Have you ever thought about what to do with the leftover Easter egg dye that you use for eggs every year?

Rainbow Sea Shells Science Experiment

I’m going to be honest I never have until this Easter, I guess just because we’re always busy doing other things on Easter with our extended family. This year after we finished my 6 year old daughter asked me what else she could use the Egg Dye for?

I turned to the interest and found that you can color coffee filters, clothespins, yarn, and even Tie Die and paint with your leftover vinegar based egg dye.

However, we wanted something similar to eggs…

We both thought about it and this is what we came up with…Seashells

Now I’ll admit we have quite a few seashells in our sandbox from our many trips to the beach, we’re very lucky to live a few hours from the beach since all of my kids were born. So in 20 years we’re gathered quite a few and use them for playtime.

You’d be amazed at how many ways you can use seashells for imaginary play.

We’ve painted them like these Storytelling Shells but I never thought about dying them.

We brought our containers outside and gathered up our seashells. We washed them off first and let them dry out so they could absorb as much of the vinegar based dye as they could.

That’s ok we have fun playing outdoors in our gorgeous spring weather in the south this weekend.

Coloring the seashells worked out to be a great sibling activity too!

How to Dye Seashells with Kids

Once our seashells were dry we set them inside of the various colors of Egg Dye and watched to see what happened. I wasn’t sure if they would change due to their surface, so it was so much fun to observe and watch as they change. A little science and discovery at home is always a good thing!

We left them in the colored water for around 30 minutes, but honestly experiment to see the variety of results you get… it’s a science experiment with your kids so enjoy!

Here’s how our Dyed Seashells turned out, a rainbow of fun!

Did you throw your dye away already, no worries you could think about grabbing a few egg dye kits on clearance this week and making your own Rainbow Shells this spring!

I think we must just try rocks next!

What would you color next with leftover egg dye?

Want more rainbow ideas? Get our list of Colorful Rainbow Books for Kids.

• Sight Word Sea Shells
• Alphabet Fun with Shells
• Storytelling Shells

 ** LIKE IT? PIN IT!! **

Do you have a special Mom that you would like to wish Happy Mother’s Day too? Create a rainbow with crayons, paint, torn paper or even watercolors and print out this Mothers Day Poem. Better yet have your children read it to Mom.

Mother’s Day Poem for Preschoolers

Print this adorable Mother’s Day Poem for Preschool.

Here’s are the many reason why “My MOM is a Rainbow.”

Print your own My Mom is a Rainbow Poem HERE

Looking for Mother’s Day Art?

We recently made a MOM Painting Project with Colors and I thought this poem would be the perfect match to it. Such a simple mother’s day painting but the impact is adorable on a mother’s heart this year.

GET THE DIRECTIONS HERE for this EASY MOTHERS DAY PROJECT

Rainbow Clipart from MyCuteGraphics.com

Sometimes it’s hard to say out loud all the things that we see in our Moms. I feel so very lucky to have an amazing Mom that has helped me to become the Mom that I strive to be every day with my 3 children.

We hope you take time today to tell the Moms around you how special you think they are to you.

Mother’s Day Craft Ideas for Kids to Make

• DIY Flower Bouquet for Mothers Day 
• 40 Acts of Kindness Ideas for Mothers Day 
• Mother’s Day Art Project with Kids
• Mother’s Day Photo Wall Hanging 
• Create a Wreath for Mother’s Day
• Create a Acts of Kindness Wreath 
• Mothers’ Day Handprint Card
• Our Spin on Being a Mom

Happy Mother’s Day from The Educators’ Spin On It

Finding ways to encourage our children to think of others is a social skill we focus on teaching our children.

This post contains affiliate links to Amazon

This months’ book Madeline gives an opportunity to talk with your child about expressing concern for a loved one and sending them well wishes from your heart. We are enjoying the classic book Madeline and putting a special flower spin on the lesson from it.

Are you ready to count to twelve in this precious story?

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

Listen to: Read Aloud of Madeline

Madeline Flower Activity for Math

There are twelve girls in the story Madeline, you see it over and over again.  It’s the perfect time to talk about a dozen. There are two times you talk about a dozen with either eggs or flowers. I thought it might be a lot of fun for the kids to recreate a dozen with flowers.  

In the story, there is a part where all of the girls bring flowers to Madeline in the hospital.

It’s something we want to teach our kids to do when someone is not feeling well to brighten their day.  Plus giving flowers is a way to show someone you are thankful for them, perfect for this time of year.

So let’s create some spiral paper flowers!

Materials

• 12 Sheets of Colorful Scrapbook Paper
• Hot Glue {adult tasks}
• Scissors
• Paper Straws
• Vase or Container
• Glass Beads

Directions to Make

1. Cut out 12 circles from the scrapbook paper. Create a template and your child can trace out the circles. Make the circle around 7 inches in diameter.

2. {Adult Task} Warm up glue gun or use heavy craft glue.

3. Using scissors cut out a spiral from the outside to the inside of the circle. Leave enough of the circle to glue the rolled paper onto.

4. Starting from the outside tightly roll the paper following the spiral cut all the way to the middle of the circle.

5. Allow paper to unroll slightly to create flower shape to sit on remaining circle.

6. **Adults** then use hot glue to place on the remainder circle and attached the formed flower from the paper that’s been rolled.

7. Once glue is cool on each flower attach to the paper straw using the hot glue.

Once you make your first few flowers it gets pretty easy. Making paper flowers is something I’ve done with years with my kids and even when I was a kid. If you need more help with making your flowers search out on Pinterest Spiral Paper Flower Tutorial.  

If you want to get a little bit fancier Check out on Amazon a Cricut and the Flower Shoppe Cartridge.

