This is the time of year when I like to center a lot of activities around rainbows. It is still winter, but Spring is right around the corner. Rainbows are bright, cheerful and just make everything better!
Not only are rainbows beautiful, but they can be very educational too! Rainbow activities are a great way to learn colors, practice ordering and following directions. So, here are 5 of our favorite rainbow activities to lift your spirits and engage your littles!
Related: Check out this sensory bin that can be used as another rainbow activity!
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Check out the 3 links below and the 2 activities that follow for a total of 5 ways we will be playing with rainbows this season!
Fine Motor Rainbow
This is one of my favorites! I created it at the beginning of the Pandemic when we were trying to spread cheer. Not only will it keep your kiddos entertained for hours, but it is also a lovely piece to display on your wall or window.
DIY Rainbow Rice
Rainbow Rice can be used in so many different set ups and it lasts for years! Why not whip up a batch with your kiddos?!
DIY Rainbow Chick Peas
We recently colored chick peas and it was amazing! Similar to rice, but it’s 100 times easier to pick up and sort. Plus, it’s a nice chunky place base for the littler hands in the crowd!
Animal Rainbow
This one is a super quick set up and will have your littles imagining while they build! Here is what you will need:
Materials:
How To:
This one is pretty straight forward. Grab your paper roll and draw a rainbow on it using your permanent markers. You can make it as small or large as you would like, but keep in mind how many colorful animals your kiddos have. If your littles run out of animals, you can always turn it into a color hunt to fill in the rest of the rainbow!
Once your rainbow is drawn, set out a basket of colorful animals and ask your kiddos to build a rainbow using the animals.
My kiddos loved this! It took much longer than expected because my 5 year old wanted to match the animals up in pairs so they could ‘migrate’ over the rainbow together (haha, gotta love that kid!).
The animals also spent time socializing with the nearby colors and had to be lined up just right!
Definitely gave Mommy a little extra time to sit back and relax, wink wink.
Related: Check out these rainbow cookie letters for a fun and educational activity!
Sticky Rainbow
Our last rainbow activity requires an extra material, contact paper, but is soooo worth it! Here is what you’ll need:
Materials:
- contact paper
- permanent markers
- painters tape
- gems, buttons and other small bits to stick to the rainbow!
How To:
Grab your contact paper and draw a rainbow on the clear side (not the part you pull off of the sticky side) using your permanent markers.
Once your rainbow is ready, put it up on the wall (rainbow touching the wall) and throw a piece of tape on each corner.
Now, carefully start peeling the backing off of the sticky side. THE STICKY SIDE SHOULD BE FACING OUT AND NOT TOUCHING THE WALL! As you peel, take off one piece of tape in the corner at a time and then replace it when the sticky side is exposed in that area.
Once your whole backing is removed and the entire surface is sticky, grab your painters tape again and tape a border around the entire outside. This will make sure those little hands don’t accidently peel it off the wall while playing!
After the rainbow is securely taped to the wall, grab a basket with your loose parts (gems, buttons, etc) and have your littles build a rainbow!
Note: I tried pom poms and they fell right off! If you don’t have loose parts that will stick, just cut up some paper and have your kiddos build the rainbow that way!
My kiddos had a blast with this activity and it lasted forever! They built the entire rainbow, and then unstuck all of the pieces just to rearrange them! I left it up for about a week and my 3 & 2 year olds kept coming back to play!
It takes a little bit of prep on the front end, but it is soooo worth the fun that your kids will have!
Play with rainbows, spread the smiles!
I honestly don’t know how you could be unhappy while staring at a rainbow. Whether it be the real thing in the sky or one that your littles have created. They are just so bright and cheerful! So, be sure to check out all 5 of our favorites and spread some smiles!
Thank you so much for reading sweet friend! As always, you can find me over on Instagram and check out what inspires us on Pinterest. Until next time, keep those little hands busy and those curious minds engaged!
Looking for another fun project to brighten your day? Check out our Recycled Egg Carton Train Craft! It keeps the kiddos engaged from creating to playing!
