What your Preschooler will Learn:

- Combining colors creates new colors

- How to create secondary colors such as purple, green and orange

- That they cannot create the three primary colors-red, blue and yellow

What you will Need to Combine Colors with your Preschooler:

- Ice cube trays

- Food coloring

- Water

- A few zip-lock baggies or clear glasses

- A label

- A pen

What To Do:

Step one: Add water to an ice cube tray

Step two: Have you or your preschooler add a few drops of different color food-colorings to the water in each ice cube square. Note: Food coloring does stain, so use caution

Step three: Freeze the ice cube tray

Step four: When the cubes are frozen, combine different colors of ice cubes into zip lock baggies or glasses to create new colors

Step five: Write on each label what colors went into it

Step six: As the ice cubes melt, they'll combine into different colors. If your preschooler is very impatient, you can stir the ice cubes or shake the bags to get the ice to melt faster

Step seven: If your preschooler is old enough, have them guess what colors will be created. Write their guesses on the label

Suggestions for Combining Colors with your Preschooler:

Start with the three primary colors; red, blue and yellow. Once you've created oranges and purples and greens, start mixing your food colorings to create new colors of ice cubes. Then have your preschooler combine those ice cubes to create more complex (tertiary) colors such as aquamarine and magenta.

Hi! I'm Theresa Halvorsen, the preschool science and nature writer for Preschoolrock.com. I have twin boys and am blown away by their fascination with preschool science and how the world works around them. I am always looking for fun and simple science activities so preschoolers can learn about science and the natural world. Please contact me with any suggestions, ideas or questions you have about this site.

Helpful Tips for Parents

• Use correct scientific vocabulary from the start: observe, predict, experiment, hypothesis, result, evidence. Children absorb vocabulary in context without explicit teaching.

• Outdoor science (nature observation, weather tracking, garden study) is as rigorous as lab science and has the added benefit of physical activity and environmental connection.

• Science supplies don't need to be purchased. Vinegar, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, food coloring, and dish soap cover most preschool science experiments adequately.

• Visit science museums, planetariums, and nature centers regularly. Real encounters with scientific environments are more motivating than any experiment at home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are commercial science kits appropriate for preschoolers?

Commercial science kits designed for ages 4+ can be engaging starting points. Look for kits that use simple, safe materials and produce visually dramatic results (crystal growing kits, volcano kits, solar system model kits). Avoid kits with very small parts, complex safety requirements, or expected outcomes that are frustrating when not achieved. The best kits are those that leave children wanting to experiment further beyond the kit's instructions — look for kits with extension activities built in.

How do I make science experiments safe for preschoolers?

Keep experiments to food-safe or food-grade materials whenever possible: vinegar, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, food coloring, and dish soap cover most preschool science. Always supervise hands-on experiments. Establish and enforce the rule: "We only put things in our mouth that adults say are safe." Keep experiments away from eyes — vinegar and salt water sting. Wash hands after all experiments. A pair of toy safety goggles adds a "scientist" identity bonus while providing real protection from splashes.

Related reading: See also our nature walks guide and our color mixing science for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🔬 Scientific Method — Even a simple experiment teaches the predict-test-observe cycle that is the foundation of scientific thinking — and preschoolers who internalize this process approach problems with genuine scientific confidence.
• 🔄 Flexible Thinking — When an experiment produces an unexpected result, children practice adapting their thinking — a form of cognitive flexibility that makes them more resilient learners across all subjects.
• 🤔 Critical Thinking — Making a prediction, testing it, and explaining the result develops logical reasoning — the ability to move from observation to explanation that underlies all scientific, mathematical, and analytical disciplines.
• ⚖️ Cause & Effect Understanding — Seeing that one action reliably produces a specific result builds the logical framework children use in mathematics, reading (one event causes another in stories), and everyday reasoning.

There's a whole rainbow of colors for your preschooler to learn and many ways to teach the colors to your preschooler. One great way is through a preschool experiment that allows you to combine colors to make new colors with your preschooler.