Color Investigation

Quick Answer

Color Investigation is a printable preschool science resource for exploring color through paint, Play-Doh, colored water, transparent materials, and simple mixing investigations. The resource includes picture vocabulary cards, visual prompts, observation sheets, and a teacher’s guide to help you prepare hands-on experiences for your group.

Description

Color Investigation offers several ways to explore color with materials preschoolers already enjoy. Children can mix paint, knead little pinches of Play-Doh, use droppers, overlap transparent colors, and watch color travel through paper towels.

Separate paint and Play-Doh mixing mats give you options for different setups. Children can try a suggested pair, change the amounts, and compare the colors they actually create.

The activity signs are reusable prompts to place beside real materials. Children investigate with the materials; they do not need to write answers on the signs. Full-page and half-page options let you choose a size that fits your table, tray, or classroom display.

Use this resource for science centers, small group investigations, classroom theme activities, or homeschool preschool. You can offer one setup at a time and return to familiar activities as children develop new questions.

What’s Inside

This resource includes:

• Color Investigation display and Mix Two Colors reference page

• 12 picture word cards in four-per-page and two-per-page formats

• Seven full-page and half-page activity signs: Mix and Make, Play-Doh Mixing, Drop and Mix, Color Windows, Color Spread, Traveling Colors, and Color Hunt

• Color Matching mat plus separate My Paint Mixes and My Play-Doh Mixes mats

• Half-page My Color Observation drawing sheet

• Teacher's guide with setup ideas

How to Use

Choose paint, Play-Doh, or colored water for your first setup. Display the matching activity sign and offer small amounts of two colors. For Play-Doh Mixing, children can place little pinches on the mat, combine them, and keep kneading to notice the change.

Introduce the reference page after children have tried their own mixtures. Add Color Windows, Color Spread, Traveling Colors, or a classroom Color Hunt. Use the matching mat to group objects, and revisit mixtures with different amounts.

Display a few picture word cards beside the materials, or laminate, hole-punch, and place them on a ring for children to flip through. Use the words during conversations about what children notice.

Offer the half-page observation sheets when children want to draw their discoveries. Writing is optional; an adult can record a child’s words. Follow the included teacher’s guide for setup ideas and adapt materials and supervision to your group.

Why It Works

Children have concrete materials and visible actions to connect with new ideas. Repeating an investigation gives them opportunities to compare results, describe changes, and try another approach.

This resource helps:

• Make color changes visible through hands-on exploration

• Support predictions and comparisons

• Offer both paint and Play-Doh mixing options

• Encourage sorting, descriptive language, and purposeful tool use

• Support conversation and observation without requiring written answers

• Give teachers flexible visual prompts for different setups

Perfect For

• Preschool

• Pre-K

• Kindergarten readiness

• Science centers

• Small group investigations

• Color themes

• Art and science connections

• Play-Doh activities

• Mixing investigations

• Homeschool preschool

Preschool Vibes Standards

• 5K. We can sort objects by attributes (color, size, shape, type) and explain the rule.

• 6A. We can observe using our senses and describe what we notice.

• 6C. We can make predictions about what might happen.

• 6D. We can test ideas and notice what happened.

• 6E. We can use simple tools and materials to explore (magnifiers, droppers, ramps, magnets, balance, light).

• 6G. We can observe changes (melting/freezing, mixing, growing, weather changes).

Digital Download & Terms of Use

This is a digital download only. No physical product will be delivered.

This resource includes printable PDF pages. Investigation materials and tools shown in the activities are not included.

This resource is for personal and single-classroom use only. You may not resell, redistribute, share, upload, or claim this file as your own.

Due to the digital nature of this product, all sales are final.