rainbow science experiments

Preschool Inspirations

Preschool Activities and Learning

Super Fun Rainbow Science Activities Just For Kids

March 8, 2018 by Editor Leave a Comment

Rainbows are one of my favorite parts of Spring. It usually means that the sun is shining and I’m always happy with that. Even though it usually means it is raining as well, but I’ll take the sunshine when I can get it! Incorporating rainbows in science activities is not only fun but super easy. These Rainbow Science activities are perfect for the classroom or at home. Most of them don’t require much prep but all of them will have kids smiling in science giddiness!

Rainbow Science Activities

Finally a rainbow discovery bottle that the colors don’t run together! I’ve been trying and experimenting for a while now and finally figured it out! It’s not quite liquid and not solid either. It’s a perfect combination of awesomeness! Want to make one of your own? The full tutorial is here .

We’ve all done baking soda and vinegar experiments, right? This  Baking Soda & Vinegar Reaction  though is the most colorful I have seen and I can just imagine how excited kids will be to see the rainbow foam explosions!

Oil and water make science experiments super easy and fun. This  Rainbow Jar  is extra fun, not only because of the colors, but it is mesmerizing how the colors stack up on top of each other!

These candies are fun to eat but even more fun to play with. This  Skittle Rainbow  is beyond the best candy experiment I have seen. I could watch this for hours!

Chromatography is a fun way to incorporate science and art together. These  Rainbow Filters  are fun to create but then also fun to create with!

Did you know that dish soap can do magical things? This  Magic Rainbow Milk  is purely magical. The colors move seemingly on their own, but are they moving on their own?

When science and sensory connect, it is always a great activity. This  Scented Rainbow Science  is perfect for sensory seekers! Plus, adding the scent is probably the easiest part!

This  Exploding Rainbow  is exciting to create and even more exciting to watch. Kids will enjoy these hands-on mini ‘explosion’. Even if we know it is only a simple reaction, kids will love to pretend their rainbows are exploding!

There is something incredibly fun about swirling your hand around in a big bowl of soap foam! This  Rainbow Foam Bubbles  activity is not only a fun sensory activity but also helps teach about color mixing as well.

Rainbows are pretty but  Giant Crystal Rainbows  are even more beautiful. Kids will enjoy watching the crystals grow on their rainbow! It may take a day but the magic of the crystallizing process will not be lost!

This  Fizzy Rainbow Slush  takes baking soda and vinegar to a whole new level. Plus if it is hot outside, you can place this slush in the fridge for a while and the kids can play in cold slush!

This  Rainbow Sugar Water Density  shows that adding sugar to colored water can help the colors separate instead of mixing together, which is excellent for younger children. This is also a fantastic way to introduce or teach about density for older children!

Pumpkin Seeds are not only for fall. These  Pumpkin Seed Discovery Bottles  are rainbow all the way and is a go-to activity for any time of the year!

Do your kids love playing with ice? And melting ice with hot water? This  Rainbow Ice Tower  is filled with colorful items frozen into a tower and the excitement is getting them out! I can see kids being occupied for quite a while with this one!

Science these days is not complete without slime and this  Rainbow Slime  is a MUST. It is absolutely beautiful how the colors connect but don’t mold together. This recipe is anything but icky!

Just like with the skittles experiment above, this  M&M Rainbows  is mesmerizing! It is incredible how candy can taste AND look so beautiful!

I love how this  Erupting Rainbow  comes out of little test tubes. Kids will feel like real scientists even though this experiment is incredibly simple!

This twisted rainbow is sparkly in all the right ways. Kids will enjoy creating this  Salt Crystal Rainbow  and displaying it all Spring long!

Sometimes science is simple and other times it is purely magical. The art that this  Rainbow Paper  experiment can make is fantastic! This would be beautiful to put on the front of cards or notes!

This  Walking Rainbow  experiment has me screaming HOW in my head. I want to explore this experiment because it just looks unreal. Science is so fascinating and this is one of those worldly mysteries that would be fun to solve!

This  Ice & Salt Rainbow  actually creates craters. As pretty as it is, it can do crazy things when combined together. This would be a fun science activity to add to a small world play with dinosaurs or superheroes!

