Those tiny bottles filled with food coloring -- found in the spice or baking section of most supermarkets -- are also filled to the brim with kid fun. And because the results are somewhat messy, these are perfect activities for the picnic table outside.

What you'll need:

• Package of food coloring
• Empty ice cube tray
• Eyedropper or medicine dropper
• White coffee filters
• Plastic tablecloth to prevent dye stains

What you'll do:

• First let kids discover how to blend colors. In an ice cube tray, add two drops of blue to a cube cup; repeat with red and yellow in other cups. Add some water, mix each color well, then use an eyedropper to "mix" the primary colors into secondary colors: red and blue make purple, red and yellow make orange, blue and yellow make green. The back label on many food coloring packages often gives proportions for even more colors.
• When the ice cube tray is filled with many different colors, fold a coffee filter into quarters and let the kids use the dropper to apply different colors. When you carefully unfold the filter, it will resemble tie-dye. Let it dry in the sun. Stack several colorful filters together, gather them in the middle with a pipe cleaner and twist tightly to create a flower.
• Add a colorful snack to this rainbow of activity: Mix a few drops of food coloring with an egg yolk. The kids can use it with a new paintbrush as "paint" for slice-and-bake sugar cookies. Or mix some food coloring into Cool Whip or Marshmallow Fluff for a colorful dipping treat!