Easy Color Mixing for Kids: Learn Primary & Secondary Colors with Paint Activity

Discover the magic of color mixing! This fun and easy art activity guides kids step-by-step through mixing primary colors (red, yellow, blue) paint to create secondary colors (orange, green, purple). Includes a simple materials list and instructions perfect for young artists learning basic color theory.

PDF

Materials You'll Need:

  • Red Tempera Paint
  • Yellow Tempera Paint
  • Blue Tempera Paint
  • White Tempera Paint (Optional, for tints)
  • Paintbrushes (at least one)
  • Paper Plate or Paint Palette
  • Cup of Water (for rinsing brushes)
  • Paper Towels or a Rag
  • Heavy Paper (Construction paper or cardstock works well)
  • Optional: A simple Color Wheel image/chart

Let's Mix Some Colors!

Hi there, artist! Today we're going on a magical color adventure. We're going to become color scientists and discover how to make brand new colors just by mixing a few special ones!

What are Primary Colors?

Think of primary colors like the 'parent' colors. They are special because you can't make them by mixing other colors together. Our primary colors for today are RED, YELLOW, and BLUE.

Activity 1: Meet the Primaries!

  1. Squeeze a small blob of red, yellow, and blue paint onto your paper plate, leaving space between them.
  2. Dip your brush in one color (let's start with red!) and paint a small patch on your paper.
  3. Rinse your brush well in the water cup and wipe it gently on the paper towel.
  4. Now do the same for yellow, painting a patch next to the red.
  5. Rinse again, and paint a patch of blue.
  6. Look at these strong, bright colors! These are our starting point - the amazing primary colors!

The Magic of Mixing!

Now for the really fun part! What happens when we mix two primary colors together? Let's find out!

Activity 2: Creating Secondary Colors!

  1. Mix Red + Yellow: On your plate, mix a little bit of red paint with a little bit of yellow paint. What color do you predict it will make? Mix them together with your brush. Wow! It makes ORANGE! Orange is a secondary color. Paint an orange patch on your paper. Rinse your brush.
  2. Mix Yellow + Blue: Now, mix a little yellow paint with a little blue paint on a clean spot on your plate. What color do you think will appear? Mix them. Look! It's GREEN! Green is another secondary color. Paint a green patch on your paper. Rinse your brush.
  3. Mix Blue + Red: Last pair! Mix a little blue paint with a little red paint. Any guesses? Mix them up! You made PURPLE (or Violet)! Purple is our third secondary color. Paint a purple patch on your paper. Rinse your brush.

You did it! You discovered the secondary colors: Orange, Green, and Purple, just by mixing the primary colors!

Time to Create!

Activity 3: Color Mixing Masterpiece!

Now you have primary colors (red, yellow, blue) AND secondary colors (orange, green, purple) that you made yourself! Use all these colors to paint a picture on a fresh sheet of paper. What will you create? A sunny day with green grass? A purple monster? Colorful flowers? Have fun exploring all the colors you can now use!

Optional Fun: Try mixing a tiny bit of white paint with any of your colors. What happens? (It makes the color lighter - these are called tints!)

Wrap-up & Appreciation

Look at your amazing artwork! Point to the colors you mixed yourself. Which color was the most surprising to make? Which color is your favorite?

Mixing colors is like magic, isn't it? You started with just three colors and made so many more. Keep experimenting and see what other shades you can discover!

Optional: If you have a color wheel, look at it together. Can you find the primary colors? Can you find the secondary colors that sit between the primary colors used to make them (Orange between Red and Yellow, Green between Yellow and Blue, Purple between Blue and Red)?

Great job today, color mixing expert!