Our drive to the local Children’s museum was gloomy and grey. Aside from the pitter-patter of rain on the windshield, the car was silent. The kids were bored, and so were the adults. I noticed a faded teal building in the distance when I looked to my right. Immediately, it hit me. “Let’s play I Spy!”. The classic color activity was exactly what we needed to keep us on our toes and in touch with our surroundings.
While I Spy can get old after a few rounds, spontaneous color activities are a wonderful source of inspiration. With that in mind, here are four more color activities to spark creativity!
Name Your Own Colors
You might recall Crayola’s crayon naming contest from the 1990s. Kids and grown ups from across the country submitted names for their favorite colors, including “tropical rain forest” and “mauvelous!”
For this color activity, you and your child can name a few of your own colors; then using your uniquely named colors, make a drawing to represent your personalities!
Write a Color Poem
Image Courtesy of Sturdy for Common Things
Color poems are so much fun because of their versatility. Have your child pick a favorite color and write a short poem of the objects they see when they think of that color. Then use crayons or paint to decorate the poem! If it’s a nice day, take it outdoors and write the poem with sidewalk chalk!
Recycle Old Crayons
Have you ever wondered what to do with those crayon stubs hiding out at the bottom of your pencil boxes? Recycle them with this homemade crayon recipe from our Creative Child archive! Combine multiple colors of your choosing to make unique color swirls.
Another great way to get rid of those old crayons is to donate them! The Crayon Initiative melts down old crayons, remolds them, and donates them to children in hospitals for art therapy. If you donate your crayons, you’ll be helping out a kid in need while saving some invaluable landfill space (because they aren’t biodegradable). Visit the Crayon Initiative site or follow them on Facebook and Twitter to find out how to share your colors!
Have a "No Mess" Color Theory Experiment
Image Courtesy of Rainy Day Mum
Introduce the blending of colors to your children with the classic Little Blue and Little Yellow. Then blend colors using this no-mess color activity with tinted cellophane.
Whenever you’re feeling stuck in a funk of grey, remind yourself that there is color all around! If you’re short on art supplies, you don’t have to be short on imagination. Also try these imagination games for spontaneous fun, even when you're stuck in traffic and rain!
Marikate Wilson attended The University of Nevada Las Vegas and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications focusing on Journalism and Media Studies. She is a proud wife and mother of two boys who keep her busy when she is not out enjoying cycle class and being a foodie!
