What reptiles and amphibians are colorful? How do these animals use these colors to help them? Watch the recorded program now to find out!
Color
Corn snake; Fiji island iguana
National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of American History, National Museum of Asian Art, National Postal Museum, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Smithsonian Gardens
IT-C 10; P-SCI-1; P-SCI-2; P-SCI-3
Lessons and Activities
Check out fun and easy classroom activities to help kids, families, and teachers explore the topic of color with seven different Smithsonian museums and centers!
Mineral Rainbow ›
In this lesson, students will practice making and sharing observations of different minerals, classify and sort minerals, and create their own rainbow inspired by colors and textures found in nature!
| Resource Description | |
| Type: | Video + PDF Lesson Plan |
| ELOF Standards: | P-SCA 1, P-SCI 2, P-SCI 3 |
| Video Length: | 5:15 |
| Project Time: | 15+ minutes |
| Best for Ages: | 3+ |
Smithsonian's Color Quest ›
Discover colorful objects across the Smithsonian with Pinky Jackalope and Nick the Music Man! This video resource follows Pinky and Nick's journey as they discover a new colorful object from eight different museums, research centers, and the National Zoo. From a red airplane at the National Air and Space Museum to a purple amethyst at the National Museum of Natural History, there is so much to explore at the Smithsonian!
| Resource Description | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Video |
| ELOF Standards: | P-SCI-1; P-SCI-2; P-SCI-3 |
| Length: | 19:56 |
| Best for Ages: | 2+ |
Hue Hike Across the Smithsonian ›
Take a Hue Hike with Pinky at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and Smithsonian Gardens. Discover the colorful nature that surrounds you, whether in a forest or even in a city!
| Resource Description | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Video + PDF Activity |
| ELOF Standards: | P-SCI-1; P-SCI-2; P-SCI-3 |
| Length: | 7:04 |
| Best for Ages: | 2+ |
The Peacock Room at the National Museum of Asian Art ›
Did you know there are 15 known colors of male peacocks and female peahens? In this video, search for all the different colors and patterns in the spectacular Peacock Room at the National Museum of Asian Art! With the help of Pinky Jackalope and Smithsonian educator Brigitte, see if you can find blue, green, gold, and purple colors in a real peacock feather before searching for these colors in the painted peacocks on the walls and ceiling.
| Resource Description: | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Video |
| ELOF Standards: | P-SCI-1; P-SCI-2; P-SCI-3 |
| Length: | 6:06 |
| Best for Ages: | 2+ |
Colorful Pollinators ›
Learn to identify colors while engaging with the beauty of nature in this hands-on activity! Just like humans, animal friends need to eat, including pollinators, who find their food inside of flowers. Pollinators are drawn to some colors more than others, and this helps them decide which flowers to visit when they get hungry. In this activity, help six pollinator friends find some of their favorite flowers so they can eat and help new flowers grow!
| Resource Description | |
|---|---|
| Type: | PDF Lesson + Activity |
| ELOF Standards: | P-SCI-1; P-SCI-2; P-SCI-3, IT-C 10 |
| Project Time: | 5+ |
| Best for Ages: | 3+ |
Nick's Music Playlist ›
Put on your dancing shoes! Find all the songs you loved from the program, plus more songs from Nick the Music Man and Pinky Jackalope!
Explore More Programs
Three Cheers for Trees ›
In this field trip, children will learn about tree characteristics and their role in the natural and man-made world.
Trees
Two-toed sloth, Red-rumped agouti
Suited for Survival ›
Suited for Survival, special Halloween edition, explores animal adaptations from prehensile-tailed porcupines to super soft chinchillas. Students will learn how unique adaptations help animals survive.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, 1-LS1-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3, 4-LS1-1
mammals, survival, adaptations, animal traits, animal behavior
patterns, structure and function
Free
Wild Medicine ›
What happens to a seal who has a toothache? How does an orangutan get a checkup? Wild Medicine invites students to Join our team of veterinarians and other animal health professionals to explore how animals go to the doctor, just like us!
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, 3-LS1-1, 4-LS1-1
Health, animal care, veterinary medicine
Patterns, cause and effect, systems and system models, structure and function
Free
What Makes a Habitat a Home? ›
From deserts to rainforests, what makes a habitat a suitable animal home? What Makes a Habitat a Home explores habitats around the world and some of the animals that live in these habitats.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, 3-LS4-3
habitat, animals, survival, four basic needs, adaptations
cause and effect, systems and functions
Free
Community Helpers ›
In this field trip, children will learn about community helpers, who they are, and how they help take care of a community.
Community
Beaver, Meerkat, Western lowland gorilla
Caring About Conservation ›
What is conservation? Why is it important? Caring About Conservation explores the meaning of "conservation," some of the animals Smithsonian scientists are trying to save, and what we can all do to protect wildlife.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3, K-2-ETS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS2-1, 3-LS4-3, 3-LS4-4, 3-5-ETS1-2
Conservation, sustainability, animals, wildlife, science
Cause and effect, systems and system models, structure and function, and stability and change
Free
Valen-TINY Mammals ›
What makes an animal a mammal? Valen-TINY mammals gives students an up-close look at mammal traits from some cute and tiny zoo animals.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, 1-LS1-2, 1-LS3-1, 3-LS1-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS4-3, 4-LS1-1, 5-PS3-1, 5-PS3-1
Mammals, animal groups, adaptations
Patterns, cause and effect, energy and matter
Free
Music and Sound All Around ›
In this field trip, children will learn about the importance of music and sound for both people and animals. What sounds do animals make and why? What objects can make sounds, and how can you play them to create music?
Music and Sound
Siamang, Kunekune pig, Gorilla
Explore the Rainforest ›
Fly, leap and swim along on an adventure through the Amazon Rainforest to explore the sights and sounds of plants and animals living in this unique ecosystem.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3, 2-LS2-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS1-1, 3-LS2-1, 3-LS4-3, 3-LS4-4, 4-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1
Amazon, rainforest, biodiversity, rainforest layers, animals
Patterns, cause and effect, scale proportion and quantity, and systems and system models
Free
Saving Endangered Species ›
What does it mean when an animal is endangered and what can we do to help? Meet one of the National Zoo’s most endangered species and learn how staff care for these special animals.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1, 1-LS1-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3, 5-ESS3-1
endangered species, conservation
Free
Big, Small, Let's Measure Them All ›
In this field trip, children will practice identifying what is big, medium, and small. In addition, kids will become familiar with other measurement terms such as longer, shorter, taller, bigger, and smaller.
Size and Measurement
Asian elephant, Black and rufous elephant shrew
Discovering Amphibians ›
Join us as we celebrate Amphibian Week. Learn about amphibians, get an up-close look of some of them and chat with an amphibian expert.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, 1-LS1-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3, 4-LS1-1
amphibians, adaptations, habitats, life cycles
Free
Happy Birthday! ›
Join us as we celebrate Head Start's birthday and America's 250th birthday!
Birthday
Bald eagle, California sea lion, Eastern screech owl