We’re learning why does a rainbow appear after a drizzle and doing a fun growing rainbow STEM experiment.
After a light rain or drizzle, a beautiful rainbow can appear. Although rain has a lot to do with it but so does the sunlight. Then after the rain slows down or stops, the clouds often move. And the sun peeks out.
Next, the sun shines through the leftover rain drops.
That is when amazing color happens.
You’d think the sunlight may look white, but actually it’s made of many different colors.
For example, there are colors like red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
ROYGBIV is a fun way to remember the colors of the rainbow. However, there is more science going on.
BOOKS ABOUT RAINBOWS FOR KIDS
First, add some of these fun books about rainbows to your study.
I choose living books first when I can find them.
8 Rainbow Books
R is for rainbow. Add some books and resources for a fun unit study rainbow theme.
A small boy imagines what it would be like to have his own rainbow to play with.
One of the best things about a rainy day is the possibility of seeing a rainbow, but there's more to rainbows than meets the eye! Simple text introduces readers to the science behind rainbows. Including why rainbows occur and what they are made of.
A rainbow of ribbons magically appear when you open the pages of this innovative book! Toddlers will love listening to the charming story and seeing a different colored ribbon with the turn of each page. The last page is sure to delight with all the colors of the rainbow. What a fun way to learn colors!
One rainy day in the city, an eager little boy exclaims, “Rain!” Across town a grumpy man grumbles, “Rain.” In this endearing picture book, a rainy-day cityscape comes to life in vibrant, cut-paper-style artwork. The boy in his green frog hat splashes in puddles—“Hoppy, hoppy, hoppy!”—while the old man curses the “dang puddles.” Can the boy’s natural exuberance (and perhaps a cookie) cheer up the grouchy gentleman and turn the day around?
"On Saturday morning, the rain came down. It made the chickens squawk. The cat yowled at the chickens, and the dog barked at the cat. And still, the rain came down."The barking dog wakes the baby, the dog barks louder, and a policeman comes. His police car blocks traffic, and a woman in a taxi yells, so the taxi driver honks his horn. The truck driver in front of him gets mad and starts honking back. The beauty parlor owner comes out to look, and she bumps into the barber, and they begin to argue. A painter bonks the barber on the head with a can of paint, and then the baker opens up his umbrella and pokes the pizza man. On and on and on until suddenly . . . . . . the rain stops!The sun comes out, everything shimmers, and all of the bickering townspeople make amends–even the arguing children, who get free ice cream cones.
With spring come April showers. It's time to put on a raincoat, grab an umbrella, and head outdoors. The worms like rain, and so do the fish and frogs. But what about the cat and dog? In this lyrical picture book, one spunky little girl discovers just who likes rain―and who doesn't―as she explores the rainy-day habits of the world around her.
Famed for his supposed encounter with a falling apple that inspired his theory of gravity, Isaac Newton (1642–1727) grew from a quiet and curious boy into one of the most influential scientists of all time. Newton's Rainbow tells the story of young Isaac―always reading, questioning, observing, and inventing―and how he eventually made his way to Cambridge University, where he studied the work of earlier scientists and began building on their accomplishments. This colorful picture book biography celebrates Newton's discoveries that illuminated the mysteries of gravity, motion, and even rainbows, discoveries that gave mankind a new understanding of the natural world, discoveries that changed science forever.
Quiet Bunny loves the bright colors of spring: the yellow ducks, green frogs, and blue jays everything but his own mousy-brown and wintry-white fur. It takes the help of a wise old owl for Bunny to realize that it's the rainbow of colors, including his own, that makes the world so beautiful.
In addition, when sunlight hits those tiny droplet it bends, splits and bounces inside them.
This process is called refraction, dispersion, and reflection.
ACTIVITIES TO PAIR WITH WHY DOES A RAINBOW APPEAR AFTER A DRIZZLE
Next, look at more rainbow crafts.
- Alphabet Letter R is for Rainbow Craft for Preschool | Fun Rain Mobile
- Frozen Rainbow Science Experiment for Kids
- Colorful Chemistry: Exciting M&M Science Experiment To Try At Home
- How To Make A Rainbow – Simple Science Experiments
- Easy Science for Kids: A Rainbow Eruption
- Rainbow Unicorn Toothpaste Science Experiment
Finally, look at how to do this growing rainbow science experiment.
HOW TO DO A GROWING RAINBOW STEM EXPERIMENT
First, gather these easy supplies:
- paper towel (1 select a size, cut in half lengthwise, or a full-size paper towel cut into a 1/4)
- scissors
- 2 glasses of water (glass or clear plastic)
- washable markers (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple)
Gather all the supplies needed.
Cut a piece of paper towel in half if using the select-a-size.
Color a rainbow pattern at the ends of the paper towel about 1-2 inches long with washable markers.
Fill both glasses with water.
Place the end of the rainbow into each glass of water.
Watch as the rainbow grows and meets in the middle!
*Why does this happen? The colored water climbs up the paper towel by capillary action. The fibers within the paper towel act like capillary tubes and draw the rainbow upwards.
Capillary action: The ability of water to flow in narrow spaces and resist gravity along the way.