This  Rainbow Colored Ants  activity is purely fascinating. This would be a fun lesson to teach for either a bug unit or even Spring. Super interesting!

Rainbows are beautiful in the sky and can create magic in the real world. These Rainbow Science activities are a close second to being magical in the real world. Whether you are teaching a spring unit, teaching about the weather or just wanting some fun colorful activities – these science activities are sure to please!

• Recent Posts

• November Preschool Themes You’re Going to Love! - October 12, 2024
• Valentine’s Day Letter Formation Mats - February 4, 2024
• January Preschool Themes You’re Going to Love! - January 1, 2024

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

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

Get Your ALL ACCESS Shop Pass here →

Rainbow Science Experiments

Everything is brighter with rainbows even a rainy day because that’s the perfect time to hope to see one! Whether you are looking for a pot of gold at the end or love the way the colors combine, exploring rainbows through science and STEM activities is a great way to get started! Find a fun selection of simple to set up rainbow science experiments to try out all year long. Any time of the year is perfect for exploring rainbows!

Explore Rainbows

Over the past year, we have explored rainbow and rainbow-themed science experiments. The difference? We have studied how real rainbows form and how light science plays a role in creating rainbows.

However, young kids also just love fun, rainbow-themed science activities that also showcase simple science concepts such as reactions , polymers , liquid density and  crystal growing .

Below, we have included both kinds of rainbow science experiments. But before you get into all the fun, read on to learn some rainbow science.

How Rainbows Are Formed

A rainbow is formed when light passes through water droplets in the atmosphere. The water droplets break white sunlight into the seven visible spectrum colors. You can only see a rainbow when the sun is behind you and the rain in front of you.

There are 7 colors in the rainbow: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.

Make sure to look out for a rainbow next time it rains! Now, let’s try a rainbow science experiment or two!

Free Printable Rainbow Activities Guide and STEM Cards

Download this free mini Rainbow pack to get started today!

Want to turn a rainbow science experiment into a rainbow science project? Check out our easy science fair project ideas!

1.  Make A Rainbow

Grab some prisms, old CDs and more, and explore how visible light can split into the colors of the rainbow.

2. Rainbow Crystals

Grow crystals using a classic crystal growing recipe with borax and pipe cleaners. This rainbow science activity really grows awesome crystals that are both sturdy and beautiful to look at. Create a science craft with a pipe cleaner rainbow design!

3. Erupting Rainbow Science Experiment

A classic reaction for simple chemistry and a mix of colors to create an erupting rainbow!

4. Walking Water Rainbow

This walking water experiment is incredibly easy and fun to set up for kids. Watch the water travel as it makes a rainbow of color, and learn about capillary action too!

Here is another way to set it up that’s great for groups of kids, and younger ages! See our grow a rainbow experiment.

5. Build LEGO Rainbows

Explore symmetry and design with a rainbow LEGO building challenge.

6. Rainbow Density Experiment

Super easy kitchen science using sugar, water, and food coloring. Explore the density of liquids to create a rainbow.

7. Make Rainbow Slime

Learn how to make the easiest slime ever and create a rainbow of colors!

8. Rainbow Fizzing Pots

A leprechaun’s dream with a cool chemical reaction in mini black cauldrons!

10. Rainbow Oobleck

Oobleck is an awesome science activity for exploring non-Newtonian fluids. Do you know what a non-Newtonian fluid is or how it works? Learn more through this hands-on activity that uses basic kitchen ingredients.

11. Rainbow Solubility

Make this fun rainbow craft with a few simple materials and explore solubility in the process.

12. Make a Spectroscope

A spectroscope or a spectrograph is a scientific instrument used to study the properties of light. It breaks light down into different wavelengths, called a spectrum. It works similar to how a prism splits white light into a rainbow .

