There are so many fun ways to learn about colors. I've done this theme with my girls a few times already and they're still enjoying it. We learn lots of color-themed songs and games that we play year round. We are surrounded by color. The learning and teaching opportunities are endless. I've put together a list of activities that we've tried or would like to try in our Toddlerschool that you can easily do with your keiki at home. The activities are grouped by subject so you can easily fill in your lesson plan. We have a Free Weekly Lesson Plan Template that you can use for your Toddlerschool journey. Read: Toddlerschool Template, to learn more about this free tool.
If an item is Highlighted this means its available in our Color Worksheets Packet. The packet has over 20 worksheets associated with this month's theme and is available for purchase. This is the first time where I've offered a list of activities in this manner. I hope you enjoy the freedom of creating your own ʻLife in Colorʻ lesson plan. Thank you for your continued support as we evolve. We would love to know how your Toddlerschool journey is going so please tag us on Facebook and Instagram or drop a comment below.
Circle Time
I Spy- If you're not familiar with this game, one person spies something while the others guess what it is. You start the game by saying, "I spy with my little eye something (color) ." Everyone takes turns guessing until they get find the correct item, then the someone else gets to spy something.
Sing
"Baa, Baa Black Sheep"
"5 Green and Speckled Frogs"
Find Something- Point to a color and ask your keiki to first identify the color, then ask them if they can find something in that color. This is a great opportunity to use the flashcards provided in our Color Worksheets.
Language
Story Time-
"Brown Bear, Brown Bear" by Eric Carle
"The Mixed-Up Chameleon" by Eric Carle
"Red, Stop! Green, Go!" by P. D. Eastman
"Mouse Paint" by Ellen Walsh
"Elmer's Colors" by David McKee
" Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss
"Put Me in the Zoo" by Robert Lopshire
Flashcards- Flashcards help with recognition. This pdf helps specifically with color recognition. Print 2 sets of these and you can play a matching game.
Trace the Rainbow (Pre-Writing)- Trace the lines of the rainbow. This will help your toddler develop those fine motor skills to prepare them for writing.
Rainbow- Help your toddler color the rainbow correctly.
Letter(s) of the week- We've made worksheets to help your child to learn, recognize and write the letter of the week. Although, you can choose to focus on any letter of the alphabet, we only have worksheets for the recommended letters below.
Letter R- R for Rainbow, Dotted R, R Hunt
Letter C- C for Color, Dotted C, C Hunt
Core Subjects
Count & Color (Math)- On this worksheet there are 5 shapes lined up in each row. Each row has a number that you can help your toddler count to then color that amount of shapes in that row.
Color Sorting Worksheet (Pre-Math)- You can use this worksheet for every theme. This is simple, you offer your child something that comes in many colors, like Fruit Loops or beads, and have them sort the items by color.
Rainbow Puzzle (Pre-Math)- Color the Rainbow then have your toddler cut along the lines to make a puzzle
Rainbow Number Puzzle(Pre-Math)- Match the number to the correct number or dots. Also available as a worksheet: Rainbow Number Match
Color Match (Pre-Math)- This worksheet has the colors spelt out on the left side and shapes of the colors mentioned on the right side. Help your toddler match the words on the left to the colors on the right.
Add Color Dots (Pre-Math)- Add the correct amount and color of stickers to each box according to the numbers provided.
Sock Match (Pre-Math)- Any way we can incorporate laundry into school is a win! Have your keiki put together all the matching socks.
Colored Blocks (Motor/Pre-Math)- Building with blocks has so many educational benefits. If you have them, colored blocks help with color recognition. Extension: Have your child build according to a certain color.
Threading (Motors)- Threading helps your toddler develop their fine motor skills. This activity also allows your keiki with color recognition.
Color Discovery Baskets (Science)- Small basket filled with random household or craft items all of the same color. We usually have construction paper, pipe cleaner, straw, sensory bottle, cups, plate, feathers, ribbons, etc. Thanks to my bestie Dee for this one.
Wet Chalk (Science)- Use colored paper (preferably black), colored chalk, and water for this experiment. Before you get started ask your little one if they can guess what will happen when they color with the dry chalk vs the wet chalk. Do the experiment by drawing on the paper with the dry chalk first, then dip the chalk in water and draw with the wet chalk. When you wet the chalk before coloring with them, the colors are more vibrant. The science: The water helps the chalk stick better to the surface. (adhesion and cohesion of water).
