Many years ago, people thought rainbows were a magical bridge in the sky. Some also believed that if you find the end of the rainbow, you would find a pot of gold where it touched the Earth. Rainbows are also magical to children as they read stories in books. Nice thoughts, but all myths! We as parents need to show our children how rainbows are part of nature. Use these fun experiments to show the kids how to make a rainbow at home.
A quick primer on rainbows
A rainbow is simply caused by sunlight shining through raindrops. Sunlight looks white but it is really made up of many colors. As the sunlight passes through each drop, it splits into its separate colors. These colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo (blue-red) and violet (red-blue). Because they blend, we may only see four or five colors at a time. Teach your kids the name Roy G. Biv so they can easily remember the colors in order.
Plan some science lessons at home so the children can make their own rainbows. There are several ways this can be done depending on the age of your child.
Change the color of light
To do this project, you will need a variety of different colors of cellophane. Start out by having the kids shine flashlights through each color. Then change the color by combining layers of different colored cellophane. For example, if you place a yellow piece on the flashlight, objects will appear yellow. Try adding a red piece on top and your child should see orange.
You can also make homemade binoculars by taping two empty cardboard toilet tubes together. Take a square of colored cellophane and place it on the one end securing it with a rubber band. Do this for both tubes. As the children look through the binoculars (open ends) they will see the world in a different hue.
Make a rainbow outdoors
Just turn on a hose and adjust the nozzle to a find spray. Have the children stand with their backs to the sun. They will see a rainbow shining in the spray. My kids loved to do this while getting in some water play at the same time.
Create an indoor rainbow
For this experiment, you will need a shallow cake pan with about two inches of water inside. Find a real sunny spot in the room where you can set the pan down. Invite the kids to hold a mirror at an angle in the pan of water. Let the sun shine on the mirror casting a rainbow on the wall or ceiling.
Show children some prisms
Find or purchase a glass prism and discuss what it is. A prism is a transparent solid, usually made of glass with three solid ends. It separates white light passing through it into its individual parts, the colors of the rainbow. Shine a light through the prism to show the kids how the prism separates the light. It will work best against a white wall or background.
I have a glass prism hanging in my dining room window. Every afternoon when the sun shine through the window, the prism reflects colors that dance on the wall like a colorful rainbow. It fascinates the kids and me too!
Make rainbow toast together
After a hard day of learning, treat the kids to a fun and tasty snack. Invite the children to make rainbow toast. Give each child a slice of bread. Make colored paints by mixing milk with a drop or two of food coloring. Let them paint a rainbow on the bread using clean paintbrushes or cotton swabs. Make sure they don’t use too much paint to make the bread soggy. Lightly toast the finished product to make a fun snack. Admire it and then enjoy it!
Sources:
Personal experience in the classroom and with my own children
Every Color in the Rainbow
More from this contributor:
Preschool Storytime: A Rainbow of My Own
Cabin Fever Science Experiments for Preschool
