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Hands On As We Grow®

Hands on kids activities for hands on moms. Focusing on kids activities perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

21 Color Activities for Toddlers: Fun Ways to Match, Sort, and Play

Gross Motor Science Preschoolers Toddlers Colors Matching Resources Sorting 4 Comments

From sensory play to creative crafts, these color activities for toddlers will fill their world with a spectrum of excitement.

Enjoy these simple toddler color activities to match, sort and play with colors that make learning colors an adventure for your child.

There are so many fun ways to teach colors to toddlers through activities. Enjoy these simple activities to match, sort and play with colors!

There are so many fun ways to teach colors to toddlers through activities. It’s always a bonus when they don’t even realize they are learning!

The best way for toddlers to learn is through play, learning colors is no exception.

Toddler Color Matching and Sorting Activities

These color activities for toddlers focus matching and sorting by color.

Just a few simple supplies are needed and your child will be learning in no time.

There are so many fun ways to teach colors to toddlers through activities. Enjoy these simple activities to match, sort and play with colors!

  • This simple DIY Pom Pom Coloring Matching activity is not only great for learning color recognition but also for fine motor skills. Grab some pom poms, popsicle sticks, and either some dot stickers or markers and this activity will be ready to go in no time.
  • Who knew that egg cartons and popsicle sticks could make such a simple color matching activity for toddlers. Give it a try! Your toddlers will love it!
  • Try some color sorting fun in water or better yet, enjoy it in a bath. Grab some color cubes or substitute with some lego pieces and a few colored cups and you’re set to go. Learn colors while splashing about!
  • This extremely Colorful Cotton Swab activity is sure to grab your child’s attention. Plus it doubles as a fine motor activity, too.
  • Does your toddler love play dough? Try this Squishy Color Matching activity with beads!
  • Grab some magnetic letters , and some colored bowls. And that’s it, this activity is prepped. Help your toddlers learn colors and maybe some letters , too.
  • Have some sensory fun with cars and colors ! Drop those cars into the matching colored tubes and listen to the noise they make as they drop onto the cookie sheet.
  • Make some super cute Color Balloons with construction paper, glue, and a mixture of colored materials. These are so cute and will make an adorable color display for your child!
  • Cookie Cutter Color Sorting is sure to entertain your toddler. Pull out those cookie cutters, tape, and some pipe cleaners and your child will have a blast.
  • Sponges and colored clothespins are great for teaching toddlers colors as well as working on the pinching grasp . I love how simple this activity is to set up.
Download the Free Color Week of Activities PDF

Gross Motor Toddler Color Activities

Get your toddler running, throwing and hopping as they learn colors!

Toddlers learn well through movement and play, so learning colors with gross motor activities is a lot of fun for them while they learn!

Get moving and learning colors with these fun gross motor color activities for toddlers!

  • Go on a Toy Scavenger Hunt and create this super cool Rainbow. What child doesn’t love rainbows?
  • Get those wiggles out by doing an outdoor Color Hop. Grab some sidewalk chalk and have some fun teaching your toddler colors.
  • Race For A Ribbon is a great way to learn colors and connect with your child at the same time.
  • Have your child go on a hunt for toys and create this cool Color Wheel . All you need is some painters tape and colored paper.
  • Why not try some target practice with some pom poms? This super simple Color Match Game is sure to keep your toddler busy for a while.
  • Get moving with a play tunnel and some mega blocks. Your toddler is going to love learning their colors while crawling through a tunnel. No tunnel? Use a box!
Check out this Balance Beam Color Match Game that’s perfect for toddlers to learn colors!

Other Fun Color Activities for Toddlers

Extend the learning with these fun ideas too! Rainbows are full of color learning!

  • Try this great Snack-tivity. Your toddlers will love Fishin’ for Colors using pretzels, fish crackers, and peanut butter. Yummy!
  • Try some Giant Colored Themed Sensory Bins . What a great way to teach colors!
  • This Shaving Cream Connect the Dots activity may get the hands a little messy but wow, is it ever fun!
  • Check out this cool Walking Water Science Experiment . All ages of kids will love this one!
  • Grab some paper, paint and some toy cars and create this Rainbow Car Painting ! Painting with cars is a blast!

Learning colors can be so much fun when you incorporate them into exciting activities that interest your toddler.

So what are you waiting for, let’s do this!!

There are so many fun ways to teach colors to toddlers through activities. Enjoy these simple activities to match, sort and play with colors!

Give a few of these toddler color activities a try and let us know how they went.

Share your experiences with us.

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About Shawna Black

Being a teacher, a gymnastics coach, a travel agent and a mom of 2 girls, there's never a dull moment in my life. I love spending time with my girls! Creating fun and exciting activities for us to do together is definitely a favourite past time for us.

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Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

This post might contain affiliate links. Click here for more information . Thanks for visiting!

How to Teach a Toddler Colors with 20+ Fun Activities

February 20, 2019 by Sheryl Cooper

Inside: It’s easy to teach a toddler colors while they explore! This collection includes over 20 easy and fun activities that invite young children to learn about colors in a hands-on way.

Around the age of two, toddlers begin to grasp the names of some colors and begin to excitedly point out which names they know.

A great way to encourage this color learning is to incorporate hands-on activities into your classroom and home .

Through fine motor, large motor , and sensory activities, your preschoolers will enjoy interacting with these color learning activities!