More Fun Science Topics To Explore

• Baking Soda & Vinegar Experiments
• Simple Machine Projects
• Chemical Reaction Experiments
• Density Experiments
• Water Experiments
• Capillary Action

Helpful Science Resources To Get You Started

Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

• Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
• Science Vocabulary
• 8 Science Books for Kids
• All About Scientists
• Free Science Worksheets
• Science Supplies List
• Science Tools for Kids

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

• 90+ classic science activities  with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information.  NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
• Best science practices posters  and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
• Be a Collector activities pack  introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
• Know the Words Science vocabulary pack  includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
• My science journal writing prompts  explore what it means to be a scientist!!
• Bonus STEAM Project Pack:  Art meets science with doable projects!
• Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics

• Pingback: Make Rainbow Slime Recipe for Amazingly Colorful Homemade Slime
• Pingback: St Patricks Day Chemistry Experiments (that are actually easy to set up!)

I love using your projects with my grandson. I am now faced with distance learning for my students. I am a STEM teacher at an elementary school. A lot of your project lend themselves easily to distance learning. What is your position on using some of your projects in my Google Classroom? Please advise. Thank you.

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to receive a free 5-Day STEM Challenge Guide

~ projects to try now ~.

Walking Water Rainbow Science Experiment

Let’s make a walking water rainbow! There’s no better way for little scientists to learn about capillary action and color mixing than by making water walk (yes – walk!) in this colorful rainbow science experiment. This science experiment is a favorite of ours because it’s so easy to set up and the results are almost immediate.

Check out the simple step-by-step below and then gra b 30 more jaw-dropping (but easy prep!) science experiments kids will love from our shop!

Getting Ready

To prep, I gathered our supplies:

• 6 wide-mouth glasses or jars
• Paper towels (use the kind where you can select a size)
• Food dye or liquid water colors (red, yellow, and blue)

I grabbed the six small glasses first .  We’ve had success using wide-mouth drinking cups and canning jars, too.  Even though they all worked, just remember that bigger glasses will need more food coloring.

I ripped off six sheets of paper towel and folded each sheet in thirds, lengthwise.

We were using pretty small glasses, so I cut a few inches off the folded paper towel so it would fit in the glasses.

It’s a good idea to test your paper towel strip to make sure they fit properly in your glasses.  They should be able to go from the bottom of one jar to the next without sticking up in the air too much. The paper towel on the left shows the just-right height.  It’s important to set up this rainbow science experiment for success!

Making a Rainbow

This colorful rainbow science experiment is so simple and quick, it’s perfect for even the youngest little scientists.  My 3 year old, Q, couldn’t wait to get started.

First, I had him line up the glasses and fill the first one with a good squirt of red watercolor , the third with yellow, and the fifth glass with blue.  We left the other glasses empty.

Next, I helped Q add water to the glasses with color until the colored water almost reached the top.

We moved the glasses into a circle and added the paper towels .  Starting with the red, we added one end of the paper towel and then put the other end in the empty glass next to it.

We continued around until the last paper towel was placed into the red glass.

We saw the color wick up the paper towel right away.  This rainbow science experiment doesn’t take long to get going!

After another several minutes, the colored water had almost travelled the whole length of each paper towel.

Five minutes later, the water had traveled all the way up and then down the paper towel and was dripping into the empty glass.

The yellow and red water dripped into the empty cup to make orange!  It made for a good lesson on color mixing.

After another five minutes, we could see the water level had dropped in the red, yellow, and blue glasses and rose in the once empty glasses as the water continued to travel from the more full glasses to the less full glasses.

We grabbed a snack and watched our beautiful rainbow science experiment during the next 20 minutes. The water continued to walk from the primary colored glasses to fill the secondary-colored glasses until all the jars were filled equally.

Not Working?

If you aren’t seeing much movement within a few minutes, it may be that you need to add more water to your colored water glasses.  It really needs to be almost at the top for the water to walk quickly.  So try topping off those glasses and seeing if that gets things moving.

If you see the water moving up the paper towel but it seems like it’s taking forever , it may be the type of paper towel you are using.  You want a paper towel that will really hold a lot of water.  We have used Bounty Select-a-Size and Target’s Up and Up Brand Select-a-Size with success.

It really is worth the extra effort of trying different cups and paper towels to get this activity to work.  And once you have had success, don’t throw out those beautifully-colored paper towels or the colored water!  We gently squeezed out our paper towels and let them dry in a heap on a baking sheet.  We ended up with gorgeous tie-dyed looking paper towels to use for crafts and we used the leftover water as watercolors for painting with later.

