After reading “Planting a Rainbow” by Lois Ehlert, bring the rainbow to life using colored craft sticks and matching paper flowers. Invite children to sort their flowers by color, then attach each one to the coordinating stick. It’s a hands-on way to reinforce color recognition and fine motor skills. The best part? No green thumb required — just glue, giggles, and a whole lot of color.
You Will Need:
“Planting a Rainbow” by Lois Ehlert
Colored craft sticks (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple)
Construction paper, cardstock, or flower templates
Crayons or markers
Child-safe scissors
Glue or glue sticks
Disposable cup or small terra cotta pot
Optional: stickers, glitter, or washi tape for extra fun
What to Do:
1. Read & Inspire
Start by reading “Planting a Rainbow” by Lois Ehlert together and talk about the different flower colors you see.
2. Prep the Flowers
Draw simple flower shapes on colored paper or print out flower templates and have kids color them and cut them out (or pre-cut for younger children). Depending on the age of the children they can choose to make the flowers realistic colors. Young kids do not need to be accurate — they should just be allowed to have fun. Make sure they make flowers on every color of the rainbow.
3. Color Match
Help children match each paper flower to the same-colored craft stick.
4. Build the Rainbow Garden
Glue the flowers onto the top of each matching craft stick.
5. Arrange & Display
Once the flue is dry, line up the sticks in rainbow order or place them in a cup or small pot pretend “garden” to display. You may need to weight down a cup with coins, marbles, or beans so it doesn’t tip over.
References:
“Planting a Rainbow” by Lois Ehlert
Craft Idea and Photos by Stephanie Felzenberg
Free Flower Template by eslvault
Free Flower Templates by Homemade Gifts Made Easy
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