No mess colour theory experiment – Simple Science at Home

It’s taken us a while, but we’ve finally learned our colour names – my preschooler spent a long time calling everything red but finally we have all colour names and we’ve even got light, dark and bright added to describe the different shades so with this month’s virtual book club for kids author being Leo Lionni and our focus on these three books A Color of His Own, Swimmy, Little Blue and Little Yellow there was only one possible book that would work for us Little Blue and Little Yellow it was perfect to introduce the start of colour theory. If you haven’t read Leo Lionni he has some fabulous books that my kids enjoy reading and many have take away messages from them as well.

Little Blue and Little Yellow is the story of two colours blue and yellow who are best of friends, they hug and suddenly they aren’t yellow and blue anymore but…. when J was younger we explored the colour mixing in a very messy way and he loved it – he’s is a very tactile learner so mixing the colours on a plate worked really well with him, however T doesn’t like getting messy very much so we needed something that would let her explore colours but without getting messy.

Materials needed

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• Cardstock of any colour
• Blue, Yellow and Red Cellophane – or a pack like these of Cellophane Sheets
• Double Sided Sticky Tape
• Scissors

2 containers to draw around of slightly different sizes

Preparation needed

Draw around the larger circle and then the smaller circle inside 6 times. To the outer circle add a handle.To the outer circle add a handle.

Cut out around the outside and then cut out the inner circle.

Use double sided sticky tape to stick the a sheet of the coloured red cellophane to the circle and then attach more double sided sticky tape and place a second circle holder over the top trapping the cellophane in between. Repeat with the blue and yellow cellophane so that you have 3 different colour discs that your child can hold.

Exploring Colours

We spent time outside doing this as it was a lovely sunny day but it would work holding the viewers up to the window as well. I laid the 3 viewers on the grass and we looked at each colour in turn.

Then we started to mix them – adding two different colours together and seeing what colour was made. First the blue and red.

Then the blue and yellow

and lastly the yellow and red.

T tried to mix all of the colours and it was possible to see that they were turning brown/black as they were mixed together.

Try these other easy Science Experiments to do at Home

Chromatography Experiment – Separating Ink

Exploring Plant Structure with Celery

Seeing how roots grow with beans in a jar experiment

Testing Materials – what makes balls bounce

Energy transfer with a cotton reel car

Viewing the Constellations – with a show box viewer

Growing Crystals

Sea Turtle Conservation Lessons away from the Beach

This month’s Virtual Book Club for Kids Leo Lionni bases activities.

No Mess Colour Theory Experiment – You are Here!

Little Blue and Little Yellow Sensory Writing –  Growing Book By Book

DIY Stamps – Swimmy –  Mama Miss

Fishy Math Practice with Swimmy – Inspiration Laboratories

Little Blue and Little Yellow Twisty Cups for Color Mixing and Story Telling – Lalymom

Watercolor Fish – Swimmy – 3 Dinosaurs

Swimmy- Alphabet Fish Game – The Educators’ Spin On It

Chameleon Color Change Activity – Still Playing School

Rainbow Mess Free Colour Mixing – The Pleasantest Thing