How to Play Madeline Flower Game

Once your spiral paper flowers are complete it’s time to play! Take the flowers and encourage your child to place them into the container. To help them flowers stand up you can place glass beads or rocks at the bottom.  If you’re hosting a book club you could even have the kids recreate the scene in the story where they bring the flowers in one by one.

Create a Number out of your extra scrapbook paper for your child to match the flowers to as they arrange them building up to number 12.

Create Math Facts for your child to solve using the flowers for older kids.

Join the Virtual Book Club for Kids

The Virtual Book Club Bloggers have created many activities for you to use with the book Madeline. Go visit and check them out and Pin to your Virtual Book Club Pinterest Board.

Madeline Book Themed Activities for Kids

• Skip Counting 2’s with Madeline by Rainy Day Mum 
• Build the Eiffel Tower by Inspiration Laboratory 
• Toddler Shape Activity for Madeline by The Pleasantest Thing 
• Madeline Movement Activity by Mom Inspired Life 
• Madeline Sensory Tray by Growing Book by Book
• Exploring Art and Color with Madeline by Mama Miss  
• Madeline Snack for Kids by Still Playing School 
• Name in Bed by Preschool Powel Packets
• Madeline Small World Sensory Play by Study at  Home Mama

You’re invited to join our Virtual Book Club by sharing your Madeline Themed Activities on our Virtual Book Club Facebook Page!  

You may also enjoy these flower inspired activities…

Books filled with rainbows aren’t just visually stunning—they also inspire imagination, celebrate diversity, and teach valuable lessons. Whether you’re looking for a whimsical picture book for toddlers, an engaging story for early readers, or an informative non-fiction book about the science behind rainbows, there’s something for everyone.

In this book guide, we’ve rounded up the best rainbow-themed books for kids of all ages, blending fiction and non-fiction to bring vibrant learning and storytelling into your home or classroom.

Get ready to explore a world of color, creativity, and wonder!

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Rainbow Books for Kids

Reading books about rainbows to kids offers a variety of benefits, including:

• Encourages a Love for Colors and Nature
  Rainbow books introduce children to the beauty of colors, helping them recognize and appreciate the natural world, including weather phenomena like rainbows.
• Boosts Early Learning and Literacy
  Books with colorful visuals and engaging stories improve vocabulary, comprehension, and early reading skills, especially when paired with read-alouds.
• Teaches Scientific Concepts
  Non-fiction rainbow books explain the science behind rainbows, including light refraction, weather, and the color spectrum, fostering curiosity about STEM subjects.
• Promotes Diversity and Inclusion
  Many rainbow-themed books celebrate diversity, self-expression, and acceptance, helping kids understand and appreciate different identities, cultures, and perspectives.
• Sparks Creativity and Imagination
  Vibrant rainbow books encourage children to think creatively, inspiring art projects, storytelling, and imaginative play.
• Creates a Positive and Uplifting Experience
  Rainbows symbolize hope, joy, and positivity, making these books a great way to introduce optimistic themes and encourage a growth mindset in children.

Whether through fiction or non-fiction, rainbow books provide a colorful and meaningful reading experience that educates and inspires kids of all ages!

Fiction Rainbow Books for Kids

A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman (Listen to Read Aloud)

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rainbow! by Lucille Colandro (Listen to Read Aloud)

How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow by Monica Sweeney (Listen to Read Aloud)

The Little Raindrop by Joanna Gray (Listen to Read Aloud)

Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Prasadam-Halls (Listen to Read Aloud)

The World Made a Rainbow by Michelle Robinson (Listen to Read Aloud)

My Color is Rainbow by Agnes Hsu (Listen to Read Aloud)

Over the Rainbow (Book & Audio CD) by Eric Puybaret (Listen to Read Aloud)

Raindrops to Rainbow by John Micklos Jr. (Listen to Read Aloud)

Ruby the Rainbow Witch by Kim Ann (Check out the Rainbow Witch Series) (Listen to Read Aloud)

I Can Eat a Rainbow by Olena Rose (Listen to Read Aloud)

How To Catch A Rainbow by Naomi Jones (Listen to Read Aloud)

Rainbow Stew by Cathryn Falwell (Listen to Read Aloud)

Elmer and the Rainbow by David McKee (Listen to Read Aloud)

Moonbear’s Skyfire by Frank Asch (Listen to Read Aloud)

Hope Is a Rainbow by Hoda Kotb (Listen to Read Aloud)

Raindrops ARE Rainbows by Valerie Bessette (Listen to Read Aloud)

Rainbow Weaver / Tejedora del arcoíris by Linda Elovitz Marshall (Listen to Read Aloud)

The Hidden Rainbow by Christie Matheson (Listen to Read Aloud)

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert (Listen to Read Aloud)

Rainbow Bear by Bill Martin

The Rainbow Cleanup: A Magical Organizing Adventure by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin

My Body Is a Rainbow: The Color of My Feelings by Mallika Chopra (Listen to Read Aloud)

Reena’s Rainbow by Dee White

The Rainbow by Ros Moriarty

Dream A Rainbow by Carlotta Penn (Listen to Read Aloud)

Spike: The Penguin With Rainbow Hair by Sarah Cullen and Carmen Ellis (Listen to Read Aloud)

Chasing Rainbows by Gabby Grant

Ava and the Rainbow (Who Stayed) by Ged Adamson (Listen to Read Aloud)

Over the Rainbow: The Science, Magic and Meaning of Rainbows by Rachael Davis

Why?: A Sciencey, Rhymey Guide to Rainbows by Billy Dunne

How Do You Make a Rainbow? by Caroline Crowe (Listen to Read Aloud)

Rainbow Magic Fairy Books Series by Daisy Meadows

Maisy’s Rainbow Dream by Lucy Cousins (Listen to Read Aloud)

Rainbows Never End: and other fun facts by Laura Lyn DiSiena and Hannah Eliot

The Rainbow Book by Kate Ohrt (Listen to Read Aloud)

