Objective

By the end of this lesson, the student will understand how to mix primary colors to create new colors, and they will create their own colorful artwork using their new knowledge!

Materials and Prep

• Red, Blue, and Yellow paint (or any primary colors available)
• White paper or canvas
• Paintbrushes or fingers for painting
• Water for rinsing brushes (if using brushes)
• Paper towels for drying brushes (if using brushes)

Before the lesson, make sure to set up a clean workspace where the student can paint without making a mess. Cover the table with old newspapers or a plastic sheet if needed.

Activities

• Color Mixing Experiment

  Start by introducing the primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. Let the student use a brush or their fingers to paint each color on the paper. Then, encourage them to mix two primary colors together to see what new color they create!

• Rainbow Creation

  Using the colors they have mixed, the student can paint a rainbow. They can use the primary colors for the outer edges and fill in the middle with their newly created colors!

• Colorful Animals

  Ask the student to paint their favorite animal using only the colors they created. They can be as creative as they want, using different shades and colors to make their animal unique!

Talking Points

• "What are the primary colors? Can you name them?"
• "When we mix red and yellow, what color do we get? Let's try it!"
• "Look at the new colors we made! Isn’t it fun to see how colors change?"
• "What colors do you want to use to paint your rainbow?"
• "Can you think of an animal that could be a funny color? Let’s paint it!"
• "How do you feel about your colorful creations? What’s your favorite part?"