This free lesson and printable will teach your kids about the color wheel and encourage them to experiment with mixing colors. For this lesson, all you will need is the free printable pack and some paints. You’ll find the link to the printable at the end of this post.

Color Wheel

This first page in the printable set is a color wheel that your child can use for reference. Here are some points to explain to your child about the color wheel:

The primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. These colors cannot be made by mixing other colors.
The secondary colors are green, orange, and violet (purple). They are created by mixing two primary colors. For example, mixing blue and yellow will make green.
Complementary colors are across from each other on the color wheel. A complementary pair is made up of one primary color and the secondary color that is created by mixing the other two primaries. For example, the complementary color to yellow is violet (purple), which is a mix of blue and red.
Artists and designers often use complementary colors next to each other because the strong contrast between the colors is visually appealing. For more on why see this article.
If two complementary colors are mixed, they cancel each other out, creating a black, gray, or brown shade.

Create a Color Wheel

The second page in the printable is a blank color wheel for your child to fill in with paints. Or, if they prefer, they could color it with crayons or markers.

Secondary Colors

On the third page of the printable, your child will create secondary colors by mixing two primary color paints.

Shades

On the fourth page of the printable, your child will add a small amount of black paint to various colors of paint to darken the color and create a shade.

Tertiary Colors

On the fifth page of the printable, your child will make tertiary colors. Tertiary colors are formed by mixing a primary and a secondary color.

Tints

On the sixth page of the printable, your child will create tints. Tints are made by mixing white with a color, which lightens the paint.

Paint Colors

The seventh page in the printable is a fun way for kids to display the colors they’ve been learning about.

Favorite Color

The final page of the printable allows kids to record their favorite color. This page can be painted or colored. We chose to color it with crayons.

Print the Color Mixing Set

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Note: This post was originally published on January 2, 2022.