Rainbow Facts and Activities for Colorful Learning and Fun

Most people are fascinated by rainbows. When you see one in the sky after a rainstorm, it's hard not to smile. Kids may wonder how rainbows are made. A rainbow is caused by light shining through raindrops and appearing as a spectrum in the sky. Rainbows are made up of colors that usually appear as a half-circle and can sometimes even be seen as a full circle. The rainbow colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Knowing all of these things makes it easy to see why rainbows are such a great entry point into teaching colors and basic science concepts to young children. Using rainbows to teach children about colors or science can be a fun family activity or classroom lesson. Young children always enjoy rainbows, so bringing this into an activity is a fun way to get them genuinely interested and invested in their learning from an early age.

• How Are the Colors of a Rainbow Made? Light being split into its various colors results in a rainbow.
• How to Remember the Order of the Rainbow Colors: An acronym and a song can help you learn the order of a rainbow's colors in a fun and memorable way.
• Explanation of Rainbows for Kids: Here, children can read a simple description of what makes a rainbow and what colors appear in every rainbow.
• When Do We See Rainbows?: Read a fascinating explanation of when rainbows appear and learn what a secondary rainbow is.
• Rainbow Shirts: This is such a fun craft for parents or teachers to do with young students and leaves you with something to wear at the end. This would be perfect for a birthday party or slumber party craft!
• Rainbow With Clouds and Sun Coloring Page: Color a rainbow accurately or get creative and make up the colors for this rainbow coloring page.
• Rainbow Coloring Page: Use your imagination to decorate this rainbow with crayons, or go above and beyond and decorate it with rainbow glitter or tissue paper.
• Are Rainbows Real or an Illusion? Find out if rainbows are a visual trick of the skies or a real scientific phenomenon.
• What Causes a Rainbow? Kids can easily understand what causes a rainbow and what a double rainbow is from reading this page, which includes pictures to explain the process that goes into a rainbow appearing in the sky.
• How Are Rainbows Made? This is a fabulous simplistic explanation of how a rainbow is formed.
• The Science of Rainbows: Use your math skills to gain a deeper understanding of what makes a rainbow.
• How Rainbows Work From a Math Perspective: Learn the math concepts behind a rainbow's formation as well as how to make your own rainbow with just sunlight and a garden hose.
• Cool Kid Facts About Rainbows: Find out where a rainbow ends and if rainbows look the same to all who see them.
• >"Rainbow" by Nancy Kopman: This is a catchy tune that will help adults and children alike remember the colors of a rainbow and how one is made.
• I Can Sing a Rainbow: This song is simple and will help young children remember a rainbow's colors.
• Rainbow Dice Game: Use this page to play a game where each player rolls a die and colors the corresponding row on the rainbow. You end up with a beautiful rainbow that everyone worked together to make.
• How to Make a Rainbow With a Prism: Try out this fun science experiment using a prism to make your own rainbow.
• How to Make Paper Strip Rainbows: A fun arts and crafts project like this one can be done at home or in a classroom and is fun for all ages!
• How to Make a Rainbow: Simple Science Experiments: Use a prism, white paper, and sunlight to make your own rainbow.
• Making a Rainbow: Students watching (or doing this experiment if they are old enough) can see firsthand how water droplets form a rainbow.
• Water as a Prism: Learn all about how water makes a prism on its own when it has light passing through it.
• Five Ways to Make Rainbows at Home: Use a mirror, a glass of water, or a CD to make a rainbow.
• Tissue Paper Rainbow Canvas Art: Using rainbow-colored tissue paper, children can create a beautiful rainbow they will be proud to display.
• Rainbow I-Spy Activity: Create a rainbow I-spy bottle.
• Fun Color Sorting Rainbow Sensory Bin: Preschool children will love playing with the items in this bin while gaining a basic understanding of colors.
• Rainbow Shaving Cream Marbled Art: This unique and very hands-on project may get a little messy with young children, but the result will be well worth it.
• Toothbrush Painted Rainbow: Use a toothbrush to make a gorgeous rainbow.
• Make Beautiful String Painting Art With All the Colors of a Rainbow: Use string, paint, and paper to create a one-of-a-kind art piece. This is fun for all ages and would make an excellent activity for a family to do together.
• A Very Cool Way to Make a Rainbow: Using paper plates or cardboard with some paint will allow children to make a rainbow. Younger children will need assistance keeping each color in line.
• Giant Rainbow Collage: Collect different small items representing all the colors of a rainbow and use them to make a beautiful rainbow.
• Rainbow Art for Kids Using Oil Pastels and Watercolors: Children will have a blast using pastels and watercolors to make unique rainbow art.
• Rainbow Shamrock Salt Painting Art Project: Introduce children to salt painting with a rainbow-colored shamrock project. This could also be done with other shapes for different holidays.
• Colors of the Rainbow Handwriting Worksheet: Kindergarten students and others learning to spell and write can practice their color words with this printable worksheet.
• Light Fantastic: Five Ways to Teach With Rainbows: Learn how teaching about rainbows can reach much further than just colors and light.
• Unicorn and Rainbow Coloring Sheets: This coloring sheet will be fun and give students a chance to show off their creativity.
• Rainbows, Science, and Math: Those who appreciate the scientific and mathematical reasons behind visual phenomena will appreciate this in-depth analysis of rainbows and what causes them.
• A Rainbow Only Exists in a Narrow Band: True or False? Find out the science behind the characteristics of a rainbow.

Written By Ava Rose.