From Plants to Paint: Expressing 'Myself' Through Natural Dyes

In this hands-on STEAM activity designed for the "Myself" (Diriku) theme, students become natural scientists and artists. The learning journey begins with a simple but powerful hook: children see a myriad of colors on their bodies, uniforms, and surroundings, but they do not yet know that these vibrant colors can be extracted directly from nature.

Over four 30-minute sessions, students will extract colors from natural materials and practice matching and sorting. They will discover that a hard turmeric root makes a bright yellow color! The activity is designed to be easy to manage in a kindergarten classroom. It flows smoothly from high-energy mashing to calm sorting, and ends with a fun painting session. This activity helps students learn about their own identity while exploring the colors around them.