Hey Good Buddies!
Last summer, I was riding a bus down Lake Shore Drive in Chicago when I saw the most perfect rainbow I had ever seen. A thunderstorm had just lifted, and the first bits of sunlight were cracking through the clouds above the city skyline. I looked out across Lake Michigan, and there it was - a fully arched rainbow featuring the completed spectrum of color - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet - or, ROY G. BIV, as I learned in the second grade.

Like many of you, I’ve been learning about colors since before I could talk. I just assumed that after 30+ years of learning about colors, I knew everything there was to know. However, I was proven wrong when I joined Sajja and Kabba onset to shoot this episode. Behind the scenes, I learned something new.

If you’re like me, you learned the three primary colors in your grade school art class: red, yellow, and blue. These three colors can be mixed together to make just about every other color of the rainbow. Grab some paint and you can experiment mixing these colors with your kiddos:
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Red + Yellow = Orange
Yellow + Blue = Green
Blue + Red = Purple

Mix in a little black or white, and you can make varying shades. ​
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While shooting Sajja and Kabba, we were working with light, not paint, and I learned that the primary colors of light are different than those of paint: red, GREEN, and blue.

I was shocked. How could this be? Why are they different?
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I did a little research, and not only did I uncover why the primary colors of light are different, I also learned that red, yellow, and blue aren’t the true primary colors of paint (or pigment as the arts and sciences world like to refer to it), but yellow, magenta, and cyan are. Talk about mind blowing!

Recently, Sajja and Kabba have been learning about colors, and we have been talking about how to incorporate these concepts into your child’s life. Check out our posts on The Importance of Coloring and ​Color Theory​. Today, let’s talk about how we can use these techniques to help build our child’s creativity ​

In the 90's, a movement began in education called the 21st Century Skills. This is a set of skills that was created based on research collected when employers were asked the simple question: What skills do individuals need to succeed in the workforce? These skills include: collaboration, critical thinking, leadership, and creativity (among others). While this inventory is widely accepted by educators and administrators, execution in public education has been difficult. Ken Robinson, a leader in the education sector, addresses the problem with our current education system and views on intelligence in general in his humorous and enlightening TED Talk. Ultimately, children are tremendously creative and inquisitive beings, and we adults tend to squash that creativity. ​

One way is to present problems (or avenues for discovery) to children and let them explore without fear of failure. For example, you could collect a variety of cooking supplies (oil, flour, baking soda, vinegar, food coloring, etc.) and let kids experiment with mixing various substances. Last week, Sajja and Kabba were presented with an avenue for discovery when their whole world began to change colors and, like any child would, they began asking questions and learning and having fun. ​

If your child is of preschool age, begin by explaining the three Primary Colors to them:

• Red
  

• Blue
  

• Yellow
  

Then give them some construction paper and paint and have them paint circles of each primary color.

After, you may ask them to combine the colors and let them see what happens.

Don't try to explain it too much at this point. Just let them have the experience.

This will introduce them to the concept of....

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Hey Good Buddies!

Today let’s talk about the Importance of Coloring.
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That’s right. Coloring. The thing we make children do so we can have a moment's rest. Well, it turns out, we should be coloring too!

Here are 5 Benefits of Coloring:

• Improved fine motor skills. Want to set your toddler up for success as a writer? Build the strength and dexterity in their hands

• Increases focus. Coloring is an activity that requires children to stay on one task for a long time, maybe even three minutes! Initially, your child will not be able to maintain focus but by engaging in coloring on a regular basis they will begin to build this skill and if you join them they can learn by example!

• Enhances creativity. For many of us, the goal of coloring is to stay inside the lines and create a beautiful picture. And there is a certain amount of creativity within these guidelines. What color will you use? But maybe we can foster more creativity… Let’s color outside the lines! Or only use blues to color the whole picture.

• Provides much needed quiet time for children. “Children needing quiet time?!” I can hear you laughing. But it’s true. Young children need time to be alone with their thoughts, especially those that are transitioning out of naps.

• Connection. While we need time for our children to play independently (and they need it too!), we can also use coloring as a way to connect with our kids. Try to engage children in conversation or simply share your thoughts. “What color should I use on her dress?” or “I think I will color the tree orange because it’s fall.” Or, even better make up a story about the picture you are coloring! Double points for visual and verbal creativity!