Over the Rainbow

McAnnulty's Dream Wednesday program brings an extra opportunity of discovery and joy to our kindergarten classrooms.  The "Star Wars House" at McAnnulty used rainbow-themed science experiments to enhance these moments of wonder. One favorite activity was the “walking water” rainbow experiment, where students used cups of colored water, paper towels, and a bit of patience to watch colors travel and blend. As the water “walked” from one cup to another, children saw primary colors like red, yellow, and blue mix together to create new colors such as orange, green, and purple. This simple yet magical process helped young learners understand basic color theory while building excitement around scientific observation.

Another engaging experiment was the “exploding rainbow,” which combined creativity with a fizzy chemical reaction. Each student received a pie pan filled with baking soda, along with an eye dropper and small cups of colored vinegar. As they carefully drew up the colored vinegar and dropped it onto the baking soda, they were delighted by the bubbling, fizzing reaction that occurred. The colors spread and mixed as they bubbled, creating a vibrant, foamy rainbow right before their eyes! 

The final activity focused on helping students learn the correct order of rainbow colors through a hands-on art project. Students were given paper with pre-drawn rainbow stripes and were encouraged to color or paint each stripe in the proper sequence: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. As they worked, they practiced identifying and organizing the colors in order, reinforcing what they had observed during the earlier experiments.