Stimulates awareness of one’s surroundings and concentration
Have you ever taken the time to look at the colors nature offers? We often think of green as the color synonymous with nature in regard to trees and grasses. Blues come to mind when we envision the sky, oceans, streams, and lakes. What other colors are out there? Mother Nature promises a rainbow and then some. Take a walk with your child around your home, in a park, or even along a sidewalk and seek out the colors of nature.
How many different colors can you find in flowers? Which color flower is the most common? Yellow? Blue? White?
Do the flowers you can find have visitors, such as butterflies, hummingbirds, or bees? These visitors are often pollinators. A flower’s color will attract them. The color seems to shout “I’m over here!” to bees and butterflies. Pollinators are very important to plants. Without them, plants would not grow.
Take note of petal shapes. Are all flowers shaped the same? How many different types of petals can you find as you look at different flowers?
Do all flowers have the same number of petals? Search for different types of flowers and gently count the number of petals each has.
What other colors can you find in nature? Look high and low. Seek out the colors of the rainbow in order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
What colors can you find in living things in nature? What colors can you find in nonliving things in nature?
Help Me Understand
Q: Why are there so many colors in nature?
A: Colors serve a purpose. They might camouflage an animal to protect it from predators, animals that hunt other animals. A bright color may help attract an animal or a bug, just as a flower attracts bees, which can help it to grow. Some colors give warning, such as “Watch out! I’m poisonous.”
This activity is excerpted from:
I Love Dirt!: 52 Activities to Help You & Your Kids
Discover the Wonders of Nature 
Jennifer Ward
2008, Trumpeter Books
