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Create this R is for rainbow craft. And find plenty more ideas to enjoy a rainbow (and rain) themed unit with your preschooler. Also, I have more alphabet letter fun on my page How to Homeschool Preschool.
Rain and rainbows are a perfect theme for introducing the letter R.
They are fun, colorful, and a natural part of life.
But rather than just focusing on rainbows you can use it as a starting point to create a fun little unit all about weather.
Add a special focus on r is for rainbow and incorporate math, language arts, science, and history as well.
There are plenty of great ideas to keep your preschooler busy and engaged throughout the study.
And you can choose as many or as few as you like to customize it to what fits your family and your schedule.
Table of Contents
More How to Homeschool Preschool Letter of the Week Activities
- Alphabet Letter A is for Apple Craft for Preschool | Fun Apple Study
- Letter O is for Owl Preschool Craft | Fun Great Horned Owl Study
- Alphabet Letter H Handprint Craft For Fun Preschool Horse Study
- How To Make An Alphabet Teeth Cleaning Activity | 5 Preschool Letter T Crafts
- Alphabet Letter R is for Rainbow Craft for Preschool | Fun Rain Mobile
- Alphabet Letter M is for Monkey Handprint Preschool Fun Monkey Study
- Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask
- W Is For Winter Craft Easy Snowman Oobleck Activity
- Letter E Is For Eagle Easy Preschool Eagle Study
- B is for Bird Craft | Free Preschool Bluebird Study
- X is for X Ray Craft | Unique Crayon Resist Skeleton
Language Arts Focus Day 1
Start the week by demonstrating for your child how to make the letter R sound. You can use catchy videos to help what they learn really stick.
Letter/Sound Recognition- Learn the Letter R with a favorite of mine, Jack Hartmann.
His videos are so much fun while sounding out the letter. And words that start with the letter as well as hand motions, dancing, and memorable teaching.
Book- The sweet story A Rainbow of My Own is a great read aloud to tie in with the rainbow theme and is presented in easy-to-understand language.
Craft/Activity- I found a matching upper and lower case Rainbow Alphabet Activity that goes along with my book selection for the day- A Rainbow of My Own.
Song/Fingerplay- A little twist on an old classic, this version of Singing in The Rain will have your little one up and dancing.
Snack- Keep it simple but I think this Froot Loops Rainbow Craft and Snack will still be a big hit, just look how cute it is.
Science Focus Day 2
Keep preschoolers engaged with hands-on experiments and simple discussions about how it rains as well as why rainbows appear after a rain.
This Rain Cloud in a Jar activity is a fantastic visual for young children to understand why and how rain falls.
Letter/Sound Recognition- The Rainbow Alphabet Matching Game offers a free printable for matching lower and uppercase letters.
Book- The simple text of Rainbows introduces young learners to the science behind rainbows. Including why rainbows occur and what they are made of.
Craft/Activity – Try this super fun and engaging Scented Rainbow Science For Preschoolers activity, preschoolers love that fizzing foaming reaction.
Another fantastic science activity is the Rainbow Skittles Experiment.
Song/Fingerplay- While your child may already know the colors of the rainbow, they will still enjoy singing along to The Rainbow Colors Song.
Snack-Rainbow Yogurt Bark is healthy but will appeal to both their eyes and taste buds. I think this is a great easy snack that they can also help prepare.
Then add some R is for rainbow craft math.
Math Focus Day 3
Additionally, you can keep it very simple by creating a math activity with a single piece of blue construction paper and a marker.
Cut out 10 raindrop shapes and number them 1-10, have your child place them in order.
To make it a little more challenging line them up and pull out a number or two and have your child place the number in the correct spot.
As they advance you can also use them to ask your child to demonstrate things like show me one more than 3, one less etc.
Letter/Sound Recognition- Create the Raindrops Letter Matching craft.
Use construction paper or craft foam for an easy and fun game, focus on a few letters or all.
Book- Before you get the rainbow you get – Rain! A cute storybook about finding joy in the rain and all the fun it brings.
Craft/Activity-Another fantastic idea for math is to practice simple Math With a Rainbow Abacus that will delight your child while they learn basic number sense.
Song/Finger Play-Revisit Jack Harmann for a catchy song about the Colors of The Rainbow.
Snack- Enjoy a snack or lunch starting with R, here are some ideas to get you started -Ravioli, rice, ramen, ranch dressing, raw carrots, raisins, Romaine lettuce, and raspberries.
History/Geography/ Focus Day 4
This topic is a great time to introduce community helpers like meteorologists to your child.
Watch a few minutes of the weather report and talk it over with your child.
Letter/Sound Recognition- Remember that you do not always have to focus on just the letter you are learning for the week.
It is truly best to continually review what you have learned and at least introduce new letters and sound organically if not for mastery just for familiarity.
Cut rainbow colors of construction paper into ¼ their size and write the name of the color at the top so your child can see it.
Have them go on a hunt around the house and find objects of that color, as they place them practice sounding out the first letter of each object.
Book- The Rain Came Down.
Craft/Activity- Let your child enjoy dramatic play time as a meteorologist. Create thisFun Felt Weather Chart that is fantastic for daily use during your morning time.
Song/Fingerplay- Let’s go back to practicing The Letter R Sound.
