Fun and Hands on Ways to Teach Colors

Is learning colors one of the homeschool goals for your child this school year? Here are some fun and hands on ways to teach colors to your preschooler. 

Are you seeking out easy yet effective techniques for teaching your child about colors? Check out these five methods that will make teaching colors fun and hands-on.

Play Games

Who says that work and play have to be two separate things? When it comes to children, playtime can be just as educational as sitting inside of a classroom. You can get creative with playing games that incorporate recognizing and identifying the various colors. For example, you can show your child something that is red and then have a scavenger hunt where you search for things around the house that are red. There is also a lot of apps that teach colors.

Flash Cards

Another popular method for teaching colors is to use flashcards. Flashcards take advantage of the facts that humans are visual creatures and that repetition helps enhance learning. Whether you buy some from the store, print some from online, or make your own, flash cards are a pretty effective way to teach colors.

Mealtimes

Although it’s a general rule not to play with your food, there is nothing saying that you can’t use it as an educational tool. Foods come in a wide array of colors. Especially fruits and veggies. When you are shopping, cooking, or eating, take the opportunity to talk about the different colors in front of you. This is also a great way to talk about the fact that different foods can come in a variety of colors. For example, apples can be red, green, or golden. You can also talk about how foods can change colors. For example, bananas start off green, ripen to a yellow color, and then become brown as they over-ripen.

Arts & Crafts

Arts and crafts are also a great way to talk about colors. After all, colors are such a huge part of visual creativity! When you are working with paints, crayons, markers, or any other art material, be sure to talk to your child about the colors you are working with. Ask your child to identify the colors they are working with, to pick out certain colors, or to tell you which colors they should be using for certain projects (for example, “What color is the sun?”)

Outdoor Play

Perhaps the biggest source of colors is the outdoors. You have green grass, blue skies, the yellow sun, white stars, multicolored rainbows, and flora and fauna of all shades. Everywhere you turn, you will be faced with colors all across the spectrum. Go outside and ask your child to point out the various colors around them. You can have scavenger hunts (e.g. “Can you find 5 red things?”) or play identification games (e.g. “I spy with my little eye something white and fluffy” Answer: Clouds)

As you can see, opportunities to teach your child about colors in a way that is fun, simple, and affordable abound. Most of them are things that you can do without even having to leave your home. All it takes is a bit of creativity and using what is around you. After all, the world is full of colors!

Author Bio: Sara is a homeschooling mom to three girls. She enjoys encouraging other homeschool moms and sharing practical tips on her blog, Heart and Soul Homeschooling