Color Mixing With Colored Water (age 3-6 yrs)

A Montessori child is introduced to colors using the color tablets, and starting with the primary colors. My daughter started with the primary colors (naming and matching) when she turned three and through this winter worked on secondary colors, naming and matching. She is now working on grading shades of colors, darkest to lightest.



As seen in a previous post, I introduced the idea of mixing primary colors to make new colors, using the color bottles. This week I introduced mixing red, yellow and blue colored water to make secondary colors. The materials needed are shown on the tray. A child using this should be experienced and successful using a dropper and know all primary and secondary colors.

I began by pointing to the colored water bottle on the left and asked "What do we call this color?" My daughter answered and continued to name the primary colors in the bottles. I touched the first card and the first dot. Then, using the dropper, took a dropper full of the water and added it to the first bowl. Next, I dabbed the dropper point on the sponge to get any remaining colored water off the dropper. Then, I touched the second dot on the card and took a dropper full of that color adding it to the same bowl. Again, I dabbed the dropper on the sponge and put the dropper on the tray. I gently swirled the bowl to mix the two colors. The new color appeared and my daughter was so excited. I continued with the next card and she finished the last one. After finishing, I showed how to rinse and wipe the bowls and check for drips on the tray.