Review upper and lower case, and learning words that start with the letter R.
Silly and memorable you may find your preschooler singing this song all day.
Snack-This treat covers rainbow and rice krispies!These Rainbow Rice Krispies look delicious and are a fun way to celebrate the theme.
Books for Learning About R is for Rainbow Craft
8 R is for Rainbow Books
R is for rainbow. Add some books and resources for a fun unit study rainbow theme.
A small boy imagines what it would be like to have his own rainbow to play with.
One of the best things about a rainy day is the possibility of seeing a rainbow, but there's more to rainbows than meets the eye! Simple text introduces readers to the science behind rainbows. Including why rainbows occur and what they are made of.
A rainbow of ribbons magically appear when you open the pages of this innovative book! Toddlers will love listening to the charming story and seeing a different colored ribbon with the turn of each page. The last page is sure to delight with all the colors of the rainbow. What a fun way to learn colors!
One rainy day in the city, an eager little boy exclaims, “Rain!” Across town a grumpy man grumbles, “Rain.” In this endearing picture book, a rainy-day cityscape comes to life in vibrant, cut-paper-style artwork. The boy in his green frog hat splashes in puddles—“Hoppy, hoppy, hoppy!”—while the old man curses the “dang puddles.” Can the boy’s natural exuberance (and perhaps a cookie) cheer up the grouchy gentleman and turn the day around?
"On Saturday morning, the rain came down. It made the chickens squawk. The cat yowled at the chickens, and the dog barked at the cat. And still, the rain came down."The barking dog wakes the baby, the dog barks louder, and a policeman comes. His police car blocks traffic, and a woman in a taxi yells, so the taxi driver honks his horn. The truck driver in front of him gets mad and starts honking back. The beauty parlor owner comes out to look, and she bumps into the barber, and they begin to argue. A painter bonks the barber on the head with a can of paint, and then the baker opens up his umbrella and pokes the pizza man. On and on and on until suddenly . . . . . . the rain stops!The sun comes out, everything shimmers, and all of the bickering townspeople make amends–even the arguing children, who get free ice cream cones.
With spring come April showers. It's time to put on a raincoat, grab an umbrella, and head outdoors. The worms like rain, and so do the fish and frogs. But what about the cat and dog? In this lyrical picture book, one spunky little girl discovers just who likes rain―and who doesn't―as she explores the rainy-day habits of the world around her.
Famed for his supposed encounter with a falling apple that inspired his theory of gravity, Isaac Newton (1642–1727) grew from a quiet and curious boy into one of the most influential scientists of all time. Newton's Rainbow tells the story of young Isaac―always reading, questioning, observing, and inventing―and how he eventually made his way to Cambridge University, where he studied the work of earlier scientists and began building on their accomplishments. This colorful picture book biography celebrates Newton's discoveries that illuminated the mysteries of gravity, motion, and even rainbows, discoveries that gave mankind a new understanding of the natural world, discoveries that changed science forever.
Quiet Bunny loves the bright colors of spring: the yellow ducks, green frogs, and blue jays everything but his own mousy-brown and wintry-white fur. It takes the help of a wise old owl for Bunny to realize that it's the rainbow of colors, including his own, that makes the world so beautiful.
Also, add day 5.
Language Arts Focus Day 5
Of course, throughout the week you have been repeating the letter R’s sound, pointing it out whenever you see it,
Also, you’re doing a language arts rich activity like reading aloud.
But take another day to do some additional intentional activities.
Letter/Sound Recognition- Squishy sensory fun is a great practice idea for pre-writing skills, use the Rainbow Bag Writing Tray to introduce “writing” with a finger before picking up pencils.
Book- Who Likes Rain? I feel like this one is a wonderful combination of picture book and science book, as it talks about who and why they like (and need) the rain.
Craft/Activity- Create this Fun Rain Mobile below for an art project in line with our theme that can be hung up anywhere.
I am also quite certain that most kids would love to dig into a sensory bin with this DIY Rainbow Spaghetti as the base, colorful and squishy fun.
Song/Fingerplay- If you are not already familiar with them The Laurie Berkner Band is another really good resource for children’s songs covering a lot of topics and “Umbrella” is so contagious!
Snack-A healthy and easy treat to start off the day this Rainy Day Breakfast will be fun and delicious.
Finally, look at this r is for rainbow craft rain mobile.
Fun R is for Rainbow Craft Rain Mobile
You will need:
- White and blue craft foam
- Rainbow colored pipe cleaners
- String
- Scissors
- Hot glue/tacky glue
First, lay two sheets of white craft foam together and cut out two symmetrical clouds shapes as large as you would like it to be.
Use a small cylinder-shaped object to bend lengths of rainbow colored pipe cleaners into somewhat similar shapes and sizes.
Layer the rainbow colors and attach with glue, talking to your child as you do it together about the order the colors appear in the rainbow.
You can use hot glue for a quicker dry time but if you want to let your child do as much of the project as possible opt for a strong hold tacky glue instead.
Cut varying lengths of string and glue across the bottom of one of the cloud shapes.
Make a small loop of string and attach to the top of the same cloud to create a hanger.
Cut raindrops from craft foam and glue onto the strings.
