#115. Mixing Colors

Literature, level: Pre-School
Posted by Chris Boykin (jboykin@kuentos.guam.net).
Finegayan Elementary, Dededo, Guam
Concepts Taught: mixing primary colors

I teach colors using the picture book,Mouse Paint, by Ellen Walsh.
1. After reading the book, I have 3 mice and 3 puddle shapes cut out of white paper. I use cray-pas(pastels) and color the mice and puddles according to the story. Then I put the corresponding "swirls" in the puddles according to the story that the mice made. Smear with tissue and you get the new (secondary) color in the puddles.

2. Each child then makes a mouse. A simple mouse pattern is a 8 inch tear drop shape. Add 2 smaller teardrop shape ears near the pointed end of the larger tear drop. Add yarn tail and eyes, nose later. Have the children choose which color to paint their mouse, red , blue or yellow. If you are brave, you can also have them experiment with making "puddles' on white paper, mixing the 3 colors.
After the mice dry, make a concrete graph on the floor of who made what color mouse.
3. Then use the painted mice to make a bulletin board