Colour Treasure Hunt

Join I Wish… performer and maker Lisa on an outdoor treasure hunt exploring our colourful world!

You Will Need:

  • an egg carton

  • acrylic or poster paint

  • a paintbrush

  • a water tub

  • outdoor space

  • keen eyes

How To

1. Paint each cell of your egg carton a different colour…
2. … we have used white, black, and the four colours from I Wish... You can use as many colours as you like!
3. Go outdoors and search for the colours in your carton.
4. Collect one natural treasure for each colour. If you can’t find anything natural, hunt for something small and man-made.

Reflect & Respond

  • Which colours are easy to find in nature?

  • Which colours are harder to find?

  • Repeat the treasure hunt in a kitchen.

  • Can you find food in every colour?

  • Which colour is the tastiest?

  • Repeat the treasure hunt inside your home or classroom, hunting for small man-made things.

  • How do you think these things get their colour?

Learn More: Natural Colours & Dyes

Dye is a substance used to give materials colour. Dyes give colour to the fabric used to make our clothing, as well as many other things. A dye can be natural or artificial. Artificial dyes are made by humans from chemicals. Natural dyes are mostly made from plant sources (roots, berries, bark, leaves, wood and fungi) … but there are also some dyes made from insects!

Textile dyeing dates back to the Neolithic period. People around the world have used common, locally available materials to dye fabric throughout human history. Rare, vibrant dyes were highly prized luxury items in the ancient and medieval world.

Take It Further

  • Create plant dyes with KinderArt Club

  • Explore natural dyes in depth with Kidsgardening.org

  • Add language learning with No Time for Flash Cards

Credit to Create Studio for this fantastic outdoor activity and to Kiddle for the background information

More activities to try

Plant Light Maze Create a maze inside a box and watch as a plant solves the puzzle to reach for the light.
Try It
Rainbow Water Wheel An exciting STEM activity to try at home or at school! Mix colours in a magical way with I Wish… performer and maker Zoë…
Try It
Colour Chromatography Activity In this simple STEM activity, children learn about colour mixing and separation in a hands-on way. Using a coffee filter and black marker, discover the different colours that make up black ink.
Try It