Rainbows are an amazing part of nature.

The colors are inspiring and the joy from being the first to spot one after a rain storm is almost unmatched in this house.

Our preschool program, Mother Goose Time offered us a rainbow themed Invitation to Create with our weather unit that the kids really enjoyed.

Here’s how to create your very own invitation to create all about rainbows with some added photos and observations from our personal experience.

Rainbow Sculpture

Supplies

• inspiration photo of a rainbow*
• beads*
• pipe cleaners*
• rainbow paper strips*
• paper plate*
• scissors
• glue
• optional: cotton balls

*These materials were supplied compliments of Mother Goose Time.

 

Set Up

Set out the inspiration photo and additional supplies.

 

Prompts

What colors do you see in the photo?

My youngest is working with learning his colors and is just starting to be able to cut with scissors with minimal assistance. He greatly enjoyed cutting all the paper color strips into square like pieces and then assembling them on a plate. We sorted them by color and he was a happy camper.

 

What colors will you use in your art?

My three year old is all about the glue these days and couldn’t wait to glue his paper strips onto the paper plate. The fact that the strips were longer than the diameter of the paper plate did not bother him a bit. He called them “rainbow beams.”

 

How can you bend pipe cleaners or paper strips in the shape of a rainbow?

These bead lacing activities are so simple, but have done so much for my little one’s fine motor skills. He loves placing them on and taking them off of the pipe cleaner. A simple bend in the pipe cleaner allows him to keep putting them on without all the others sliding back off again.

 

Do you want to create a sculpture, jewelry or something else?

If you provide my daughter beads, she will without question create some kind of jewelry for herself or someone else. In this instance, she created a rainbow colored necklace for her little pony.

 

How will you use the beads? Will you create a pattern?

In addition to creating color patterns with the beads, some following a rainbow scheme and others more inventive than realistic, my daughter also experimented with spacing of the beads.

 

Observe

How did the child use the materials?

The kids had a ball using scissors and glue to create rainbow shapes and color formations. The beads and pipe cleaners were used to play with color and spacing patterns as well as create jewelry.

 

Was the child able to communicate his choices during the process of creating his art?

The more invitations to create we do with Mother Goose Time, the more expressive and communicative the kids become with their choices in their art. They are developing self confidence in their own choices and the open ended process art experience helps them benefit from discovering their individuality in their art.

 

This invitation to create gave the kids a chance to discuss rainbows and how and when they form while creating individual and personal works of art with a variety of materials.

Stay tuned for more of our shared preschool activities and art experiences from Mother Goose Time!