Edible Color Wheels
Sunrise Elementary
PREPARATION:
 Diane Nielsen will make a packet of supplies up for you upon request. Everything you need for this
project will be included.
 Prep before you go: Remove about 3-4 T. white icing from one can. Save for individuals or groups that
have more time and want to experiment with VALUE of colors (suggest red)
 Mix the rest of the opened can with enough yellow food dye to match primary colors
 Divide the other can...2/3 red, 1/3 blue. Blue goes a long ways!
 Note: There is more than enough dye to color. You won't need all of it.
 REFRIGERATE OPENED FROSTING UNTIL READY TO USE
 Set up room: Prior to project, request that the teacher set up desks in groups of 4-6, if not already set
up that way.
 Cookies: Put 13 (Grades 3-6) good/pretty good cookies in zip lock bag for each group. Suggest use 7
cookies for Grades K-2. (Remember, you are doing ONE cookie color wheel per group)
 There are enough cookies for 5 groups in 1 box of wafers. Grab an extra bag or two if you have more
than 5 groups. The extras can be used for value experiments or whatever you want.
 It will help if you take a small amount of frosting and experiment mixing colors beforehand, so you
have an idea how little it takes of the darker color. Start with lighter color, add bits of darker
 Draw 2 triangles on large paper plates (don't worry about the circles)
A finished color wheel:
SET UP FOR EACH GROUP:
 Laminated mat with color wheel on it. (In library closet)
 Small Paper plates - 1 per person, to mix colors
 1 Large Paper plate to put color wheel cookies on
 wooden sticks for mixing and frosting - 13 - one for each color
 3 large cups with primary color frosting. Divide each color evenly among the groups. The smaller cups
are for white if there is time. They should have more yellow than anything.
 Bag of 13 cookies for each group, 7 for grades K-2
 Napkins, paper towels, or wet wipes for each student.
Ideas for talking about Color and color mixing:
 Have kids wash hands prior to this project
 Briefly discuss that today you are going to experiment with color, and make color wheels,
and then EAT them. Check for allergies (red food dye, wheat, soy, eggs, milk). Each group
will need to WORK TOGETHER so everyone gets a chance to mix and frost cookies. Only
one color wheel will be made per group.
 Review Primary colors, have them frost those cookies and place them at points of 1 triangle,
or match the space on the mat
 Review the rule of color mixing (using lighter color as a base and slowly adding small
amounts of the darker color).
 tell them they will run out of frosting if they don't adhere to the rule! (some primaries are
not "created equally").
 Review secondary colors, then using the rules of mixing colors, mix and frost secondary
cookies, and place at points of triangle.
o The students will need enough secondary color to frost approx 2 cookies if they are
mixing tertiary colors (older classes)
 Review tertiary colors, and using the same rules of mixing, mix and frost, placing those
colors between points on the triangles.
Extra time?
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Identify COMPLEMENTARY COLORS (across from each other on the color wheel)
What happens if you mix complementary colors together?
What happens if you mix all of the colors together?
Review the term HUE (pure color) -This is what their color wheel is.
Review the term TINT (hues with white added)
o Experiment with Tinting one Hue. Remember rules of color mixing! It only takes a
tiny bit of darker color! See if they can create a Tint Strip, with 4-5 tints of one color,
light to dark.
 Talk about WARM colors and COOL colors
 Ask the kids what they associate with different colors. Make a list.
Use this chart to match your frosting colors, Red, Yellow, and blue