"Why Are There So Many Songs About Rainbows?"

This is the popular Muppet Movie  song, sung by our little green friend, Kermit the Frog. If your children haven't seen the movie, you should try to find it for a family movie night. And, you definitely need to listen to the song with your children. This song is one of my favorites; I sang it to my children at night and now sing it to my grandchildren.

Rainbows are such fun to paint. Give your child some instructions on "how-to" if they have never painted a rainbow. Look at some pictures and talk about which colors are where and tell them the colors are always in the exact same order, even if you can't always seem them from the ground. Remember, ROYGBIV, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo violet! And some arcs are big and some are smaller....great lesson in size. (Tip: Using an easel or hanging the paper anywhere makes it a little easier for children.) You could lightly trace lines in arcs to give them a guide to color or paint the first time. Soon they should be able to do it all on their own and they will be so proud! Some of the skills they will be working on are fine motor control, reinforcing colors for those still learning, and crossing the midline (the child's hand will cross from one side of his body past his middle to the other side) which is critical for full brain development. Of course, the process of creating art is a reward in itself.
                                                       
If they ask more questions about how rainbows are formed, this cute You Tube video offers a short, clear explanation.

RAINBOW BOOKS:
There are some wonderful books about rainbows. One of my favorites is A Rainbow Of My Own, by Don Freeman (author of Cordury). Enjoy this read aloud here.
                                                     

Another favorite is Rainbow Fish  by Marcus Pfister. This is a cute reading with special effects.

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin/James Dean offers a great lesson on colors as well as not stressing about unimportant things. Watch and listen here.

One last activity you can do is to "eat the rainbow!" Have your children think of foods that fit each color category. This is often a great way to get your kids to try some new things.