Find the rainbow outside
You will look for six colours on a short walk without taking anything. A colour can be easy to find in one place and rare in another, so searching is part of the observation.
- Nature
- Starter
- About 15 minutes
Grown-up needed: yes for selecting the location, materials and supervising each observation
What you need
- Paper
- A pencil
- A short walk with a grown-up
The rule
Look. Do not pick.
How to do it
- Write red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple on paper.
- Ask a grown-up to choose a suitable short route.
- Look for a matching colour without touching or picking its source.
- Write or draw what you saw beside the colour.
- Compare two examples that seem to have slightly different shades.
- Return with the grown-up and review any colours not found.
Why it works
Colour depends on the light reaching an object and the light it sends towards your eyes. Many surfaces reflect some wavelengths more strongly than others. Natural colours can have roles such as attracting pollinators or helping an animal blend in, but not every bright colour has the same purpose. Shade and sunlight may also change the appearance of one surface. Describing both the object and its lighting makes your colour record more precise than a colour name alone.
Make it harder
- Find two shades of one colour.
- Compare the same object from sun and shade.
- Explain why a bright colour does not tell you whether something is edible.
Ask Taz
- Why can one leaf look different in sun and shade?
- Why do some flowers have bright colours?
- Why should we leave objects where they are?
For grown-ups
A grown-up chooses the route and supervises road crossings. Keep the hunt observational and do not handle or taste unknown plants or objects. A missing colour gives you a question for another place. Ask at dinner: “Which example depended most on the light, and how did you notice?”
Taz is an AI and can be wrong, so stay close by. Read how safety works on Taz.
Show us yours
Film your hands and what you made, not your face or name. Ask a grown-up before posting anywhere else.
Questions parents ask
What if we do not see the expected result?
Record what actually happened, including missing sightings or changes in conditions. An observation does not need to match a hoped-for example. The listed time is an estimate and some activities need repeated visits.
Should we collect something to take home?
Follow the rule for this activity and leave living things undisturbed. A sketch and a few words are usually enough to keep the observation without removing anything from its place.
Must we show the record online?
No. Keep the record at home if you prefer. Any online sharing needs grown-up permission and the privacy line above.
More to try
See all Taz Challenges, or look through the science labs. One place for every why. Ask for early access at aitaz.com