THE COLOR OF SUMMER

Yellow is a color synonymous with summer. It reminds us of the big, bright sun shining above, giving us warmth and sending us outside to play. Yellow is the color of sunflowers so vivid and lemonade so yummy. Explore the color yellow as you and your group participate in these summer activities.

Yellow Words to Think About:

Banana, butter, yellow cab/taxi, canary, cheese, chick, daffodil, egg yolk, danger sign, duck, yellow dump truck, grapefruit, lemon, omelet, yellow pencil, yellow raincoat, school bus, yellow squash, yellow jacket (wasp) and tiger swallowtail butterfly.

MR. SUN:

Cut sun shapes from yellow construction paper and hide them around a room or outdoors in the yard. Have your children go on a "sun search" to find as many sun shapes as they can. Continue to search until all the suns have been found.

After the search, set up a table with crayons, markers, sequins, faux jewels or anything that shines and dazzles. The children can decorate by gluing these materials to the sun shapes they found.


LOADS OF LEMONS:

Printing-

Cut lemons in half. Place a few folded paper towels in a shallow pan to make a pad. Pour yellow tempera paint on top. Add a few drops of lemon extract (found in the spice section of your local grocery store). Have the children dip the lemon into the paint and press down onto a sheet of paper to make prints. A dark sheet of construction paper would be a great contrast to the bright yellow prints. Smell the lemon scent!!

Make Lemonade-

Exercise your hands as you squeeze lemons together. The reward is a thirst quenching drink that's sure to please any child on a hot summer day!

You'll need:
• 1 part fresh lemon juice • 1 part sugar • 5 parts water • pitcher • ice

• Show children how to squeeze lemons. Encourage them to try on their own.
• Take a taste of this juice; is it sweet or sour?
• Invite children to mix all the ingredients in a pitcher and stir well.
• Pour the drink into cups of ice.
• Questions to ask about this experience: “What color is lemonade? What fruit gives us the juice? How does lemonade taste? Sweet? Sour? Are there other fruits we could squeeze to get their juice?”


YELLOW IN OUR WORLD:

Take a walk and look for yellow objects. Look for yellow flowers, yellow animals, yellow signs, yellow vehicles, yellow buildings, and so on. Take photos if you wish. When you return, talk about the yellow things you saw and invite the children to make drawings of their experience. Bring out the art box and let the children create!


SUNFLOWERS:

Have each child paint a small paper plate yellow (mix a small amount of white school glue in the paint). Lay pieces of yellow tissue paper in the wet paint (to give it a petal appearance). When this process is dried, give the children sunflower seeds to glue in the center of the plate. Staple two giant green construction paper leaves at the bottom. These flowers make great summer decorations for your room or to take home!


TASTE TIME:

Cut bananas, pineapple, lemons and yellow cheese into small pieces. Have the children sample these foods. Now, discuss color, texture and taste. You may enjoy making this recipe together.

Frozen Banana Dazzles-

Cut a large banana into two pieces. Insert a lollipop or craft stick into the cut end of the banana. Place these on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Have an adult melt chocolate chips in a saucepan or use a microwave oven. Dip the frozen banana into the chocolate sauce to coat. Invite the children to roll the coated banana in dishes of candied sprinkles, flaked coconut or chopped nuts. Refreeze until ready to serve.

How did you like this article? Do you have any yellow activities you would like to share? Add a comment below by clicking on the “comment” link. Hope to hear from you.

Tania