A Rainbow in Brown by Pavonis Giron (Listen to Read Aloud)

Singing in the Rain by Tim Hopgood (Listen to Read Aloud)

The Rainbow Mystery by Jennifer Dussling (Listen to Read Aloud)

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister (Listen to Read Aloud)

Unicorns Don’t Love Rainbows by Emma Adams (Listen to Read Aloud)

What Makes a Rainbow? by Betty Schwartz (Listen to Read Aloud)

Chasing Rainbows (Dr. Seuss/Cat in the Hat) by Tish Rabe (Listen to Read Aloud)

Curious George Discovers the Rainbow by H. A. Rey (Listen to Read Aloud)

The Magic School Bus Makes A Rainbow by George Bloom (Listen to Read Aloud)

Non-Fiction Books About Rainbows

Light Makes a Rainbow by Sharon Coan (Listen to Read Aloud)

Rainbow: Ready-to-Read Level 1 by Marion Dane Bauer (Listen to Read Aloud)

Rainbows by Martha E. H. Rustad (Listen to Read Aloud)

Let’s Make a Rainbow!: The Science of Light and Optical Physics for Kids by Chris Ferrie (Listen to Read Aloud)

Light Waves by David A. Adler (Listen to Read Aloud)

All the Colors of the Rainbow by Allan Fowler (Listen to Read Aloud)

Here are some amazing STEM Activities to extend your rainbow fun.

Religious Rainbow Books for Kids

What Color Is God’s Love? by Xochitl Dixon (Listen to Read Aloud)

The First Rainbow by Jordon P Frye

Noah’s Ark by Peter Spier (Listen to Read Aloud)

Noah’s Ark (Little Golden Book) by Barbara Shook Hazen

Color Books for Kids

Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson (Listen to Read Aloud)

Dog’s Colorful Day: A Messy Story About Colors and Counting by Emma Dodd (Listen to Read Aloud)

Mix It Up! by Herve Tullet (Listen to Read Aloud)

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. (Listen to Read Aloud)

Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh (Listen to Read Aloud)

Penguins love Colors by Sarah Aspinall (Listen to Read Aloud)

Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung (Listen to Read Aloud)

Monsters Love Colors by Mike Austen (Listen to Read Aloud)

How Do Dinosaurs Learn Their Colors? by Jane Yolen (Listen to Read Aloud)

Cat’s Colors by Jane Cabrera (Listen to Read Aloud)

My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss (Listen to Read Aloud)

Make this adorable Mouse Count Color Activity with your child.

Learn to read Color Words with Lids!

Head outdoors for this fun and playful Car Color Sort.

Board books About Rainbows

Happiness Is a Rainbow by Patricia Hegarty

Happy Rainbow by Hannah Eliot

The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Rainbow Colors by Eric Carle

Rainbow of Emotions: Making Friends with Your Emotions by Elena Ulyeva

Nature Stories: Little Raindrop by IglooBooks

Rainbow Colors by Words & Pictures

Colors by John J. Reiss

Eat Your Colors by Amanda Miller

The Smell of a Rainbow by Dawn Goldworm

Little Owl’s Colors by Divya Srinivasan

Goodnight, Rainbow Cats by Bàrbara Castro Urío

Colors with Ladybug by DK

• The Magic of Snuggling Up and Reading with Babies and Toddlers
• Tips for Reading with an Active Toddler
• Selecting Board Books for Toddlers

Download Rainbow Book List for Kids

Download your copy today and explore a world of wonderful books! This carefully curated rainbow book list is filled with engaging, high-quality stories that spark imagination, encourage a love of reading, and introduce kids to a wide range of characters and experiences.

Rainbow Book Activity Ideas for Kids

Doing rainbow activities after reading a book about rainbows with your child is fun because it brings the story to life through hands-on creativity. These activities encourage imagination, reinforce learning about colors, and provide a sensory experience that keeps kids engaged.

Whether painting, crafting, or experimenting with light and water, rainbow-themed play deepens their understanding and makes learning feel magical. Plus, it’s a great way to bond and create joyful memories together!

• Drip Painting Rainbow Name Activity 
• Rainbow Sea Shells 
• Rainbow Activities for Spring
• Rainbow Themed Language Book 
• Rainbow Snack Ideas 
• Rainbow Acorn Math Activity

• Making Rainbow Clothespins Plus Game Ideas 
• Rainbow Color Word Game with Lids
• Rainbow Name Activity Inspired by the Book Mouse Paint 
• Rainbow Ice Sculptures 
• Rainbow Stew Felt Food Activity

• Rainbow Busy Bag Ideas
• Rainbow Ice Painting with Watercolors 
• Rainbow Density Experiment
• Make a Rainbow with Technology 
• Crayon Sensory Bottle and Math Activity
• Giant Color Wheel Collage Group Activity

Bring More Color to Storytime with Rainbow Books!

Rainbow books offer a vibrant way to engage young readers, blending fun storytelling with valuable lessons in science, diversity, and creativity. Whether you’re looking for a whimsical picture book, an inspiring story about inclusion, or a fascinating non-fiction read about the science of rainbows, there’s something for every child to enjoy.

So, gather your little ones, pick a colorful book, and make storytime a bright and joyful experience.

You may also enjoy these activities…

Disclosure Affiliate links to Amazon used in this post. 

Here’s how to make this rainbow preschool activity 

No matter how old you are rainbows are quite magical! This week we’re featuring the book A Rainbow of My Own as we focus on Rainbow Week!

 A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman

In the story a little boy imagines what it would be like to have his own rainbow to play with. After spending all day looking he then comes home to find a real rainbow shining on his wall.

This charming book has colorful illustrations that captured the imagination of young children. The story bounces between the child’s imagination and what really happens, which is ideal for preschoolers and toddlers who are learning to identify between what is real and what is pretend. I excited to see we’re sharing it for our Weekly Virtual Book Club for Kids Series.