The Science Behind It

This rainbow science experiment is as magic as the science behind it.  The colored water travels up the paper towel by a process called capillary action . Capillary action is the ability of a liquid to flow upward, against gravity, in narrow spaces.  This is the same thing that helps water climb from a plant’s roots to the leaves in the tree tops.

Paper towels, and all paper products, are made from fibers found in plants called cellulose .  In this demonstration, the water flowed upwards through the tiny gaps between the cellulose fibers.  The gaps in the towel acted like capillary tubes, pulling the water upwards.

The water is able to defy gravity as it travels upward due to the attractive forces between the water and the cellulose fibers.

The water molecules tend to cling to the cellulose fibers in the paper towel.  This is called adhesion .

The water molecules are also attracted to each other and stick close together, a process called cohesion .  So, as the water slowly moves up the tiny gaps in the paper towel fibers, the cohesive forces help to draw more water upwards.

At some point, the adhesive forces between the water and cellulose and the cohesive forces between the water molecules will be overcome by the gravitational forces on the weight of the water in the paper towel.  

When that happens, the water will not travel up the paper towel anymore. That is why it helps to shorten the length that colored water has to travel by making sure your paper towel isn’t too tall and making sure you fill your colored liquid to the top of the glass.

Rainbow Science Activity Extensions

Turn this demonstration into a true experiment by varying the water level (volume) you start with and seeing how long it takes the water to reach the empty glass.

Or start with the same volume of colored water and change the brand, type (single vs double ply, quilted vs not) or length of paper towel to see how long it takes for the water to “walk” to the empty glass.

You could even use the same volume of water, same length and brand of paper towel but vary the height of the filled glass , by raising them up on books, to see how that affects the speed of the water as it “walks” to the empty glass.

Have you had enough fun with the paper towels?  Try using other paper products to see how the type of paper effects the results.  Try toilet paper, printer paper, newspaper or a page from a glossy magazine.  What do you predict will happen?

Grab a Record Sheet

Help kids keep track of their results by grabbing our free record sheet! Then grab 30 more jaw-dropping (but easy prep!) science experiments kids will love from our shop!

Similar Posts

Pumpkin Number Sequencing

Number Bingo

Telling Time Match Up

4 Seasons STEM Challenge Cards

Ladybug Life Cycle Wheel Craft

Butterfly Color by Code

11 comments.

• Pingback: Ice Color Mixing - The Stem Laboratory
• Pingback: Color Matching Fish - Teach Me Mommy
• Pingback: EXPLODING PAINT ROCKETS STEAM ACTIVITY
• Pingback: FREE Rainbow Train Preschool Counting Game - Stay At Home Educator
• Pingback: Coloring Sheets - Playdough To Plato
• Pingback: Matching Colors and Numbers 1-6 | Liz's Early Learning Spot
• Pingback: Color Hunt Around the Room - Mrs. Jones' Creation Station
• Pingback: Colors Sorting Mats Game
• Pingback: Ultimate Boredom Buster: 101 Things To Do When Kids Are Bored
• Pingback: 15 Color Activities | Happy Days in First Grade
• Pingback: 5 Easy Science Experiments for Kids [With Video] – Baba Blast!

Rainbow Science Experiments

By Shaunna Evans 1 Comment · This content may contain affiliate links.

Colors and rainbows provide so many excellent options for incorporating art and STEAM activities.  And you know I love incorporating science experiments into our preschool theme activities . I thought you’d also like these fun rainbow science experiments. Use them as part of your preschool rainbow theme or any time to learn about colors and color mixing.

FIND EVEN MORE RAINBOW THEME IDEAS IN OUR PRINTABLE  RAINBOW THEME LESSON PLANS

These Rainbow Bubble Snakes are so easy to make and use materials you probably have lying around the house.

With just a few simple ingredients, you can make your own Rainbow Jar .

Your kids will love exploring the spectrum of light sources with this Homemade Spectroscope .

If you are looking for a fun messy play activity for your kids, consider this Scented Rainbow Science and sensory play activity.

These fizzing rainbows are a great science experiment with bright and beautiful colors.

Grow Your Own Rainbow Crystals with this fun borax crystal growing activity.

