daily activities

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Art Escape

Color Power

Colors are all around us, all the time. Color is so important that, in the Hindu religion, there is a whole festival dedicated to it! But have you ever thought about where color comes from or why it matters so much to us? Did you know that colors can shape our moods, affect our sense of taste, and even help keep us safe? Today you’ll learn more about color, how it’s used, and how you can create your own watercolors using materials at home.

DAY 2

what you’ll need

Your Camp Kinda toolkit
Warm water
Bowls or containers
A spoon
Colorful spices or berries
A paintbrush or Q-tip

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FOR PARENTS

Ask About Today

What did you learn about color today? What colorful places do you want to go visit some day?

Dinner Discussion

If each of us had to pick a color to represent the way we are feeling today, what would that be and why?

Skip the Ads

Unfortunately, online videos often start with short advertisements. Remind your campers to click the "Skip" button as soon as they can to move ahead to the video.

explore

30-45 minutes

Before you try making your own watercolor paints with everyday materials at your house, let's spend some time learning about the colors around us and why they’re important. Color is an element of art that can grab our attention, make us feel certain emotions, and create a unique visual experience. Grab the color wheel and let's go for a tour.

The Element of Color

Start with a quick overview of the color wheel and see how different colors relate to each other.

Remember: Online videos often start with advertisements. (Annoying, we agree!) Click the "Skip" button as soon as you can to move ahead to the video.

The Effect of Color

Color is everywhere in our world, and it sometimes shapes our lives in ways we don't fully understand. How do different colors effect our moods or behaviors? Why does red mean "stop" and green means "go"? Find out in this video from PBS.

Colorful Destinations

Check out a few photos of the most colorful places on earth. Have you been to any of them? You might spot your own hometown!

A Celebration of Color

Learn about Holi, a Hindu Festival of Colors where everyone gets colorful.

World's Most Colorful Structure?

Take a virtual tour of one of the most colorful structures on earth, Nasir Al Mulk Mosque in Iran. Don't forget to look up at the ceilings—they're totally worth it!

How Artists Use Color

In art, color can be used in many different ways—to represent light, create a mood, provide form, and more. Learn more and see some real-life examples in this article.

create

45-60 minutes

Did you know you can make watercolors at home? All you need is water, containers, a spoon, and colorful spices or fruit!

Intro to Spice Painting

Check out this video by the Art of Education University to see how they test some spice watercolors and then allow them to blend together when they paint their leaf!

Make Your Own Watercolors

Start by finding some colorful spices around your home. Some ideas are tumeric, beetroot powder, and paprika. Cocoa powder, coffee grounds, and tea bags can also work. No spices? Raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries are great, too—just mash a few up and use the juice.

Add some of the spice to a tablespoon of warm water in a small bowl or container, then mix it to see how the colors look. The more spice or juice, the darker the color.

Now you're ready to do some painting! Grab a sheet of paper and a paintbrush or q-tip and try out your colors. Practice mixing colors together or layering colors to make certain sections darker.

Be kind: This one can get a little messy. Do it in the kitchen or outside, and clean up after yourself!

move

15-30 minutes

Do the Color Wheel Dance

Remember when you learned that colors can spark certain emotions? Try to create a dance the shows the emotion you feel when you see each of the different colors on the color wheel. Think about how the way you move your body also shows emotion. For example, a color that makes you feel calm might have slower, smoother movements where as a color that makes you feel excited might have faster, sharper movements.

Done Dancing? Do Some Rainbow Yoga

A rainbow includes every color in the visible spectrum. By the time you're done with this series of yoga exercises, you may have tried just about every yoga pose, too!

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