Taking a Rainbow Walk is a simple, fun way to practice mindfulness with Littles using our sense of sight. Focusing on the world through a single sense is a powerful way to anchor our awareness in the present moment. In this practice, we use our keen sense of observation to slow down, notice and appreciate the outdoors.
A few years ago, I tried a Rainbow Walk with my two girls, ages 5 and 2 at the time. I put the girls in a wagon, gave each of them some crayons and pads of paper and off we went.
We strolled through our neighborhood, and I asked my girls to find the colors of the rainbow, such as a red flower, orange cone, yellow leaf. As they found each color, they drew the object on their piece of paper. (Disclaimer: my 5-year-old was the one who actively participated in the activity. My 2-year-old just loved to scribble and be with us!)
My 5-year-old loved finding the rainbow colors so much that she asked if we could keep going. We went through four rounds of the rainbow before heading back home. What I realized was how this experience isn’t just for Littles; it helped me slow down and pay attention to the simple beauty in our own neighborhood in a way I didn’t usually do.
How To Do It
- Gather paper and colored crayons, pencils or markers
- Take a walk around your neighborhood or even your own yard
- Look for objects in the colors of the rainbow in order. For example, a red flower, an orange cone, a yellow leaf
- Have kids draw what they see
Go Digital
Kids can also take a virtual Rainbow Walk with friends using FaceTime. When they find each color, they share what they see with one another in real time on their screens or snap a photo to share later. They can even keep track of how many objects of each color they find to see who “sees” the most!
Reflection
- Which one of your five senses did you use most on the Rainbow Walk? Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste or Touch?
- What did you notice that you haven’t noticed before?
Below are a few of my older daughter’s drawings from our walk. She decided to put check marks next to her findings to make sure she had all the rainbow colors covered!
