TeachKidsArt

a resource for teachers & families

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Artist Birthdays
  • SHOP TPT
  • About
  • Contact
  • TIP Vault

The Colors of the Rainbow

By Cheryl Trowbridge 3 Comments

Share
Pin
Tweet
Print


Kids love rainbows! And kids in grades K-1 tend to be almost obsessed with them. And why not?? After all, rainbows are fascinating! A rainbow is a multicolored arch that forms in the sky when the sun shines onto droplets of moisture in the air. Rainbows span a continuous spectrum of colors in a specific order; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. “Roy G. Biv” and “Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain” are mnemonics for remembering these colors that we adults may have learned as children.

The last time I taught my 1st graders about rainbows, I decided to come up with a more meaningful mnemonic to help them remember the colors and their order. As I struggled to come up with an improvement over the traditional “Roy G. Biv” that I was taught (Hmmm….”Really Old, Yucky, Gross…no, the boys might like it but the parents may not appreciate it!”), I put the challenge out to my students and parent volunteers in my classes. Karen Porter, the mother of two of my students, came up with a great solution that the kids could easily remember:
“Rainbows Offer You God’s Beauty In View.”

Why not have a contest like this yourself and see what your students and their families can come up with? Rainbows are one of those subjects that usually works best when treated somewhat realistically, so memorizing the colors and their order is a good way to go.

Here’s a fun Noah’s Ark painting by one of my 1st grade students, using his new knowledge of the colors of the rainbow! (He used just 5 colors in his rainbow, but they’re in the right order, so it still works!)

Art by Mythony
(painted with watercolor, then outlined with Sharpie after drying)
Share
Pin
Tweet
Print

You may also like...

No related posts.

Filed Under: Art Concepts, Faith, Lessons, Quotes & Stories, Sky, Watercolor Tagged With: color, contests, rainbows, watercolor

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    at

    Hi Cheryl, Another really great entry. I like the idea of a contest. Love, Roy

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    at

    A boy in our first grade class asked me the correct colors in the rainbow. I just guessed. Now I know for sure and can remember it. Like Karen’s way! Thanks Teach!!!! jb

    Reply
  3. erica says

    at

    i love mythony’s painting! adorable!! great post.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Never Miss a Post - Follow by Email

Find a ** FREE ** Lesson (Below):

  • Lessons Inspired by Famous Artists
    • Britto, Romero
    • Burch, Laurel
    • Calder, Alexander
    • Carle, Eric
    • Cezanne, Paul
    • Chagall, Marc
    • Chihuly, Dale
    • Dali, Salvadore
    • Da Vinci, Leonardo
    • Delaunay, Robert & Sonia
    • Escher, M.C.
    • Goldsworthy, Andy
    • Haring, Keith
    • Johns, Jasper
    • Kahlo, Frida
    • Kandinsky, Wassily
    • Klee, Paul
    • Klimt, Gustave
    • Matisse, Henri
    • Miro, Joan
    • Mondrian, Piet
    • Monet, Claude
    • O’Keeffe, Georgia
    • Old Masters
    • Picasso, Pablo
    • Pollock, Jackson
    • Pompon, Francois
    • Posada, Jose
    • Remington, Frederick
    • Renoir, Auguste
    • Seurat, Georges
    • Seuss, Dr.
    • Van Gogh, Vincent
    • Van Honthorst, Gerard
    • Wood, Grant
  • Lessons by Holiday
    • 100th Day of School
    • Chinese New Year
    • Christmas
    • Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos
    • Earth Day
    • Easter
    • Father’s Day
    • Halloween
    • International Dot Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Mother’s Day
    • New Years
    • Other
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Lessons by Culture
    • Africa
    • America
    • Chile
    • China
    • Europe
    • Haiti
    • Japan
    • Mexico
    • Middle East
  • Lessons by Process
    • 3D / Sculpture
    • Bookmaking
    • Calligraphy
    • Collage
    • Drawing
    • Embossing
    • Folding
    • Lettering
    • Micrography
    • Mosaic
    • Origami
    • Painting
    • Paper Cutting
    • Paper Folding
    • Printmaking
    • Quilling
    • Recycling with Art
    • Sketching
    • Stitching / Embroidery
    • Weaving
  • Lessons by Medium
    • Acrylic
    • Clay
    • Colored Pencil
    • Crayon
    • Digital / Computer
    • Fabric / Fiber
    • Markers / Pen and Ink
    • Mixed Media
    • Oil Pastel
    • Paper
    • Pencil
    • Tempera
    • Watercolor
  • Lessons by Style
    • Abstract (Non-representational)
    • Abstract (Representational)
    • Cartoon
    • Cubism
    • Expressionism
    • Fantasy
    • Impressionism
    • Op Art
    • Orphism
    • Pointillism
    • Pop Art
    • Post Impressionism
    • Realism
    • Surrealism
  • Lessons by Subject
    • Abstract Design
    • Animals
    • Birds
    • Buildings
    • Butterflies
    • Cityscape
    • Color / Color Mixing
    • Creatures / Monsters
    • Cross
    • Faith
    • Elements of Art
    • Fish / Marine Life
    • Flowers
    • Greeting Cards
    • Hearts
    • Imagination
    • Landscape
    • Mandalas
    • Masks
    • Math with Art
    • Misc. Subjects
    • Names
    • Nature
    • Ocean / Seascapes
    • People
    • Portraits / Self-Portraits
    • Religion
    • Quilts
    • Scripture
    • Seasons
    • Sky
    • snow
    • Stars
    • Still Life
    • Trees
    • Words / Letters
  • … and More!
    • Bulletin Boards & Displays
    • Classroom Management
    • Elements of Art
    • Imagination
    • Inspiration
    • Middle School Art
    • News & Announcements
    • Philosophy
    • Portfolios
    • Product Reviews
    • Quotes & Stories
    • Supplies / Products
    • Teacher Workshops
    • Tips for Teaching Art

Follow me on
Teachers Pay Teachers

Support Teach Kids Art When you shop Amazon.com

TEACH KIDS ART IS AN AMAZON AFFILIATE. I earn a small commission when you visit Amazon.com by clicking through my site and make a purchase of any kind. This supports Teach Kids Art at no extra cost to you.

Click here to shop Amazon.com!

Related Posts

  • TIP #65: 12 Positive Affirmations for Creative Kids
  • Review the Elements of Art with a Beachball Scavenger Hunt
  • Make a Crazy Crown Craft
  • Use Art Postcards to Teach or Review
  • How to Have an Elements of Art Scavenger Hunt in a Painting

Copyright © 2023 Cheryl Trowbridge / Teach Kids Art · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Design by Laugh Eat Learn



We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT