Winter Time Color Mixing for Toddlers and Preschool

Here in the east coast we are still in the grip of winter. If you’re looking for some new ideas for outdoor winter play with toddlers and preschoolers, try this color mixing activity:

Materials:

• 3 water bottles with water
• 3 small,  shallow plastic containers
• Red, yellow and blue food coloring
• Eye droppers (enough for each child, if possible)
• Brownie pan or other shallow dish
• Snow

What to do:

1. Make 3 colored water bottles by putting several drops of the 3 different food coloring colors  into one water bottle each.
2. Scoop up some snow into the brownie pan and set out the 3 shallow containers and eye droppers.
3. Squeeze a little bit of each color of water into the shallow containers.
4. Show children how to squeeze the eye droppers to suck up water, and then squeeze again to squirt it out.
5. Invite children to paint the snow with the colored water and eye droppers.

Variations:

Toddlers really love this activity.  Some may have a hard time squeezing the eye droppers. Try having them shake or squeeze the water bottles. They’ll also have fun poking at the snow with the eye droppers.

Bury a few small treasures in the tray for children to discover.

Talk about what happens to the snow over time. What happens to the snow when the colored water touches it?

Coloring Snow Activity