Today’s book is My Color is Rainbow by Agnes Hsu. This book is short and sweet and is a great intro to color, color mixing and color creating!

Storytime Activity Guide:

Materials: (If you need any materials, please let me know and I will put together a box for you to pick up)

Cardboard

Paper Scraps/Magazines for collage

Yarn, string in bright colors

Scissors

White Glue

Paper Plate

Rice or Beans

Markers/Crayons

Old Markers

Jars of water

Vinegar

Baking Soda

Prep:

Cover table with tablecloth

Set up supplies in easy reach

Cut rainbow shapes from cardboard, cereal boxes or stiff paper

Take apart old, dried out markers and sort by color. Add ink tubes to jars of water to make a rainbow of liquid watercolors. (optional. My kids love doing this.)

Open Ended Project: Cardboard Rainbow

Use a cardboard rainbow shape and collage, paint and decorate to make a textured rainbow. Cut up magazines, paper, recycling. Use yarn, puff balls, buttons. Paint first or use markers or oil pastels. Basically, use what you have!

Make one, or a collection. Hang on the wall with a piece of wire or string looped through two holes. Stand back and admire!

Art Activity #1: Rainbow Lace

Follow instructions at Babble Dabble Do to make this beautiful rainbow paper lace. You can make multiple and turn them into a mobile, or just make one statement piece. Don’t have a printer for the template? Just look at the template and make your own!

Art Activity #2: Lego Rainbow

Use Legos or other building materials to make a rainbow. Think outside of the box! The legos could be laying next to each other, no attached. They could be stacked for a vertical or horizontal rainbow. They could stack to make an arch (tricky!).

Art Activity #3: Rainbow Scavenger Hunt

Write down as many colors as your kids can think of and then send them off on a scavenger hunt to find one item for each color on the list. This could be inside or outside. When they find something, they can draw it next to the color or write the item down.

Art Activity #4: Rainbow Fizz

This is a great one to do in an empty bathtub, outside on the deck or in the yard, or on a big table with some rag towels. It can get a little messy! Put baking soda in a muffin tin or some jars/cups. Using the liquid watercolors you made with old markers (see prep section), add to vinegar and then use a dropper or little spoon to add to little cups or piles of baking soda. Watch the vinegar react with the baking soda. Watch as the colors mix to make different shades and different colors! See if you can make a rainbow!

Art Activity #5: Rainbow Shaker

Fold a paper plate in half to create space inside for rice or beans. Using paint or markers or oil pastels (or anything that is colorful) decorate the outside using the colors of the rainbow. When paint is dry, fold in half and staple closed, leaving one spot open to add rice or beans. Staple closed and shake shake shake!

Extension: Add ribbons or bells to hang off the shaker

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If you’re on instagram, I’d love to see what you make and do! Use #honeybeestorytimeart so I can see it too.

Thanks for encouraging a love of art and stories with your children, it means a lot to me!