Make your own pots of gold with these Rainbow Fizzing Pots .

Learn about how you can mix colors to create a rainbow in this Color Mixing activity.

If you’re looking for something fun and easy, you can’t go wrong with this Easy Make a Rainbow Experiment .

This fun Making Rainbow Reflections will teach your kids all about rainbows.

This fun Rainbow Science Absorption walking water activity is a fun recipe your kids will love.

Teach your kids about the different colors of the rainbow with this Fizzy Rainbow experiment.

Learn what happens when marshmallows dissolve in water using this Marshmallow Rainbow Science Experiment .

Use cars and gravity to create this amazing and beautiful Rainbow Painting Gravity Experiment .

Your kids will love making their own candy heart rainbows in this Candy Heart Rainbow Science Experiment .

Get a full week of playful rainbow theme ideas!

Save time and get right to the playful learning with our printable lesson plan sets. Each set includes over 30 playful learning activities related to the theme, and we’ve provided different versions for home preschool families and classroom teachers so all activities are geared directly toward your needs.

Get Your Copy

Also available on Teachers Pay Teachers .

Reader Interactions

March 12, 2014 at 1:22 pm

Thanks for featuring make the rainbow experiment!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Rainbow science experiments

Key points i covered in this post, what are the best methods for conducting rainbow science experiments, the science of rainbow formation, materials needed for creating a rainbow, step-by-step experiments, understanding light and color spectrum, applications of rainbow experiments in education, safety precautions for conducting experiments, what are some tips for conducting successful rainbow experiments.

• Maximize the light source to produce a more vivid rainbow, by using either direct sunlight or a high-intensity lamp.
• Adjust the angle of light entry when using prisms or water to change the display of the rainbow.
• Experiment with different types of surfaces to catch the rainbow for varied results, such as white paper, walls, or sidewalks.
• Try adding a few drops of milk to the water to enhance the visibility of the colors.
• Consider recording the experiments to analyze the results and observe subtle differences.

How can we create a rainbow in a classroom setting?

What materials are needed for a rainbow science experiment, is it safe for children to perform rainbow science experiments, what scientific principles can be learned from rainbow science experiments, can rainbow science experiments be tied into larger lessons on weather or optics, final thoughts, share article:, quick stem activities, rainbow slime.

• X (Twitter)

10 Exciting Rainbow Science Experiments

Any affiliate links in this post will be clearly marked with a * and if you click a link and buy a product, then I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Giving children varied opportunities to learn is so important. With the twiglets I often end up just doing crafty-type activities with them at home, and not much else. (Well apart from the obvious screen time, reading, free play etc!) But I also really want to inspire a love of science in them too. After all, it does explain basically everything that’s going on around us! And you know with us it’s allll about the rainbows! So I’ve pulled together some of the best and most exciting rainbow science experiments for kids .

Erupting rainbow science experiment

Can you make a rainbow volcano?

Love this erupting rainbow science experiment from Little Bins For Little Hands.

Rainbow walking water experiment

Can you create a rainbow with food colouring and water?

This rainbow walking water experiment from Fun Learning For Kids is so awesome! Word of warning though – I tried this with my Reception class and could not get it to work! So my advice would be make sure you have the right type of kitchen towel!!

Growing rainbow crystals experiment

Can you make a rainbow out of crystals?

Growing your own rainbow crystals looks like such a fun activity for kids! From Little Bins For Little Hands.

Rainbow Skittles experiment

Can you make a rainbow by adding warm water to Skittles?

Why not give the famous rainbow Skittles experiment a try? You can find the method in lots of places – this version is from Mas And Pas 🙂

Rainbow ice and salt experiment

What happens when salt and food colouring are added to ice?

This rainbow ice and salt experiment from Powerful Mothering looks fab, especially for younger children and preschoolers.

Rainbow water xylophone

What happens when you hit bottles with different amounts of water in?

I love this rainbow water xylophone experiment from Mama Papa Bubba.

Climbing rainbow science experiment

What happens when you put rainbow marker pen on kitchen towel then put it in water?

How beautiful does this climbing rainbow idea from Coffee Cups And Crayons look?