Light Table (Science & Sensory)- Your toddler can investigate how light passes through different items. This activity works perfect if you have a set of transparent magnetic tiles. This doubles as sensory play because your littles are using their sight to explore.
Colored Ice (Science & Sensory)- Prep colored red, yellow, and blue ice. Separate the ice by color in a sensory bin with cups and scoops. Let your keiki explore. Color Theory Extension: Let your child know that when you mix 2 colors it makes a new color. Have your little one scoop 2 different colored ice cubes into a cup and ask them to guess what color it'll turn into. Pour a little bit of water over the ice and have your little one mix it up to see the new color. This doubles as sensory play because you toddler can feel the cold ice and see the colors mixing.
Play Dough (Sensory)- Who doesn't like play dough? Just kidding, I know most parents hate play dough and slime because of the mess. Trust me, you're missing out! We keep playdough as an outside activity so if there is a mess, the clean up it pretty easy. This all about allowing our keiki the space to use their creativity.
Arts & Crafts
Traffic Signs- Make traffic signs out of construction paper and craft sticks. They come in many shapes and colors so have fun with it. Make as many or as little as you choose. I recommend making signs that you may see and use regularly, like a stop sign.
Traffic Light- On a paper draw 3 large circles in a row from top to bottom. Have you toddler glue scraps of red, yellow, and green paper to the correct circles. Explain red means stop & green means go. This is important information that is needed in everyday life.
Rainbow Toast- Add food coloring to milk and allow your toddler to paint some bread with the colored milk. Be careful not to soak the bread. Once done, toast their bread for a couple minutes and serve it with butter.
Rainbow Collage- Use scraps of colored paper and glue them to a large white paper. Scissors are optional. If your child isn't ready for scissors knw that tearing paper also helps your keiki develop fine motor skills. Have your keiki cut or tear paper into smaller pieces and glue them onto a white paper. Discuss the colors while the children work on their collages.
Painting- There are many different ways you can do something so simple like painting. Here are a few examples of how to switch it up every now and then.
Finger Painting- Kids love finger painting! Offer little cups of paint and let your little one go crazy on a blank paper
Water Painting- This ones is my favorite because its an easy clean up. There are painting books that have the colors available on the page where you just need to apply a wet brush to use the colors. There are also really cheap water color sets you can buy. Let your little one know that the colors work best when you clean your brush.
Chalk Paint- This one is fun because you not only get to paint the whole driveway, you can shoot it with the waterholes when you're finished.
Canvas- Just switching up the canvas can make a huge difference when it comes to painting. You can use anything. A paper, a box, a piece of wood, even a coconut. It's up to you!
Easel- Pin a blank paper up and have your toddler paint like a true artist. This works best if you offer one paint brush per color.
Miscellaneous
Color Hunt- Go for a walk outside and have your keiki hunt for items of a certain color. You can choose to focus on one color by asking them how many items they see that are a specific color. Or you can have a Color Scavenger Hunt where they need to find at least one item of every color in the rainbow.
Smoothies- Make smoothies with your little ones. Let them help by allowing them to add the ingredients to the blender. Can you guess what color the smoothie will be?
Jello- Make jello with your toddler. There are lots of benefits to having your children help in the kitchen. The harderst lesson to learn while making jello is patience. If you prefer, you can make an extra batch ahead of time to avoid waiting a minimum of 4 hours before enjoying this easy snack.
Coloring Pages- The best part about this activity is you can use any coloring page for this theme. Our focus are the colors we're using, not what we are coloring. If you don't have coloring books or pages we've add a few to the packet just for fun.
Watch:
Gracie's Corner "The Color Song" YouTube
StoryBots "Colors" Netflix S1 E6
Blue's Clues & You "Color Skidoo YouTube
Sesame Street "Elmo's World: Colors" YouTube
We hope all these activities get you excited to live ʻLife in Color.ʻ If you have other ideas youʻd like to share drop them in the comments or send us an email. The link to our Color Worksheet Packet is here. Please give us a follow on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with our day to day Toddlerschool journey. If you do share something about your Toddlerschool journey, please tag us, we love to see it. However you school your toddler, make sure you have fun with it!
Look at all of the fun things you and the girls have done/are doing!!!!!