My students had a ball with this color mixing activity and the process art afterward. Color mixing isn’t about children learning about colors as much as following a step-by-step process and cause and effect. My hope for this activity was that my students learned that when two things are mixed together, a third new thing is created. That is why I wanted to have the structure of a guided group lesson using the color mixing chart followed by ample open exploration. Find more color mixing activities here.

Color Mixing Activity for PreK

Gather your materials. You will need to print out this free printable and grab red, yellow, blue, and white paint. You will also need some q tips, something for the color, a tray, and an extra piece of paper for each student. If you want little paint pallet tray like I have you can find some here with this affiliate link.

Prep everything on a tray – it’s ready to go.

The Lesson

This is a guided lesson – if you are looking for more free exploration with color mixing, check out the activities here.

Start by asking your students to find the blue paint and put a q-tip into it. Now paint the first blotch on the printable. Follow with the red – then paint a little of both on the third blotch – mixing together to make a new color.

Repeat with the other colors, making green, orange, and pink.

While we were doing the guided lesson, we talked about how adding more of one color vs. the other, the end result will be different. Some of my PreK students had a rough time understanding how to use the printable, I suggest having a dot of color from a sharpie in the blotches to help guide students who are unsure of where to place the colors.

After the chart is filled out, it’s time to paint with whatever color mixes you want! A memorable quote from my class was, ” Hey guys, I mixed the color of throw up!” I much preferred the colors my students named “Easter egg color” and “Super perfect pink” but I’d be lying if I said they didn’t find absolute joy in making throw-up colored paint!