Rainbow baking soda experiment

What happens when you add vinegar to baking soda?

This rainbow baking soda experiment from Messy Little Monster looks like loads of fun 🙂

Fizzing scented rainbow science experiment

This fizzing scented rainbow science experiment from Fun A Day looks amazing! Same concept as the previous baking soda experiment but with more of a sensory focus 🙂

More rainbow sensory activities here 🙂

Rainbow in a jar experiment

What happens to the density of water when you add sugar?

Kids would love this rainbow in a jar experiment from Primary Playground.

Have you tried any of these rainbow science experiments before?

And if you fancy making things a bit easier for yourself, there are some fab kits out there to guide you and provide what you need for creating some rainbow science!

* affiliate links

Thanks for reading! Til next time,

Looking for rainbow craft ideas ?

Like it? Pin it!

Check out these posts:

• STEM toys from Learning Resources
• Fun EYFS space activities

Related Posts

20 amazing rainbow sensory play ideas, 10 fun and exciting obstacle course ideas for kids, 15 easy spring craft ideas.

Rainbows are just the best! We’ve tried a few of these experiments and the boys loved them. 🙂 x

Aw fab 🙂 xx

These are all fab ideas! We’ve tried the climbing rainbow one, and my three are constantly asking to try the Skittles one! Truthfully, I can’t bare to buy something so tasty and not eat it though! Haha

Haha Skittles are very yummy, I wasn’t allowed to eat them as a kid because all the colourings were so bad for my eczema haha!

I think the rainbow jar is my favourite! #kcacols xx

These are great!! Colourful adds to the fun too! #KCACOLS

My daughter would love all of these! I particularly like the rainbow crystals 🙂 #KCACOLS

My boys have done the rainbow skittle experiment and blew their kinds lol x #kcacols

I love the rainbow in a jar and the skittles experiment. Iris is just starting to get into science so she’d love these.

Katrina x #KCACOLS

Please leave a comment - I'd love to hear from you! Cancel reply

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

• Work With Me

Privacy Overview

Privacy Policy

• Earth Science
• Physics & Engineering
• Science Kits
• Microscopes
• Science Curriculum and Kits
• About Home Science Tools

Teaching Resources & Guides > Worksheets & Printables > Rainbow Science Projects  

Rainbow Science Projects

Watch Light Bend

What you need:.

• a glass of water

What You Do:

1. Set the glass of water on the table and put the pencil in so that part of it is sticking out above the water.

2. Look at the pencil through the side of the glass.

3. Now look at the pencil from the top of the glass.

4. Now take the pencil out of the water and look at it.

What Happened:

The pencil looked bent when you looked at it through the side of the glass, but when you looked from above and when you took it out of the water, of course it wasn’t really bent! When light passes through the glass and water, it refracts , or bends. Since the light is being bent in different directions by the glass and the water, it hits your eye from different angles than normal and makes the pencil look bent! (The same thing happens when you dangle your legs into a swimming pool.) It also makes the pencil look bigger than it really is. As the light passes through the water, it bends in odd directions and magnifies the part of the pencil that is in the water. The more water between you and the pencil, the bigger the pencil will look. Try holding it right up to the side of the glass nearest you, and then move it to the other side and watch it grow!

Make A Prism

Most of the time light looks white, but it is actually made up of colors:  red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Those seven colors are the same ones you see in a rainbow! A prism is usually made of glass and is used to separate light into its colors. In this project, you can make your own prism to show the colors of light.

• a clear glass
• 2 sheets of white paper or cardstock
• flashlight (one with a small beam works best)

1. Fill the glass a little more than half-way full.

2. Set the glass on the edge of the chair so that nearly half of the bottom of the glass hangs over the edge. The glass might be a little wobbly, so be careful not to let it fall.

3. Lay both sheets of paper side by side on the floor next to the chair where the glass is.

4. Turn on the flashlight and hold it near the outside of the glass at the level of the water, pointing towards the paper on the floor.

5. Look for a rainbow pattern to appear on the white paper. You might need to adjust where you are shining the flashlight or where your paper is at in order to see the rainbow clearly. Depending on the shape of your glass and how much water is in it, you might see more than one rainbow. You could also try this by putting the glass of water in a window where sunlight will shine through it instead of using a flashlight.

