I absolutely love this week’s #PlayfulPreschool theme! Rainbows! So many great ideas that I can’t wait to use them all! Be sure to check them out at the bottom of this post. My preschooler had a blast with our Fine-Motor Rainbow Art for Preschoolers. If you’ve never tried salt art, now is the time my friend! This rainbow art project is sort of like a science project, too, as you watch the salt “suck up” the colors like magic. We have so many color activities to share with you! I will warn you, this preschool rainbow art project is messy! It’s great to complete outside, or with lots of coverage on the table and floor beneath our young artists.
Recommended Grade Level:
Rainbow Salt Painting Supplies:
- White Card Stock/Watercolor Paper
- White Glue
- Salt
- Food Coloring
- Water
- Dropper
- Small Cups/Containers
More from our Shop
Find even more engaging activities in the Life Over C’s shop!
Learning Through Arts and Crafts in Preschool
SALT ART FOR KIDS
PROCESS ART REFERS TO FOCUSING MORE ON THE PROCESS OF CREATION RATHER THAN THE OUTCOME. SALT AND GLUE ART FITS THIS CATEGORY NICELY.
I like to think of process art as almost a scientific exploration. With salt and watercolor art exploration, kids are learning what happens when colored water and salt interact. They’re seeing the role the glue plays in this rainbow art for kids project.
Process art can be messy, but it sure is cool. And since we love rainbows, it made this project even more fun for us!
Process art is highly beneficial for preschoolers as it emphasizes the creative journey rather than focusing solely on the end result. By encouraging children to explore and experiment with different materials, colors, and textures, process art nurtures their imaginations and self-expression.
This open-ended approach fosters problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and decision-making abilities, all while boosting their confidence in making choices. Additionally, process art allows young learners to develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they manipulate various tools during the artistic process.
Couple the rainbow art idea with thought-provoking questions to make the most of the learning:
- Tell me about the colors you chose for your rainbow. Why did you decide to use those specific colors?
- How do you feel when you mix different colors together? What happens when you combine two colors?
- What do you think a rainbow represents? Is there a special meaning or story behind your rainbow artwork?
What Can Toddlers and Preschoolers Learn While Making a Salt and Glue Rainbow?
RAINBOW ART FOR TODDLERS AND PRESCHOOLERS
PROCESS ART TEACHES A WEALTH OF SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SKILLS AND CONCEPTS THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO OTHER LEARNING.
The painted rainbow project also promotes emotional development by providing a safe outlet for expressing feelings and emotions through art. Ultimately, process art empowers preschoolers to appreciate their individuality, fostering a love for learning and creativity that will benefit them throughout their lives.
- Creativity
- Fine Motor
- Problem-Solving
- Self-Expression
Why Is It Important For Kids To Create Process Art?
Exploring process art, like watercolor painting, raised salt painting, or cotton ball painting, offers a lot of benefits for kids, not to mention it’s fun!
Creativity
Process art encourages children to explore and experiment, fostering their imaginative thinking and creative expression.
Self-Confidence
The open-ended nature of process art empowers kids to make their own decisions, building their self-confidence and sense of accomplishment.
Fine Motor
Engaging with various art materials and tools helps develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills in young learners.
Social-Emotional
Process art provides a safe space for children to express their feelings and emotions, promoting emotional intelligence and well-being.
Tools you’ll need
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Don’t worry about making a special trip to the store. You can get all the supplies for this activity right here. Click the pictures above to get what you need.
How to Make Rainbow Salt Painting
To Prep:
First, prepare the colored water. I love that the 7-day pill containers already had most of the colors of the rainbow. It was just missing indigo, but it did have a clear container that we used instead.
For the tiny containers I used the following liquid food coloring amounts:
Red: 10 drops red
Orange: 6 drops red, 4 drops yellow
Yellow: 10 drops yellow
Green: 10 drops green
Blue: 10 drops blue
Indigo: 6 drops blue, 3 drops red
Violet: 6 drops red, 5 drops blue
This is a messy activity!
We were lucky enough to have a beautiful day, so we did our activity outside. If you do it inside, cover your space with a plastic table cloth and stay far away from your furniture.
If you don’t have food coloring, liquid watercolors work as well. Your color might be a bit lighter.
To Make:
Draw a rainbow with the glue. You need 7 lines (one for each color). Because Shiloh does not have the hand strength nor coordination to draw with the glue she had lots of help from Daddy while I took pictures.
After you are finished drawing with the glue, sprinkle salt liberally over all of the glue. When you are finished gently shake the paper back and forth to help the stray salt stick to the glue.
Using the droppers, squeeze the different colors of water onto the rainbow. I really loved the droppers that we got because they were long enough to reach over the paper without too much trouble and they were very easy to squeeze making them a perfect tool for Shiloh.
Our Favorite Kids Books About Colors:
We can’t live without these!
Once your child’s creativity is sparked with this fun activity, take it a step further with these engaging resources:
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Curious Toddler A Colorful Book of Colors: A Picture Word Book About Colors for Kids Ages 2-4
Dr. Seuss’s Book of Colors (Bright & Early Books(R))Eat More Colors: A Fun Educational Rhyming Book About Healthy Eating and Nutrition for Kids, Vegan Book, Plant Based Book, Colorful Pictures, Fun FactsMixed: A Colorful StoryThe Day the Crayons QuitSwatch: The Girl Who Loved ColorI Can Eat a Rainbow (Children’s Book Collection)
Fun Rainbow Crafts
We continued with the theme of making a mess with another easy rainbow process art craft involving the same supplies on card stock with more of a free-form vibe.
Talk About It
This rainbow craft for kids is so engaging that it’s an obvious conversation starter. Talk with your child about the steps to make the rainbow, the colors, or just the rainbow fine motor experience in general.
Go Beyond Rainbows
Take this salt art idea a different direction by creating other shapes or objects with glue and repeating the rainbow activity to compare results. You can even practice numbers and letters with salt art!
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