Have you printed your Spring Book List yet to follow along?

The book A Rainbow of My Own inspired use to create our very own rainbows too. Plus we snuck in a name recognition activity too.

Drip Painting Rainbow Name Activity

We wanted to simply have fun with the colors of the rainbow so we grabbed these colorful paints and a dropper AKA old medicine dropper and got started! 

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own Rainbow Name Activity with your child.

Materials for Rainbow Name Activity

• Paint
• Dropper
• Heavy Card Stock
• Recycled Cereal Cardboard
• Scissors

Directions for Rainbow Name Activity

1. Set up a station for mess with this activity with paint and a ink dropper.  Trust me on this one.  We just headed outside to our front porch and used the rest of the cereal box to make our mess on.  Recycled newspaper would be great to layout on your table in you’re doing this indoors.

2. Sit with your child and discuss the letters in their name.  Then draw them onto the recycled cardboard with them.  Be sure to use uppercase for the first letter of their name and lower case for the other letters.  This is one thing that is important to learn for Kindergarten readiness.

3. Cut out the letters of your child’s name and have them lay them out onto the white cardstock in the correct order.  If they need a little extra room for a long name just add a few more sheets of cardstock.

If they need help with putting the letter of their name in the correct order you can write their name out for them and have them match the order with the letters.

4. Using the medicine dropper or smaller dropper it’s time to ADD THE RAINBOW paint!  We used a little plastic glass of water to wash the dropper in between the colors.  It was a fun color changing experience too as the colors joined together so be sure to talk about color blended too and the magic behind that.

TIP: Start painting from the top down to create a rainbow effect!

We set out our paints by talking about rainbow order.  Our paint box was vibrant paints so we talked a bit about how the dark pink would represent our red color. One by one use the colors to drop onto the paper.  It seemed like the high my daughter held up the dropper the easier it was for her to do tiny tiny drops.  You might want to test it out on another sheet of cardstock before you start so they get used to the technique of dropping paint.

SKILL: This activity with the dropper works on the same muscles needed for handwriting.

As your child paints around the letters be sure that they remain in place, you could take them down if needed. Also make sure that they try to get the ink drops along the edges of the letters for the most dramatic effect. 

If needed you can also have them go around the letters with a cotton swab to ensure every little bit is covered.

TIP: As the paint gets less in the dropper the tiny tiny bits of paint splash out making a really neat design too, it’s a much faster squeeze to make that effect on the dropper. Try it out!

5. Once the paint is dry you can have your child remove the letter outlines on the paper.  You’ll discover that you’ve created a paint resist that has their name in white. Frame it and hang it their art work up on the wall!

BONUS: You can also use the letters of their name for another project too since they will have the Rainbow colors on them too.

Rainbow Activities at The Educators’ Spin On It

• DIY Rainbow Clothespins 
• DIY Rainbow Sea Shells 
• Color Word Rainbow with Recycled Lids 
• Rainbow Snack Ideas for Kids 
• Color Word Activity Book with Hearts 
• Mouse Paint Activity with Rainbow Colors
• 17 Rainbow Busy Bag Ideas  
• Using Technology to Make a Rainbow 
• Playful Preschool Rainbow Activities 

Once your child has rainbow on the brain you’ll discover they’ll want to paint so many other new pictures with rainbows in them.  Be sure to have enough paint available!

Rainbow Activities for Preschool

Roll A Rainbow Numbers Game – School Time Snippets
Rainbow Lacing Number Bonds – Rainy Day Mum
Rainbow Texture Explorations for Toddlers – Inspiration Laboratories
An Easy Rainbow Colored Fluid Dynamics Experiment for kids – Mama Smiles
Rainbow Play Dough Color Mixing– Teach Beside Me
Rainbow Streamer Craft – Views From a Step Stool
Rainbow Ribbon Wand Movement Activity – To Be A Kid Again

Want more? Get our list of Colorful Rainbow Books for Kids.

You may also enjoy these activities with your child…

Here’s a collection of our favorite rainbow activities.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to Amazon. 

Rainbow Themed Week

Our Weekly Virtual Book Club for Kids has some fun weekly themes and I must admit rainbow week is one of my favorites to do with preschoolers and toddlers. There’s something quite magical about a rainbow to kids and adults alike!  Grab a prism (like this one on Amazon) and explore how you can make your very own rainbow with sunlight.

In the story How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow  the Sun and the Clouds are best friends. Together they keep the world warm, the gardens growing, and the sky full of beautiful rainbows. However one day they get into a fight and refuse to be in the sky together. Which you can only guess means there are no longer any rainbows.

In the story, you discover that without rainbows, the colors start disappearing until Earth was left with no color … except for one little forgotten box of crayons in one little school desk. You’ll have to read with your preschooler to see how they solve this problem.

How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow teaches the importance of teamwork and perseverance through the eyes of some very colorful crayons.

After reading the story you’ll want to do some rainbow activities with your child and I’ve gathered some of my favorites just for you! Here’s a few more rainbow books to read too!

