10 Easy Ideas for Teaching Colors to Toddlers & Preschoolers

January 20, 2006 By Rachel Leave a Comment

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Sometimes we parents feel we need a preschool “curriculum” just because we’re having a little trouble coming up with ideas. We don’t really need curriculum; we just need to brainstorm. For instance, teaching colors to toddlers & preschoolers doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated — it just requires a little imagination.

Here are some ideas for teaching color recognition:

Paint chip cards (from the hardware/paint store) are a terrific, inexpensive tool for teaching color. Obtain a set of basic colors (cut them apart, if necessary); they can be used in a number of ways.

Hand the child a card, tell him what color it is, and ask him to find you something else that color. Because he can use the card as a reference, even beginners can do this. (Little ones are thrilled by this!) You can have him take you to something of the appropriate color, or bring an object to you.
Spread the cards out on the floor in front of you and ask the student to point out a particular color. (“Which one is purple?”)
Use the chips as flashcards. Hold up one at a time and have the child tell you what color it is.

(This is more-or-less a Montessori-style 3-part lesson.)

There are numerous opportunities to teach colors to toddlers or preschoolers with what’s around us, as well.

Play, “I Spy” – Say, “I spy something __(color)__,” and have the child guess what object you’re thinking of.
Ask the child to point out something of a particular color, or ask him what color a particular object is. Ask him what else is that color; this will help him learn to compare and group, as well.
Try the above activities with books or magazines.
Have the child cut out pictures from a magazine, in a particular color. Glue them to a notebook page.
Gather a variety of small objects and have the child sort them by color. Or ask him to pull out all of those which are a particular color.
Walk him through selecting his outfit. Ask him to choose a pair of pants. Ask him what color they are. Ask him if he can find a shirt that color to go with it. (For little girls, shirts and jumpers also work well.)
For a greater challenge, you can add color variations to some of the suggested activities. Add paint chips that are lighter or darker shades of the colors you’ve chosen. Include small objects which are not “pure” versions of the colors in question. Obviously mixed colors — such as turquoise — are very tricky!