3-D rainbows

For our large group time we read a book about a rainbow who had lost it's color.  Then we made some 3-D rainbows.  This was our best activity to date!  The kids loved it and it all went so well.  I really wish I could have gotten pictures of the process - but I was way to engaged with the children to take any pictures. 

 

First I had them all write the word "rainbow" on a piece of paper and then we glued it to the inside of their box lid.  This was so fun!!  I believe this was the third day of preschool and we had not done any "formal" writing yet.  I have many kids who have no real experience writing and when I told them we would write the word rainbow I was met with discouragement and even defiance.  "I can't write", " I don't know how to write"  "you write it" is all that I heard for the first few minutes.  I assured them they could all write and that I would show them.  I showed them on the write board how to make each letter as they wrote it on their paper.  And low and behold they ALL wrote the word rainbow...all by them selves... perfectly.  They were SO PROUD of themselves.  We were all on cloud nine!

 

Then we took each strip one by one and started the looong process of making these 3-D rainbows.  I didn't know how it was going to go... would they be engaged?  Would they get board?  Would they get overwhelmed by the mechanics?  The kids did awesome - they completed each step with precision and excitement.  This whole activity took about 30 minutes and I never "lost" a child.  They were engaged  and learning.  They had to bend the end of each strip, put the glue on the bottom, then stick that bottom part down on the box, THEN hold it and count to 10.  Each one of those steps can be hard for a 4 year old - but they wanted to make their rainbow - so they weren't going to let mechanics get in the way.  I was so proud of them... and they were so proud of themselves!