Rain makes Rainbow
Suggested Age: Toddlers to Elementary Grades
Submitted by Brenda Freitas-Obregon, State Librarian, Kalihi-Palama Public Library
Books: Various books on rain and rainbows
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema
Ki-Pat brought rain to the drought-stricken plain in this cumulative rhyme.
Moonbear’s Skyfire by Frank Asch
Bear thinks the sky is on fire when he sees his first rainbow.
Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman
A small boy imagines playing with a rainbow of his own.
Activity: Celebrate raindrops and rainbows with watercolor paintings spritzed with water and sprinkled with salt to create surprise textures and sparkles to display or turn into greeting cards.
Children of all ages, from toddlers with adult supervision, to elementary school students, will enjoy this art activity where they can draw any design.
Materials:
- Watercolor paper
- Washable watercolor markers or watercolor paints
- Brushes
- Water spritzer
- Drizzly day table salt
Instructions:
- Draw large designs on watercolor paper with watercolor washable markers. Fill the paper with colors. You may also use watercolor paints and brushes.
- Lightly spritz or mist the paper with a water bottle or mister. You may also take your picture outside into a light rain drizzle to dampen your paper. You do not want to soak the paper because then it will take too long to dry and the paper will wrinkle.
- Sprinkle, not pour, table salt on the damp design. Watch what happens to the colors where the salt settles. You may spritz more water and sprinkle more salt to see the colors blend and to add more texture.
- Set your picture aside to dry flat. When the picture is completely dry, lightly brush off the loose salt with your fingers or a flat, dry brush.
- Feel the crystals on your picture. See the blending of the colors and the sparkle of the salt crystals. You are ready to display your salt painting. Also, you may fold your picture into a card, or cut up your picture to glue onto card fronts to make greeting cards to share with lots of family and friends.
