Planting a Rainbow

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There are also some full-colour illustration included in this How to Grow a Rainbow Experiment resource that demonstrate the experiment being carried out. All you need to do is cut the paper towel into a rainbow shape and use the paperclip to attach the string to the top. Plant a Rainbow Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea), a colorful flowering vine with culinary uses. Photo credit: Alyssa Vinson If you were try this experiment with permanent markers it would not work. This is because the markers are not water based (they are alcohol based) so the dye in the marker does not travel with the water. You can also show that permanent markers will disperse with rubbing alcohol but not with water. Some plants have beautiful blooms that would work well in a rainbow garden, if only their foliage weren’t too dense. So plants such as nasturtiums, for example, have a high foliage-to-bloom ratio that would visually be in the way if you’re going for the rainbow effect. Shiso purple cress is not only a tasty herb, but its foliage stays purple all summer long. Talking about markers, make sure you almost saturate the paper towel with the marker dye at the ends of the paper towel before putting the ends in water.

Don’t use the entire piece paper towel. If the length of the paper towel is too long, marker dye may not be able to travel across the full length and join in the middle before running out. Plan: Discuss and collaborate together or in small groups, on how different ways to build a flower. Students may wish to draw their designs. Another excellent choice is to plant an edible rainbow garden that ties into the rainbow of healthy fruit and veggie choices that children should be enjoying daily. There are many inspiring picture books about Spring! We used the classic book, Planting a Rainbow by Lois E for our inspiration for this storytime STEAM activity. Layout 2: You’re fully immersed in the rainbow garden as you walk along the path and every row is within reach. Layout 3

A great way to engage kids in gardening is to plant a ‘rainbow garden’ as in the book Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert (listed above).

Layout 1: The arched rainbow garden is designed as a side feature in the spot that gets the most amount of sunlight. Layout 2STEAM is the combination of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. STEAM activities help promote essential 21st-century skills, which is important in preparing our children for an unknown future. Most edible crops will not ripen at the same time, which you may want to use to your strategic advantage by planting crops that will be ready to harvest in succession. You could also plan for mass plantings of colour by selecting multiple varieties of crops in a particular colour. It is also fun and easy to mix edible plants with ornamental flowers for a full rainbow garden experience!

Make a connection to the book and talk about how the colors are just like the colors of the flowers and in a rainbow. These would make a beautiful gift for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day! Shapes and Sizes Tl;dr - A fun, colorful, bright book about flower identification. A welcome addition to any library. We used Bounty and the colors climbed up the paper towel right away.However, it took about 5-10 more minutes until all the white space disappeared. Adding water-resistant rainbow inspired crafts to the garden bed adds visual interest, and inspires children to feel ownership over the space they have co-created. Here are a few ideas I’ve enjoyed from fellow bloggers: Undoubtedly numerous rainbow gardens have been started (and some forgotten) by kids eager to get their hands dirty and their seeds in the groundWe have a range of rainbow science experiments for your children to enjoy, including our EYFS Rainbow Experiment and KS1 Making a Rainbow Cards. On a piece of paper, sketch out how you’d like your rainbow garden to look, keeping in mind a few questions.