Creating Colour Centers

Our classroom could be called busy on an average morning, so we might call yesterday morning exhilarating!

We have recently begun a Science unit exploring colour, and yesterday we got a little messy as we experimented with a variety of colour mixing activities! Our morning was centered around several of the following I can statements:

We welcomed in seven volunteers who bravely led the students through the hands-on experiments. Here is a glimpse of what we were learning!

Colour Centers in the Kindergarten room!

Students were given balls of plasticine in primary colours; red, blue and yellow. They squished and squeezed the plasticine together to create secondary colours; purple, green and orange. Can your little scientist remember how to make purple? Orange? Green?

Mixing primary colours

Using primary coloured paint, students predicted what would happen if white paint was added. They added a drop of white paint for each descending circle. Can you see the colours getting lighter?

Adding white to a colour

We also tried adding drops of black paint to the primary colours, and were not surprised when the colours got darker.

Adding black to a colour

We experimented with adding water to a colour. We began painting over a bear-shape with regular brown paint. Uh, oh, we couldn't see the bear anymore! We added a few squirts of water, and painted over the next bear. We repeated this process a few more times, and observed that the bear-shape could now be seen! The paint became thinner with water. When we painted the first bear, the paint was opaque (not see through). When we painted the final bear, the paint was transparent (see through). 

Adding water to make the paint transparent

We also enjoyed the challenge of putting paint chips in order from lightest shade to darkest.

One of the favourite activities of the day was making rainbow snowflakes! Students decorated coffee filters with water-based markers, gave them a few squirts with water, and let them dry. A few folds and a few snip-snips later, and we had a wonderful RAINBOW BLIZZARD in our hall!

We're tired of winter weather, So cold and wet and white,
We talked to Winter's Wizard, He made a Rainbow Blizzard!

Next week we will explore transparent and opaque in more depth. For now, we all need a good hand-washing and an even better rest. 

Thank you, helpers!