Playing with Colors
6 Simple & Fun Ways to Learn Colors Through Play
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Here are some simple and fun ways to learn colors and color mixing through play. I like to do a lot of learning by doing activities. Hands on play is wonderful for small children! Many of these activities include additional skills like math, fine motor and practical life skills! Hope you enjoy and find one or two you can use with your child or children!
1. Colors & Numbers Grid game
I simply filled a party store serving tray with colored items from our stash of this and that. I used a grid sheet from our worksheets stash as well as two dice. One had numbers 1-6 and one had colors! We played it like a game taking turns filling our grid and counting along the way. How many do you have left to fill? How many have you filled? This can easily be played with one person or by a few!
2. Paint Chip Sorting Boards
Hooray for the local hardware store. I love these cards for color projects! I simply picked out a red, yellow, orange, green, blue and purple card and filled a bag with all sorts of colored objects from that oh so useful stash of things. Included are counters, TOOBs animals and trees, and pom-poms! I tried to find objects that represented the different shades of the colors too or even ones he had to pick out the predominant color. Yes, there is a blue butterfly on the green card! According to Liam, it was visiting briefly before it made it’s way over! Great busy bag idea too!
3. Play Dough Color Mixing
I thought we would give our hand muscles a bit of workout and mix our own colors to play with. First I made a big batch of play dough and then we used food coloring to make the primary colors. Once we made the primary colors, we mixed chunks of each together to make the secondary colors. Then he made “rocks” and filled his dump truck! He thought it was very neat to see the color coming through!
4. 2 Minute Paint Stick Color Match with Clothespins
Again, we used the local hardware store for this one and picked up a paint stick on our way out! I simple measured and colored with our markers and then colored the clothespins with the same colors. Another great busy bag idea.
5. Colored Rice Sensory Play
Liam loves colored rice, so one morning we made a batch together. He did most of the shaking and color suggesting. Once it was dry, I separated it into containers and let him build his own bin. I gave him bowls, scoops, and gems to make his own creation. Rainbow soup anyone?
6. Color Mixing with Water & Eyedroppers
Color mixing, fine motor skills, and water. We love this one! I set out 6 little dollar store bowls on a cookie sheet and he helped me fill them with water. He also helped add coloring to make the initial primary colors we needed, red, yellow and blue. Then with his eyedropper he mixed the secondary colors, orange, green and purple by carefully dropping in the right colors to mix! Lots of free play after until we had muddy looking water (which is also a good color mixing lesson)!
How do you teach colors at home?
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Jackie Higgins
October 22, 2013 at 5:38 pmThese are fun! We made play dough monsters last week and explored color changes as well. I love your paint chip sorting boards and the clothespin matching game!
Carla
October 22, 2013 at 8:39 pmLife is so colorful!! I love how bright these pictures are…who wouldn’t want to learn colors!! I pinned this to my (CarlaINHouston) Awesome Preschool board…thanks so much for sharing!!
Erin
October 23, 2013 at 1:25 pmGreat ideas! Thanks for sharing. Found your post through Mom’s Library!
Heather @ Crayon Box Chronicles
October 24, 2013 at 8:21 pmWow, so colorful and fun. I really enjoyed this post. The paint chip cards are genius and so simple. My son would love the grid sheets. So many wonderful ideas. Thank you for sharing on our page. Pinned!
littlebins
October 25, 2013 at 1:07 amGlad you liked it! Thanks for pinning. My son definitely enjoyed all of these! Hope you get to try one or two of them.
Joy
October 25, 2013 at 9:21 pmAwesome! We love color. AND using the paint chip cards! My father worked for a printer that printed those, so hey, take all you want, you’re securing JOBS! 🙂
I pinned this to my Crafts board!
Debs
October 28, 2013 at 5:51 amLovely list of activities. Thanks for linking this fun post to Tuesday Tots. Just letting you know I’m featuring it this week on Learn with Play at Home 🙂
Lisha
October 28, 2013 at 7:41 amCool stuff! Have tried some of these ideas with my boys and hope to share one of your posts on my parenting page on Facebook shortly at http://www.facebook.com/ConsciousParentingApproach – inviting you and your fans to come check us out! 🙂
Charlotte
October 29, 2013 at 12:25 amGreat ideas 🙂 Especially love number 4 and number 6 🙂 xx
littlebins
October 29, 2013 at 12:37 amYay! Thanks, I am glad you liked it!
Helen @ Peakle Pie
October 30, 2013 at 4:30 pmSome really great ideas here! Thanks for sharing on We Love Weekends!
Kate Davies
November 1, 2013 at 4:06 pmIn the first activity you have colored blocks that link together. Do you know what they are called? I remember spending ages playing with them as a child and have been trying to find them for my son but can’t remember there name lol.
Angelina
November 20, 2013 at 2:40 pmSeems like I’m going crazy pinning all your posts! Love your site! It’s great!
littlebins
November 20, 2013 at 4:49 pmYay! Thank you!