When the beam of light from your flashlight hits the outside of the glass, it bends slightly and breaks into its seven different colors. This bending is called refraction. The beam of light is separated into its different colors because each color bends at a slightly different angle. When the light comes out the other side of the glass, it is no longer a beam of white light. Instead, you see all the colors that make up white light in a rainbow shape on the white paper! This setup is a type of prism. A normal prism is a triangular piece of glass, but it works in the same way as the prism you just made.

A prism refracts light in almost the same way that raindrops refract sunlight to make a rainbow.  The seven colors of the rainbow are called the visible colors of light. White light is made up of all of those colors, our eyes just can’t see them until they are separated by water, glass, or something else. There are more colors of light, but our eyes can’t detect them. Another way to see the rainbow colors of white light is to hold the back of a cd up to a light bulb. To see the colors even more clearly, poke a small hole in a piece of foil and cover a flashlight with the foil so the hole is in the middle, then shine it at the cd.

Make a Rainbow

• a garden hose (connected to a faucet outside)
• a sunny day
• permission to go outside and use the hose

1. Get the hose and turn the faucet on.

2. Stand in a spot where the sun is behind you, shining on your back. (You will be able to see your shadow in front of you when the sun is behind you.)

3. Put your thumb over part of the nozzle of the hose so that the water creates a spray when it comes out.

4. Hold the hose out in front of you and turn slowly. Keep you finger over the hose to make a spray. Watch for a rainbow to appear above the water.

A rainbow should appear just above the spray of water from your hose when sunlight hits the water at the right angle. The water from the hose does the same things that rain does to make a real rainbow in the sky – it refracts the beams of sunlight so that they separate into their different colors. You can see the colors in the rainbow that appears above the water. The rainbow you made is much smaller than one you would see in the sky. Do you know why? It’s because the water from your hose is only spraying in a small area. If there were more drops of water for the sunlight to hit, you would see a larger rainbow.

Rainbow Science Lesson

What Is A Rainbow?

You can see a rainbow when the sun is low in the sky behind you and there is rain off in the distance in front of you. Beams of light from the sun shine towards the rain in the air and when the light goes into the raindrops, it is bent (refracted). When the light bends, it breaks into all of its colors (the colors of the rainbow). When the light hits the back of the rain drop, it is reflected and bounces back in the opposite direction (back towards you). Each color leaves the raindrop at its own angle, different from all the others. The colors of light bounce back to your eyes and form a half-circle shape, because of their different angles, and you see a rainbow of all the colors!

The colors of the rainbow always appear in the same order because each color always bends at the same angle. The red angle is reflected into your eye at the top, violet at the bottom, and the others at their specific place in between.

If we could see a rainbow from above the horizon, we would see that it actually forms a perfect circle! The reason it appears to be a half-circle is because the horizon blocks the other half of it from our view when we are on the ground. If you were able to get up above the horizon, the place where the ground and the sky appear to meet in the distance (even though they don’t really meet), you might be able to see a full circular rainbow.

When light is reflected two times in the same water drop, a second rainbow will show up right above the first one. The colors of the second rainbow (called secondary) will look a little different. They will be in the opposite order since they are a reflection of the rainbow, so red will be on the inside and violet will be at the top! The colors will look much lighter than the colors of the main rainbow. Have you ever looked into a lake or other pool of water and seen a reflection of yourself? If you remember, you probably looked a lot lighter and backwards in your reflection. To learn more about how a reflection works, try this: write your name in big letters on a piece of paper. Stand in front of a mirror and hold up the paper. What happens? The letters look backwards in the mirror, because you are not seeing a picture taken from the front of you, you are seeing a reflection of yourself and the letters on the paper. The reason a reflection of a rainbow looks lighter is because there is less light to reach your eyes since it has already gone through the raindrop twice by the time you see it.

Other Lights in the Sky

A rainbow is just one type of optical wonder in the sky that is created by light. Here are a few others.

Moonbow – a moonbow or lunar rainbow is created by light from the moon instead of the sun. Moonbows are usually harder to see since the moon doesn’t give off as much light. They are common around waterfalls where there are lots of drops of water in the air, even when it hasn’t been raining. Here is a picture of a moonbow over Yosemite Falls in California.

