* $5.00 $4.50 + tax
  • Alphabet Road Letter Mats: As students race around each track, they will practice letter identification and letter formation. Each track has green dots to guide children where to start, arrows to point them in the right direction, and stop signs to help them know when they have reached the end. (#preschool, #kindergarten #alphabet #homeschool #kidsactivity) Alphabet Road Letter Mats Printable Kids Activity $3.99 $2.99 + tax
« Lovely St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Craft for Kids
Rain Cloud Free Printable Math Mat for Spring »

Comments

  1. Vanessa says

    March 8, 2017 at 11:06 pm

    Thank you for linking up at “A Little Bird Told Me” Wednesday link party! You have been featured on Mama’s Happy Hive blog. 🙂

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 9, 2017 at 6:15 pm

      Hi Vanessa, Thanks so much for visiting and for the feature!!! <3

      Reply

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