Rainbow Activities for Preschoolers

• Drip Painting Rainbow Name Activity 
• Rainbow Sea Shells 
• Rainbow Activities for Spring
• Rainbow Themed Language Book 
• Rainbow Snack Ideas 
• Rainbow Acorn Math Activity
• Making Rainbow Clothespins Plus Game Ideas 
• Rainbow Color Word Game with Lids 
• Rainbow Name Activity Inspired by the Book Mouse Paint 
• Rainbow Ice Sculptures 
• Rainbow Stew Felt Food Activity 
• Rainbow Busy Bag Ideas
• Rainbow Ice Painting with Watercolors 
• Rainbow Density Experiment
• Make a Rainbow with Technology 
• Crayon Sensory Bottle and Math Activity 

Preschool Learning with Rainbows

Rainbow activities provide a fun and hands-on way for preschoolers to learn several key concepts, including:

• Color Recognition: By exploring the colors of the rainbow, children improve their ability to identify and name different colors. This is an important skill in early childhood development.
• Fine Motor Skills: Many rainbow activities involve cutting, drawing, or arranging colorful objects, which helps develop fine motor skills as children practice hand-eye coordination and dexterity.
• Creativity and Imagination: Working with bright colors and a variety of materials encourages creativity. Preschoolers can experiment with different ways to create their own rainbow art and crafts, fostering imaginative thinking.
• Science Concepts: Rainbow activities provide opportunities to explore basic science concepts like light, rain, and the color spectrum. For example, children can learn how rainbows form through simple experiments or discussions about weather.
• Math Skills: Sorting, counting, and organizing rainbow-colored objects can help with early math skills like pattern recognition, sequencing, and understanding more or less.
• Language Development: As preschoolers talk about the colors, shapes, and patterns they see in their rainbow activities, they build their vocabulary and improve their communication skills.
• Sensory Development: Rainbow activities often involve sensory play with various textures, such as soft fabric, shiny paper, or smooth paint, providing opportunities for sensory exploration.

Overall, rainbow activities offer a rich learning experience that supports cognitive, physical, and emotional development in preschoolers.

Are you ready for some fun with colorful rainbow activities?

Rainbow Crafts for Preschoolers

Kick off your rainbow week with this adorable Rainbow Scavenger Hunt.  Then head to the craft table to make your very own Rainbow Themed Book where you can work on colors words and even more.  We even focused on a new language in our DIY Rainbow Book.

Don’t forget to plan for your Rainbow Snacks with these fun recipes that sneak in some fruits and veggies too!

Then it’s time for a little rainbow craft! Grab your paint and recycled cardboard to explore this Drip Painting Rainbow Name Activity. It makes for a perfect rainbow craft that can hang on the wall for a keepsake.

You can sneak in a little color word fun with your preschooler by making this Rainbow Color Word Game with Lids.

It’s always fun to see how you can reuse items in nature and sneak in a little learning too. This colorful Rainbow Acorn Math Activity kept my preschooler busy for weeks, literally.

Plus you can turn it into a finished craft project when you’re doing with the math games. Test out this Rainbow Blow Painting STEAM challenge with the paint you used.

Get inspired by a popular book with this Rainbow Name Activity Inspired by the Book Mouse Paint. Plus learn how the colors of the rainbow are made through a paint craft. Who’s name will you discover under the mouse prints?

Want another story craft? Try this Rainbow Stew Felt Food Activity that makes for a perfect sibling activity.

One of the best things about Rainbow Crafts is that they can easily become a busy bag too.  Take a look at our 17 Rainbow Busy Bag Ideas to add to your activities.

Start off your rainbow busy bag by learning how to Make Rainbow Clothespins plus explore our clothespin game ideas.

Rainbow Science Activities for Preschoolers

Kick off your rainbow science by making your very own Rainbow Crystal Experiment . Leave it out the whole week while you explore the following rainbow science experiments with your little one for hours of discovery and learning.

Buy these adorable tiny crayons buttons here

Later in the week, you can “eat the rainbow” during science with this Skittles Rainbow Science Investigation.

Have you ever painted with a frozen rainbow? Text your science skills with this Rainbow Ice Painting with Watercolors Experiment.  Plus now that you’ve made rainbow ice you can test your skills at making Rainbow Ice Sculptures.

Growing crystals in your home is a very fun science experiment for kids. Learn how you can grow crystal rainbows with this neat project!

I could easily see tons of fun with this Water Beads on Ice Experiment with rainbow-colored beads too.

It wouldn’t be Rainbow science without a frozen Rainbow snack too.

This one counts for both a rainbow craft and rainbow science.  Make your own Rainbow Sea Shells !!! You’ll never guess what we used to dry our shells!

There’s something very powerful about using water to make a rainbow with your preschooler.  Did you know that with just a few supplies you can set up a Rainbow Walking Water experiment? Or add a little milk and dish soap for a colorful Rainbow Milk Science Experiment.

Liquids make the best fun for Rainbow Science!  This Rainbow Density Experiment adds colorful layers or go even further into the rainbow theme with these Rainbow Glitter Sensory Jars.

One of our favorite collections is this featured Rainbow Activities for Spring, it’s pretty cool to see how much you can do with a few supplies around the house.  Which one will you try first?

You can even sneak in the computer with this activity on how to Make a Rainbow with Technology.

Don’t forget to stop by our Virtual Book Club for Kids Facebook group to share your Rainbow Activity Photos for Rainbow Week!

Rainbow Books for Kids

A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rainbow! by Lucille Colandro

How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow by Monica Sweeney

The Little Raindrop by Joanna Gray

Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Prasadam-Halls

The World Made a Rainbow by Michelle Robinson

My Color is Rainbow by Agnes Hsu

Over the Rainbow (Book & Audio CD) by Eric Puybaret

Raindrops to Rainbow by John Micklos Jr.

Chasing Rainbows (Dr. Seuss/Cat in the Hat) by Tish Rabe

Curious George Discovers the Rainbow by H. A. Rey

How To Catch A Rainbow by Naomi Jones

Moonbear’s Skyfire by Frank Asch

Hope Is a Rainbow by Hoda Kotb

Raindrops ARE Rainbows by Valerie Bessette

The First Rainbow by Jordon P Frye

The Magic School Bus Makes A Rainbow by George Bloom

With these fun and engaging rainbow activities, preschoolers can explore colors, creativity, and science while having a blast! Whether it’s through hands-on crafts, sensory experiences, or interactive learning games, each activity helps to nurture curiosity and encourage important developmental skills. We hope these rainbow-themed ideas inspire colorful moments in your classroom or at home.

