Seeing a rainbow in real like is like finding a treasure, even for me as an adult. Such a beautiful sight is a gift that can be enjoyed only for a moment, and can compell us to stop and savor the moment while it lasts. While slowing down that moment, it gives us a chance to consider other beautiful possiblities, which has become perfect inspiration for some songs and music that recapture the beauty and wonder of that moment.
One of my favorites is most certainly Over the Rainbow, as sung by Judy Garland. What a beautiful expressive voice she has for children to experience. This video also provides us the priviledge of seeing a slide show of some of nature’s most beautiful rainbows. Please watch this with your children, and delight in finding the rainbows AND the double rainbows.
The lyrics of the song can stimulate a wonderful conversation with your child when you start asking some open ended questions. Of course there are no right or wrong answers, just jumping points for imaginative discussions. Questions like this give children get children thinking more deeply about what they experience, developing their comprehension and critical thinking skills.
- What do YOU think is OVER the Rainbow, or at the end of a rainbow?
- In the song, it talks about dreams, the kind of dreams we imagine to be wonderful for us, dreaming of places or things we could do that we WISH would come true.
- What kind of a place do you WISH you could find on the other side?
- What are some dreams you have of things would you like to do?
You might also talk about what makes a rainbow, and what might be causing the rainbow in each picture. My most favorite way to describe it is that the sun’s rays shine on the water droplets from the rain, and like tiny mirrors, each droplet reflects the different colors that are contained in a beam of light.
Sometimes children chat more freely when they are coloring, giving them creative opportunities for their eyes, hands and brain. This free printable RAINBOW COLORING PAGE from momjunction.com has both elements needed for a rainbow, rain and sunshine, laying the foundation for the science behind the rainbow, even if we will never know what is Over the Rainbow.
My favorite rainbow book is “What Makes A Rainbow?” – by Betty Ann Schwartz. Enjoy this video of it being read and shown.
As a Magic Ribbon Book, a rainbow is built, one color at a time, as the pages are turned. It is a cute story about a curious rabbit, and is a wonderful way to learn about colors. As a 4 year old, my daughter was fascinated watching the magic ribbons work as she turns the pages.
In “Hello, Weather, Let’s Play Together”, a fabulous unit of Kindermusik’s Level 3 Imagine That program, we are singing and learning about Rainbows. Our song helps us remember the order of the colors in a rainbow. The colorful rainbow shaped puzzle pieces in our activity books provides hands-on learning in building rainbows while we’re singing our song. As a matter of fact, we are using music to explore the many different elements of weather, from sunshine to snow.
Kindermusik Level 3 – Music for Expanding through Imagination and Storytelling
Let’s make music together, learning about the weather, about music, and about each other. Our young musicians create sound stories and enjoy singing and musical pretend play with their friends for 30 minutes, then parents and siblings join in for the last 15 minutes of music making, and find out the interesting assignment for the week. What will we create next?
What is your favorite song about Rainbows?