Create a colorful spinning disk to discover how different colors blend together to make white light. This project teaches kids about color theory and persistence of vision!

Tools

• scissors
• ruler
• pencil
• markers (set of 7: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet)
• wooden skewer or sturdy straw (1 piece, 6 inches)

Materials

• white cardstock or heavy paper (1 sheet, 8.5x11 inch)
• paper clip (1 large)
• glue stick (1)

Safety

• Adult supervision required when using scissors.
• Be careful with the pointed end of the wooden skewer.
• Adult supervision required for sharp objects.
• Protect work surface. Materials may stain clothing.
• Adult supervision required for children under 8.

Steps

1. Use a ruler and pencil to draw a circle on the cardstock (approximately 4 inches in diameter). You can trace the bottom of a large cup to make a perfect circle.
2. Carefully cut out the circle using your scissors.
3. Divide the circle into 7 equal pie-shaped wedges using your ruler and pencil.
4. Color each wedge a different color of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
5. Poke a small hole exactly in the center of the circle using the tip of the pencil or the skewer.
6. Push the wooden skewer or straw through the center hole. If it is too loose, apply a small amount of glue to the skewer before inserting it to keep the disk from sliding.
7. To make it spin faster, you can attach a paper clip to the side of the disk as a weight, or simply hold the skewer vertically and flick the disk with your finger.
8. Spin the disk rapidly and watch as the individual colors disappear and blend into a shimmering white or light grey color!