So grab your supplies and let the vibrant learning begin – the world is full of color, and now your little ones are ready to see it all!

You may also enjoy these activities with your child…

Here’s how to paint and play this math game!  

This post contains affiliate links.

Painted Rainbow Math Counters with Acorns

This rainbow activity pairs well with the book is A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman. In the story a small boy imagines what it would be like to have his own rainbow to play with.

We’re going to do just that with our painted math counters! This Math Games Activity will focus on skills your child will need for Kindergarten plus some fine motor skills too.

So read the story and join along and try out a few of our rainbow themed activities for kids.

A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman

LISTEN to the story on Youtube 

Materials for Painted Rainbow Math Counters 

• 10 colors of paint from the rainbow
• small plastic counter
• paper towels
• acorns (shells or small rocks or large seeds would work too)
• paint brush (optional)
• book: A Rainbow of My Own

Directions for Painted Rainbow Math Counters

1. Read the story A Rainbow of My Own with your child. Discuss different ways to create your very own rainbow.

2. Collect 100 of one object. We used acorns for ours since there seemed to be an abundance of them around a park we had visited near the 100th day of school. You can use any object thought to paint.  Small rocks, sea shells, large seeds etc.

The math skill we’re first working on is grouping objects into groups of ten to make ten groups to make 100.

3. Once you’ve collected all of your acorns or objects from your nature walk it’s time to sort them out into group of ten. Place each group of ten acorns onto its own paper towel. Each group of ten gets it’s own color in the rainbow.

You must be thinking hmmmm rainbows only have 7 colors so how do we get to 10 colors? This is where we add a little science fun by sharing how to add white to colors to make them different shades of the same color.

4. Now it’s time for some painting fun in a unique way! Add a drop of paint into your plastic counter. Put the lid onto the container making sure it’ snapped on tight and sealed! Now tell your child to SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE!

To get to make all sorts of movement and noise shaking the acorns all around the container to cover them completely with paint.

5. You can now remove the lid with your child and roll the acorns onto the paper towel you’ve laid down for each of the groups of ten acorns.

Allow them to dry here on the paper towel.

6. Continue this process for each of the colors you’ve selected for your painted rainbow math counters.

I used paper towels to wipe out the container each time we switched colors. It was a good lesson for us to pick colors made from the same color when mixing to choose which color to do next.

By the end of the process, my little one wondered if it was more effective to shake the painted math counters so I let her test out her theory. We both found that shaking to paint the math counters was much more effective to get 100 Acorns painted in a short period of time.

Five Rainbow Math Games for Preschoolers

GAME ONE: Color Sorting

Have your child sort the colors that they’ve painted. This is teaching how to sort by attributes, a math skill that most Kindergarten curriculum start with.

GAME TWO: Rainbow One to One Correspondence

Place the painted rainbow math counters out for your child to select and draw circles with corresponding colors. Ask your child to take the counters to make one-to-one onto the circles for them.

GAME THREE: Rainbow Numbers

Write down the numbers 1 to 10 on a large piece of paper or even with chalk on your sidewalk. Ask your child to sort the acorns out by putting one red acorn on the number 1. Two acorns on the number 2.

GAME FOUR: Colors of the Rainbow Pattern 

Have your child place the painted rainbow math counters into a rainbow pattern. If they need a little help you can create a copy pattern using additional counters or just draw out 7 circles and color them in for your child to make up to. This is great for one-to-one correspondence and fine motor skills too.

GAME FIVE: Rainbow Patterning with Warm Colors and Cool Colors

Start talking about warm colors and cool colors with your preschooler by sorting out the painted math counters into groups of these colors. Then ask your child to create a pattern with one or the other.

Looking for more acorn activities for kids? Take a looks at these…

BONUS GAME: COLOR WORD SIGHT WORD GAME Check out one of our favorite rainbow games

There are so many adorable Rainbow books for preschoolers to enjoy with our theme this week!  They each would go perfectly with our Rainbow Themed Activities on The Educators’ Spin On It.  My personal favorite is What Makes a Rainbow. Have you read it with your child yet?

Rainbow Themed Books for Preschoolers

A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
The Rainbow Book by Kate Ohrt
Curious George Discovers a Rainbow by H.A. Rey
What Makes a Rainbow by Betty Ann Schartz and Dona Turner
Rainbow Stew by Cathryn Falwell
Elmer and the Rainbow by David McKee
How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow by Monica Sweeney and Feronia Parker-Thomas
Over the Rainbow by Judy Collins and E.Y. Harburg
My Color is My Rainbow by Agnus Hsu
The Story of the Kindness Elves by Anna Ranson
Penguins Love Colors by Sarah Aspinal
Mix It Up by Herve Tullet

You can visit our VBC Facebook Group to Print this Rainbow Book List.

Our Virtual Book Club for Kids Cohosts have created so many FUN RAINBOW ACTIVITIES just for you.  Click on the links below to check them out!!

RAINBOW THEMED ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS

• Rainbow Alphabet Activity- Growing Book by Book
• Easy Rainbow Name Craft- Toddler Approved 
• 5 Math Games using Painted Rainbow Counters – The Educators’ Spin On It 
• How to make rainbow spaghetti – Sensory play for kids -Messy Little Monster
• Find the Unicorn Rainbow Sensory Bin – Inspiration Laboratories
• Taste Safe Rainbow Sensory Play – Adventures and Play
• Preschool Color Activities – Roll and Cover Rainbow
• Awesome Rainbow Experiments for Kids- Teach Beside Me
• Construction Paper Rainbow Craft from The Moments at Home
• Mixing Colors to Make a Rainbow – Mama Smiles
• CVC Word Family Rainbow Puzzles – Sea of Knowledge
• Rainbow Words – Rainy Day Mum
• Rainbow Preschool Music Craft & Song – Preschool Powol Packets

Want more? Get our list of Colorful Rainbow Books for Kids.

