Rainbows are multi-coloured arcs that form in the sky and are created when sunlight shines through the water. As a result, light reflects off the water droplets, bends (called refraction) and splits. When sunlight shines through the water droplets, it splits into seven colours.

A rainbow is a beautiful "trick of light" that happens when sunlight meets raindrops in the sky. To explain it to a child: imagine every raindrop is a tiny, see-through ball. When white sunlight (which is actually a mix of all colors) enters the raindrop, it hits the back of the drop and bounces back out, but as it does, it bends and splits into seven different colors: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. This is why you always see a rainbow when the sun is behind you and it’s raining in front of you. To remember the colors in order, kids can use the name ROY G. BIV. In 2026, scientists also remind us that a rainbow is actually a full circle; we only see a "bow" because the ground gets in the way! If you were in an airplane high in the sky, you might be lucky enough to see the whole colorful ring.