Halo – a halo can appear around either the sun or the moon and usually happens when there are ice crystals in clouds very high up in the sky. Light is refracted and also reflected by the crystals of ice and a glowing ring, called a halo, is formed around the source of the light. Here is a picture of a sun halo .

Mirage – a mirage works sort of like a mirror. It is a reflection of a part of the sky and it happens when light moves from air of one temperature to a very different temperature (such as cool air to very warm air). The rays of light bend (or refract) in a way that causes an image of a different part of the sky than what is normal. A mirage can appear on the ground or above the ground. Have you ever ridden in a car on a hot summer day and thought that the road ahead of you was wet? As you got closer the “puddle” you thought you saw probably disappeared. That is a common road mirage, like in this picture .

More About Colors

Have you ever noticed all the pretty colors in soap bubbles? Bubbles have two thin layers of soap that reflect light, so when a ray of light hits a bubble, it separates into different colors, then the colors re-combine with each other on their way to your eye. However, since different colors of light bend at different angles, the colors don’t match up perfectly when they combine. This is called interference  and is what causes rainbow colors to appear on the surface of the bubble. You can learn more about bubbles here . A very similar thing happens when light hits the surface of certain types of oil (like the kind that gasoline comes from) in water that has spread out into a thin layer.

Red, yellow, and blue are called the primary colors. When those colors are mixed, lots of new colors can be made. Try this quick activity to let kids discover how colors mix: pour some whole milk into a bowl and put a few drops of red food coloring near the edge of the bowl. Add some yellow and blue spaced evenly away from the red (the three colors should form a triangle). Let kids dip a cotton swab in dish soap and then into the middle of the milk and watch the colors mix! Red and yellow combine to make orange, yellow and blue make green, and blue and red make purple (violet). These are all the colors of the rainbow except for indigo – indigo is made when there is more blue and violet is made when there is more red.

Science Words

Refraction – when light bends because it passes through a different material like when it goes from air into glass or water.

Reflection – when light hits an object and bounces back in the opposite direction. A reflection could also mean an image, such as a reflection of yourself in a mirror or a puddle of water.

Printable Worksheet

Use this worksheet with the “Make a Prism” activity to help kids review what happens to light when it moves from air to glass. Use the bottom half to help them learn the mnemonic phrase ‘Roy G Biv’ to remember the order of the colors of white light and the rainbow.

Teaching Homeschool

Welcome! After you finish this article, we invite you to read other articles to assist you in teaching science at home on the Resource Center, which consists of hundreds of free science articles!

Shop for Science Supplies!

Home Science Tools offers a wide variety of science products and kits. Find affordable beakers, dissection supplies, chemicals, microscopes, and everything else you need to teach science for all ages!

Related Articles

Cool Gifts for Science Lovers

Looking for the perfect gift for a kid (or adult!) on your list who loves to fiddle with, build, or learn about things? Read on for some cool gifts for any science lovers...whether they actually realize it’s science or not!   Browse our best gifts for...

Meet Our HST Alumni

Celebrating Exceptional Learning For 30 years, we've shared our mission to inspire learning through hands-on science with over 1.7 million homeschoolers. Thank you for letting us be your partner in education that goes beyond textbooks or classrooms. Meet three members...

Easy STEM Activities with Paper

Easy STEM Activities with Paper Beneficial STEM activities don't always require expensive materials or fancy equipment–a tool as simple as paper can teach children a range of STEM concepts. In this article, we'll explore STEM activities using paper, from paper...

STEM Activity for Kindergarten

STEM Activity for Kindergarten STEM activities for kindergarteners lay a strong foundation for their future learning. Children are naturally curious and excited to try new things at this age. Conducting simple experiments and building with blocks are excellent STEM...

Engaging STEM Activities for Teens

Engaging STEM Activities for Teens Teens can explore many different concepts through fun and interactive activities. STEM lessons for teens can include experimenting, engineering, and more. If you have STEM toys for ten to twelve-year-olds, but your child is starting...

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get project ideas and special offers delivered to your inbox.