We’ll be sharing many more rainbow themed activities all week long over in our Weekly Virtual Book Club for Kids Facebook Group if you want to join and participate.

For more fall activities for kids you may also enjoy…

March is National Nutrition Month, and with St. Patrick’s Day approaching, it’s the perfect time to teach your child about healthy eating with fun, rainbow-themed snacks and activities!

Let’s Eat a Rainbow!

With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner and rainbows everywhere, here’s your teachable moment to talk about Nutrition with your child and how they can eat a rainbow everyday!

We’ve been pinning all sorts of Rainbow Themed Snacks on our Cooking with Kids and Spring Projects to Make & Do Pinterest Boards. Come check them out and Follow Us!

Rainbow Recipes

One recipe that caught our eye was shared on our AfterSchool Party

Spinach Artichoke Hummus by Kids Activity Blog that makes a Rainbow and Pot of Gold from Peppers created by JDanial4’s Mom. So cute!

Eat The Rainbow competition just for fun, see who can eat the most fruits or veggies in a day.

Here is a Fruit Rainbow by Live, Learn, Love Eat.

Live, Learn Love, Eat even made a rainbow from VEGETABLES!

Rainbow Fruit Skewers by Blogs Babble

We have a Fruit Princess Wand lesson too with Little Hands that Cook

Bent on Better Lunches is a part of a Blog Hop about St. Patrick’s Day with many other Bento Box Bloggers

Check out the amount of colors available in fruits and veggies!

 Need More Activities About Nutrition?

Reading and Singing about Nutrition

Heres a great program for your kids called Today I Ate A Rainbow. They even have a special song.

Here is my one of my favorite Rainbow Songs from teaching Kindergarten.  It’s has nothing to do about physical rainbow colors but everything to do celebrating diversity.  I love that it helps to connect with our Around the World Cooking Lessons.

The World is a Rainbow

by Greg and Steve (Click on Greg to see him sing)

The world is a rainbow
That’s filled with many colors:
Yellow, black, and white, and brown,
You see them all around.

The world is a rainbow
With many kinds of people;
It takes all kinds of people
To make the world go round.

Now you be you
And I’ll be me.
That’s the way we were meant to be.
But the world is a mixing cup.
Just look what happens when you stir it up!

The world is a rainbow
With many kinds of people;
And when we work together
It’s such a sight to see.
The world is beautiful when we live in harmony!

Now you be you
And I’ll be me.
That’s the way we were meant to be.
But the world is a mixing cup.
Just look what happens when you stir it up!

Books on Rainbows

Want more? Get our list of Colorful Rainbow Books for Kids.

Rainbow Activities and Resources

• Eating a Rainbow Activities  from Toddler Approved
• Learning About Food Groups
• Colorful Fun: Hands On Activities for Color Words
• Fruit and Veggie Color List  for color of foods
• Rainbow Activities from Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
• Rainbow Resources from Squiddo
• Let’s Talk Nutrition-Activities and Resources
• Weather Hop-Resources from MANY bloggers
• Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day Food from Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons
• Rainbow Tot Pack from 1+1+1=1

• Make a Rainbow Necklace –
  Using Cereal or Pasta create a necklace-Build Fine Motor Skills
• Make a Fruit and Veggie Color Book –
  Using flyers from groceries stores and magazines cut out pictures of fruits and vegetables and place them onto the page that matches the color. Use the text below cut and glue to each page of the book.

• Make your Own Rainbow List of Fruits and Vegetables-
  Brainstorm all the different fruits and veggies there are and write them under the color words. See how many you can find. See you many you can eat in one week. At the grocery store shop for the rainbow with your child

How Many Ways Can you Make a Rainbow?

Have fun cooking and eating with Rainbows! Want more ideas from Little Hands that Cook with Books? Click Here!

You may also enjoy these activities with your child…

Use color words and lids for a hands-on rainbow activity for kids.  Here’s how to play.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Rainbows are so much fun to make, eat, play, find, and learn with. We had a tot-school with a theme of rainbows and I was trying to decide what to bring when I thought of my Baby Food Pouch lids. These things are amazing and so colorful that I knew my rainbow activity must make use of them!!! ( I will never buy Counting Bears manipulatives again)

Learn to Read Color Words with the RAINBOW!

The lids are

• Free
• Stackable
• Eco-friendly
• Plentiful
• Easy to come by and
• Colorful

Want more fun? Try these 8 activities with lids!

Using my bag of lids, I quick traced around a cap and made a bunch of circles in the shape of a rainbow. If you look closely at the pictures you can see these pencil lines. (I’ve learned that kids don’t need perfection to have fun and have stopped stressing about having everything look “pinterstingly” perfect – life is just too short) 

Then, I traced each pencil circle with the color and wrote the color word in the circle.  I wanted this activity to be about matching AND learning to read the color words!

I may introduce this to my three year old like this…

“Today we are going to make a rainbow on this paper.  There are some words inside of each circle that will help us figure out which color circle to put here. Each word is a color word.  Look at this one, (point to the red one)  I see a short word inside of the circle and it is in the color red.  I bet this is the word red. (place a red cap on the circle.)  Can you find another red word to put a cap on?”

This is more of the “whole language” approach to this activity. Since I am part of the teaching crowd that believes in a mixed approach to teaching reading, I would also encourage him this way…

“Another way you can figure out or read the color word is by looking at the first letter in each word.  The letters and the sounds they make will give us clues.  This word starts with a “b.” (point to the word red again) I think of the sound that b makes, [b] and I get my lips ready with that sound [b]. What color word do you know that begins with the [b] sound?”

We then continued reading the color words and placing the caps on our rainbow until it looked like this.

