Explore learning about colours with this fun colour mixing activity for kids! Toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy using paint to learn how colours interact with each other as they paint cute little birds. We've included a free template for easy painting, too. After mixing colours, have fun decorating with your preferred supplies. Follow the step-by-step directions below to get started with this fun colour mixing for kids art project!
Looking for more colour mixing activities? Check out some of our other mixing colour ideas below.
Colour mixing activities are so much fun to do with kids. Kids love exploring what happens as different colours are combined. Painting is probably the best way to give a hands-on example to young children of how primary colours can be used to create secondary colours.
Toddlers and preschoolers will love learning all about colour as they paint birds. With spring heading our way, what better time to make this cute bird art project?! Young children will especially love decorating their colourful birds after they're done mixing the colours!
Scroll down below to get started on your activity colour mixing for kids!
Colour Mixing for Kids - Bird Art Project
Why you'll love this colour mixing for kids activity
- Fine motor practice: The decorating portion gives toddlers and preschoolers a chance to work on fine motor skills by glueing different materials in place.
- Simple materials: You likely already have everything you need at home for this activity. While you can add a variety of materials to decorate, you can also just use paint and a marker.
- Great for colour mixing: These types of activities are great for kids learning about colour mixing. They'll be able to see how different colours interact and mix together.
- Encourages creativity: Set out a variety of materials for kids to decorate their birds with! It really encourages the creative process as you see what they choose to do.
Supplies for colour mixing
- Free colour mixing worksheet (scroll down for the printable)
- Paint - red, yellow, and blue
- Paper plate (or a paint palette)
- Paint brushes
- Black marker
- Googly eyes (optional for decorating)
- Feathers (optional for decorating)
How to do this colour mixing activity
STEP ONE: Prep your supplies
Before you start mixing colours, you'll need to prep your supplies by choosing the bird template you'll use. The template with 3 birds involves mixing 2 primary colours while the template with 6 birds involves mixing all 3 primary colours.
If you choose the 3 bird template, invite your child to choose two paint colours they'd like to use. If you choose the 6 bird template, you'll use all 3 colours. Add your paint to your paper plate (or a paint palette) as shown below.
STEP TWO: Paint the bird shapes
Next is to paint the bird shapes! It will differ slightly depending on which template you choose. For the 3 bird template, paint the birds on each end with the 2 colours you chose (in our example blue and yellow)
Then, mix your colours together to create a new colour. Paint the remaining bird in the middle with your new colour (in our example green).
If you chose the 6 bird template, you'll follow the same process with more colours. Start by painting the first bird blue, skip one, paint the third bird yellow, skip one, and paint the fifth bird red.
Next, mix each of your colours to make new colours. Mix the blue and yellow to make green and paint the bird between the blue and yellow. Mix the yellow and red to make orange and paint the bird between the yellow and red. Mix the red and blue to make purple and paint the last bird after the red one.
Once you're done painting your birds, leave it to dry before decorating.
STEP THREE: Add bird details
Once the bird paintings are dry, it's time to decorate and add the details! You can use a black marker to draw on the details as shown below.
Alternatively, you can invite your child to glue on googly eyes and feathers. I'm also including other ideas below.
Colour mixing for kids variations
Here are some more ideas for your bird-themed colour-mixing activity:
- Use fingerprints to paint instead of paintbrushes. Younger kids can have a lot of fun with this one.
- Try other materials in place of your paint brush such as cotton balls or sponge stamps. This could be especially fun for younger children with developing fine motor skills.
- Glue crumpled-up pieces of coloured tissue paper for added texture.
- Add glitter to the paint before it dries for a shimmery effect.
- Glue pieces of pipe cleaner to the bottom of the birds in place of the lines at the bottom.
- Try using stickers in various shapes. Foam stickers would be fun to use!
- Offer different patterns and colours of washi tape for your child to decorate with.
- If you want to try mixing colors using a different theme instead of making birds make color monsters.
To get the bird mixing colors printable for free click on the link below and use the discount code: bird. For personal or classroom use only. Not for redistribution. All images are copyrighted. Thank you.
.png "color mixing printable")
We hope you have lots of fun colour mixing with kids. Preschoolers are sure to enjoy this fun bird art project just in time for spring. What better way to learn all about colour mixing and have fun being creative? Enjoy!
No comments