The Mixed up Chameleon  by Eric Carle, is a great book to explain color mixing to kids. If you have never read it I would suggest picking it up. It has quickly become a classic about a chameleon who turns into different animals. The art project that followed was fun for the parents and the kids. No mess and easy to replicate at home.

For this example the parents drew the chameleon on the sandwich bag and then we added approximately 1 tablespoon of blue paint and about 1 1/2 tablespoons of yellow paint. Seal the bag, and you can even use tape on the seal to ensure it stays closed.

Allow the kids to use there hands to mix the paint around without making a mess. Not only do they learn about color mixing, but the bag feels really neat with the paint inside and lends to a great sensory experience also.

Another great mix is Red and Blue to make purple. We would just draw the Walrus on the bag. The giraffe could also be done by mixing Red and yellow to create Orange.

I do stick with the Primary colors for this craft. When you are explaining the color wheel, use the term “primary” to get them used to understanding appropriate art phrases. You can even draw out the color wheel, so they can see all the primary colors. This will make it less confusing when you add secondary colors and your color wheel expands.

Enjoy this craft, and I can’t wait to see what you create!

Supplies:

The Mixed Up Chameleon book

Sandwich bags

Crayola finger paint

Sharpie Marker