What colors do you see?

Children are such good observers. They take the time to really look and see things that grown-ups typically hurry by and ignore.

Children are also good questioners. They know how to ask "why" and never fear the thought of looking foolish for having asked.

While both of these qualities can seem frustrating when you have a time constraint or need a few moments of quiet, observing and asking are two of the most important ways young children learn.

 Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff is a concept book about colors. Baby Bears questions his mother and observes the world around him to see the colors in the answers she provides.

The patience of mother bear and the exciting discoveries of baby bear make this a warm and enjoyable read aloud.

The illustrations are vibrant and bold. A mix of block printing and watercolors provide strong images with heavy black lines, and soft, blended edges in the background.

This gentle concept book is a great read aloud for "teaching" colors, but more importantly, it reminds us to take the time to really look at our world with fresh eyes.

What colors do you see?

Science Extension Idea:
Scavenger Hunt for Colors
Help children group themselves into pairs and give them a small container to collect items from around the room. Assign each group a color card and ask them to fill their container with items that match their assigned color.
Provide assistance as they move around the room.
Come together as a group and share what was found. Have a large piece of colored paper for each group to place their items on.
Discuss how they chose the items. Ask each child to bring something from home the next day that would match their assigned color. Take a look outside for an additional Color Hunt.

Paint

Sometimes you just love a book because it makes you laugh. Take a look at this cover and try not to smile. See what I mean?
When you need a dose of silliness, this book is the remedy.

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont and David Catrow tells the story of a young boy who just can't keep from expressing himself artistically.
His mama catches him decorating the house and promptly puts him in the tub while she cleans up the mess. He rescues his art supplies and promises not to paint...but then, "So I take some red and I paint my HEAD!"

The rhyming verses lead the listener to guess what comes next. At the turn of the page, a new body part is revealed, covered in paint.
It's just fun.
I dare you to read or sing it to a group of children and not giggle along with them. Really.

Art Extension Idea:
Obviously, painting of any kind is a great follow-up to this book.
Paint standing at the easel, sitting at the table, or lying on the floor.
Use brushes, sponges, or hands.
Give lots of time and space to the process.
If the thought of that much paint is paralyzing, hand out dry paint brushes. They can "paint" their bodies as you read through the book again.

One

One simple book about colors.
One simple book about numbers.
One simple book about overcoming adversity (or bullying).
One simple book about working together.

One by Kathryn Otoshi.

Don't be deceived by the simple look of this book. It touches many concepts and can be used in many different ways.  It can be shared with much older children as well as the preschool crowd. The modest watercolor illustrations keep the focus on the colors and numbers and add emotional impact.
Adults may enjoy this book even more than the children.

Art Extension Idea:
Shaving Cream Colors
Materials:
Shaving cream, paint in primary colors (red, blue, yellow), plastic sandwich bags that close tightly, spoon
Procedure:
Give each child a plastic bag and have them open it (assist if they need help). Spray a "handful" of shaving cream into the bag. Add a squirt or spoonful of one color of paint.  Close the bag tightly.  Encourage each child to squeeze and manipulate the bag to mix the color into the shaving cream.
Repeat the process with a second bag but this time add two primary colors. Watch and listen to the children as they observe what happens inside the bag as the two colors mix.
Non messy and it doesn't require drying time!

Mouse Paint

Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh makes learning about primary and secondary colors almost as much as fun as actually painting with them! That's one reason why it has stood the test of time.
In her story, three white mice happen upon some jars of paint. They experiment and play, discovering what happens when colors mix. They even clean up, washing off in the cat's water bowl.

The simple text and brightly colored illustrations make this as popular a read aloud today as it has been for over 20 years. Timeless and endearing. Share with a young artist today!




Art Extension Idea:
Color Mixing (of course)
Materials: fingerpaints or tempura paints, paper, brushes, water, and towels for cleanup
Procedure: Place small amounts of two primary colors (red and yellow) of paint onto the paper. Allow children to move the paint around using fingers or brushes. Watch as the colors begin to mix together. Talk about what is happening. Ask your child to describe the colors they see.
Repeat this procedure with another pairing of primary colors (red and blue). You can follow the sequence in the book, drawing your child's attention back to the story.
Let your child experiment until they have exhausted all the possibilities or their fine motor muscles.
Display their artistic work proudly!