Spring is a wonderful time of year for spotting rainbows! With pop-up showers happening regularly, the conditions are perfect for rainbows to form.

How exactly do rainbows form anyway? That and a lot of other questions are answered in this fun rainbow unit study – one of our homeschool unit studies you can use at home with your kids! Read on to see fun rainbow activities, rainbow books for kids, and rainbow facts you can learn together!

If you love this post, don’t miss our Rainbow Tally Marks Worksheets – a rainbow-themed math activity for elementary students!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Rainbow Unit Study

How Are Rainbows Formed?

Watch the YouTube video below and then have your child answer the following questions.

1. What are the three ingredients needed to form a rainbow? (Answer: sunlight, water, and you)

2. What is the process called when light enters water and exits at a different angle? (Answer: refraction)

3. Why do rainbows display various colors? (Answer: Because colors have different wavelengths and light produces them at different degrees.)

4. At what degree measurement does red light exit the water droplet? (Answer: 42 degrees)

5. At what degree measurement does blue light exit the water droplet? (Answer: 40 degrees)

6. Why do rainbows always appear in an arc? (Answer: They actually form complete circles, but the bottom half disappears into the ground and is invisible to us.)

7. BONUS QUESTION: What does the abbreviation ROY G BIV stand for? (Answer: The colors of the rainbow – Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet)

Rainbow Books for Kids

These books about rainbows are wonderful for learning more about these scientific wonders! (Affiliate links provided here for convenience. For more, see our Disclosure Policy.)

1. A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman
2. The Rainbow Book by Kate Ohrt
3. What Makes a Rainbow? by Betty Ann Schartz
4. Rainbow (Weather Ready-to-Reads) by Marion Dane Bauer
5. How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow by Monica Sweeney
6. All the Colors of the Rainbow (Rookie Read-About Science) by Allan Fowler
7. Rainbow Stew by Cathryn Falwell
8. Chasing Rainbows (Cat in the Hat) by Tish Rabe
9. Peek-A-Boo Rainbow (Little Learners) by Parragon Books
10. Ruby’s Rainbow (Max and Ruby) by Grosset & Dunlap

Rainbow Activities for Kids

Add these fun rainbow activities to your unit!

1. Rainbow Tally Marks Worksheets – Look! We’re Learning!
2. Rainbow Paper Science Activity – Science Kiddo
3. Rainbow Playdough Mats – Look! We’re Learning!
4. Crystal Rainbow Growing Activity – Little Bins for Little Hands
5. Gorgeously Colorful Rainbow Crafts for Kids – Look! We’re Learning!

Want more ideas for this rainbow unit study? Don’t miss these activities!

Check out more spring learning resources for kids on my Spring Activities for Kids Pinterest board!