After we were done, I had my 3 year old put away the colored caps and read all the color words to me.  He was very proud!!!

(After the kids did it, I realized there are white caps too and should have made circles for them too.  The kids just put the white caps ON the cotton balls and asked why they didn’t have circles.)

Rainbow Collage

Then we moved onto a more creative activity in which I just provided him with the cut papers in the Muffin Pan and let him make what ever he wanted. 

***Remember, mixing up your activities lets your kids experience different kinds of learning. 

Don’t forget to sneak in a few rainbow books into your home library too for extra rainbow fun with your child after doing these activities.

Want more? Get our list of Colorful Rainbow Books for Kids.

Need some more ideas on how to play + learn + make rainbows???

Additional Rainbow Activities

• Rainbow Activities for Preschoolers
• Rainbow Sea Shells 
• Drip Painting Rainbow Name Craft
• 100+ Rainbow Activities
• Rainbow Poem and Craft for Mother’s Day 
• Rainbow Collage with Food Pictures 
• Rainbow Recipes Ideas 
• Rainbow Fruit and Veggie Book with Printable
• Rainbow Heart Paper Bag Book and Activities

You may also enjoy these activities with your child…

After-school time just got a whole lot more colorful! Kids will have a blast exploring the magic of rainbows through hands-on crafts, science experiments, and outdoor play. Whether they’re painting vibrant masterpieces, making rainbow-themed snacks, or discovering light and color through STEM activities, these ideas will spark creativity and curiosity.

Get ready for a fun-filled afternoon full of bright, engaging learning!

Rainbow activities, crafts, and science experiments offer grade school children a fun way to learn about important concepts across multiple subjects. Through hands-on play, they can explore:

• Science & STEM – Kids can learn about light refraction, color mixing, and the science behind rainbows by experimenting with prisms, water, and sunlight. Simple experiments like making a walking water rainbow teach about absorption and color blending.
  
• Art & Creativity – Crafting rainbow-themed projects encourages self-expression, fine motor skills, and an understanding of color theory. Painting, paper weaving, and tie-dye activities allow kids to experiment with shades, hues, and patterns.
  
• Math & Patterns – Arranging colors in rainbow order helps reinforce pattern recognition, sequencing, and spatial awareness. Activities like sorting colorful objects or making bead bracelets introduce early math skills in a hands-on way.
  
• Literacy & Social Skills – Reading rainbow-themed books, writing stories about magical rainbows, or working together on collaborative art projects help build communication skills and teamwork.

By engaging in these activities, kids develop curiosity, problem-solving skills, and a deeper appreciation for the beauty of science and creativity in the world around them!

* indicates featured in collage image 

Rainbow Activities for Kids

• Rainbow Drip Painting Craft
• Skittles Density Rainbow from Gift of Curiosity *
• Rainbow Playdough Idea for St. Patrick’s Day from Fantastic Fun and Learning *
• Rainbow Baking Soda Vinegar Experiment from Happily Ever Mom *
• How to Easily Make Several Colors of Playdough from Mama Smiles *
• Colorful Sand for Spring Drawing from Buggy and Buddy *
• Rainbow Art for Kids from Buggy and Buddy *
• Black Glue and Salt Watercolor Rainbow from Mess for Less *

• Learning to Read Color Words with Lids 
• Rainbow Sea Shells *
• Giant Color Wheel Collage Group Activity
• Rainbow Poem and Craft for Mother’s Day 
• Rainbow Cloud Spelling Activity
• Rainbow Collage with Food Pictures
• Make Your Own Rainbow Flowers from Pink Stripey Socks

• Rainbow Recipes Ideas
• Rainbow Acorn Painting
• Rainbow Spiral Paper Flowers
• Rainbow Fruit and Veggie Book with Printable 
• Rainbow Heart Paper Bag Book and Activities 
• Making Rainbow Colored Clothespins and Games *
• Rainbow Eruptions from Learn Play Imagine
• Rainbow Yogurt Pops from Coffee Cups and Crayons
• Magic Milk from Little Bins Little Hands

Tips for Easy Rainbow Activities for Busy Parents

As a busy parent, you want after-school activities that are fun, engaging, and easy to set up. Here are some additional tips to make rainbow-themed activities even more enjoyable and stress-free:

1. Keep a “Rainbow Kit” Ready
   Stock a small bin with basic supplies like colored paper, markers, watercolors, cotton balls, and glue. Having everything in one place makes it easy to grab and go when you need a quick activity.
2. Incorporate Learning Naturally
   Turn playtime into a learning experience! Ask open-ended questions like, “What happens when we mix these colors?” or “How do rainbows form?” to encourage curiosity and discussion.
3. Take It Outside
   If the weather is nice, bring the fun outdoors! Use sidewalk chalk to create rainbow art, blow colorful bubbles, or look for real rainbows after a rainy day.
4. Use Everyday Items for Quick Fun
   No special supplies? No problem! Try sorting cereal by color, making a rainbow snack tray, or using clothing to create a giant rainbow on the floor.
5. Encourage Independence
   Set up simple, low-mess activities kids can do on their own while you cook dinner or finish work. Print out a rainbow coloring sheet or set out watercolor paints for creative downtime.
6. Capture the Moment
   Take photos of your child’s creations to celebrate their creativity! You can even start a “Rainbow Art Wall” to display their colorful masterpieces.

By keeping activities simple, engaging, and flexible, you can turn after-school time into a fun and meaningful experience—without extra stress.

Rainbow activities bring a splash of color and excitement to after-school time, making learning fun and engaging for kids of all ages. Whether they’re creating vibrant crafts, experimenting with science, or exploring colors through hands-on play, these activities encourage creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking.

So gather some supplies, embrace the magic of rainbows, and enjoy the joy of learning through color!

You may also enjoy these activities…