Now that Nora is officially 1-year-old, I'm going to introduce the names of colors with these rainbow sensory jars. This easy project is a great way to introduce colors while still making the learning exploratory. They also let me start with something familiar for her -- a treasure basket.
This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.
The basket contains 6 tiny hard plastic jars -- each a rainbow color. Instead of using water to fill the jars, I used dish soap and food coloring. The jars are originally meant to mix small amounts of paint. After mixing each color, I glued on the top. This ensures they are safe and that there are no accidental messes.
The soap holds the dye very nicely, but coats the sides so the jar has some color of it is turned upside down. It also makes less noise this way, so the jars don't become about exploring the sound. Also, when shaken, little bubbles are formed which add visual interest without changing the color.
So far, I've placed them in a basket altogether for Nora to use. She has enjoyed looking at them, shaking, mouthing and playing. The grooves in the top of the bottles also allow them to be stacked and I've seen her exploring that. I've also seen them lined up in rainbow order, so I know Henry must be enjoying them as well!
Eventually, I will use these jars individually to introduce the names of the colors. But for now, she can just explore!
Have you ever made sensory jars to explore color?
