Ask Ollie
Rainbow Snow Painting
Here's one to try together!
Fill bottles with bright colors and turn a plain snowy yard into a giant painting with Ollie!
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- Cold: dress warmly, and come inside as soon as fingers start to feel cold
- Snowballs are for the target only: never throw at people
What you need
- Spray or squeeze bottles, 3 to 4
- Water, enough to fill each bottle
- Food coloring, a few drops per bottle (red, blue, yellow, green)
- Warm clothes for everyone
- Old mittens
- Ice cubes, a tray of crushed or shaved ice (if no snow) (optional)
- Plate or tray, 1 tray for the ice (optional)
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Set out 3 to 4 spray or squeeze bottles, food coloring and warm clothes with old mittens. Protect the counter with an old towel, since food coloring stains.
- Fill each bottle with water, about three quarters full.
- Add a few drops of a different color to each bottle.
- Put on your warm clothes and your old mittens.
- Find a patch of clean, smooth snow outside.
- Squeeze colors onto the snow to draw a picture or letter.
- Spray yellow first, then blue right on top, and watch closely. Ask: What new color do you think blue and yellow will make?
- Paint a big snowball target and take turns aiming at it.
- Make a row of snow pictures all along the path.
- Head inside as soon as fingers start to feel cold. Who will you show your snow gallery to? Ask: Which picture was your favorite, and what will you paint next time?
Play it again
- Ice tray studio: no snow? Color a tray of crushed ice indoors and watch the colors swirl as it melts.
- Copy me: one person paints a shape, and everyone else tries to paint the exact same thing.
- Mystery mix: hide which two colors you layer and let others guess the recipe.
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