How to Teach Toddlers Colors with Fun Activities

Bear Sorting – Sort colorful bears into their matching dens made out of painted paper bowls.

Button Sorting Cups – Cut slits into the tops of colorful cups for toddlers to sort large buttons into the correct color. (About Family Crafts)

Sticker Sorting – For a fine motor activity, place colored paper on the walls and have toddlers peel and stick the same color stickers on the paper. (Busy Toddler)

Magnetic Color Sorting – Create magnets of colorful objects such as grapes, flowers, and trees and have toddlers organize them into the correct color. (The Activity Mom)

Stamp Sorting – Toddlers will sort the velcro stamps onto the envelope with the matching color. (Look! We’re Learning)

Sensory Bin

Color Cube Sorting – Sort cubes by color and put into matching bowls. Strengthens fine motor, too!

Rainbow Fish Water Bin – Catch fish with nets and learn their colors.

Gear Color Match – If you’ve got gear toys, add them to a sensory bin for some fun color recognition. (Moments Enriched)

Sensory Bin Color – To teach specific colors, create a sensory bin involving only objects in that color for toddlers to interact with. (Everyday Chaos and Calm)

DIY Color Book – Gather paint swatches of different shades and bind them to create books of colors for preschoolers to flip through. (Craftulate)

Alphabet Color Sorting   – Grab those colorful letters and invite your toddler to sort them by color! (Busy Toddler)

Large Motor

Lego Hunt – Go on a hunt for Lego pieces and sort by color.

Color Hunt – Pick one color and hide objects of that color around the room for toddlers to go on a color hunt. (Busy Toddler)

Color Hop – For a large motor activity, draw large circles in various colors outside and have toddlers hop on the color that you say. (Learn Play Imagine)

Outdoor Scavenger Hunt – Go on a nature walk with color bags, finding one object that matches each color on the bag. (I Heart Crafty Things)

Color Viewers – Use tinted sandwich bags or plastic to make ‘color viewers’, allowing toddlers to see everything around them in that color. (Preschool Toolkit)

Color Mixing Cubes – Freeze ice cubes with food coloring and have two colors melt together to see what color it turns into. (Gift of Curiosity)

Color Mixing Bottles – Create sensory bottles with two different colors for toddlers to shake them up and mix the colors together. (Preschool Inspirations)

preschool rainbow props pack

Cardboard Rainbows – Press rainbow colored pieces on top to create a hanging rainbow!

Yellow Sun Collage – Download the free printable sun and find small yellow pieces to glue on top.

Spin a Rainbow – Dust off that salad spinner and learn about color mixing.

Object Rainbow – For a group activity, preschoolers will glue colorful objects onto the matching color line on the rainbow. (Teach Pre K)

Leaf Hunt – Collect leaves on a walk and create a sorting chart to put them on. (Hands On As We Grow)

Rainbow Suncatchers – Use the fingers to press colored tissue onto sticky paper.

Color Mixing Bags – Fill a bag with 2 colors of paint and press on top to make a 3rd color.

Pom Pom Sticks – For an easy color matching activity, draw colorful dots onto large popsicle sticks and have preschoolers sort matching pom poms onto them. (Natural Beach Living)

learning colors activities for toddlers

More color activities:

Preschool Color Mixing Activity

Making Rainbow Crayons

Classroom Rainbow Theme

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About Sheryl Cooper

Sheryl Cooper is the founder of Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, a website full of activities for toddlers and preschoolers. She has been teaching this age group for over 20 years and loves to share her passion with teachers, parents, grandparents, and anyone with young children in their lives.

My Bored Toddler

Color Activities For Toddlers - play based color activities

Why not share this post!

Color Activities For Toddlers - play based color activities

Are you looking for easy crafts for toddlers ? Colors, Colors, Colors! Teaching toddlers about colors is such a fun topic and one that you are really doing everyday. Every time you point out the red car or ask your child to put on their blue jacket they are learning about colors. While you don't really need to 'teach' your toddler colors, it's still a lot of fun to have some color activities for toddlers to enjoy.

Color Activities For Toddlers - play based color activities

Color Activities for Toddlers

As I mentioned above, colors are something that children will learn through everyday activities. When you point out the colors of the traffic lights, you ask them to get their blue cup or you discuss the color of the sky.

While incidental learning of colors is great, it's also a topic that's heaps of fun to explore. This collection of color activities for toddlers is perfect if you're looking for a play based way to teach your toddler about colors.

As with every topic I love to ensure we are reading related books and we have put together some g reat toddler books about colors. 

There are also some great toys that are perfect for learning about colors and the ones I really love are:

Now to get started with the fun toddler color activities! There are heaps of them to choose from

Color Activities to Teach Toddlers about Colors

Printable Color Matching Cards 

These printable color matching cards are a great resource to print out (and they're free) - there are so many different ways to play with them. Get yours HERE.  

Color Activities For Toddlers - play based color activities

Color Matching with Cotton Tips & Egg Cartons

This is an easy color matching activity using simple items from around the house. 

cotton tip colour recogntiion fine motor toddler activity to do at home

Color Scavenger Hunt

This is a great easy toddler activity idea - no resources required. Give them a bucket/container/bag and have them hunt for colors around the house. 

Color Activities For Toddlers - play based color activities

Color Matching Lucky Dip 

This activity involves matching the colored pop sticks under the corresponding colored pieces of felt. See the full activity here. 

Color Activities For Toddlers - play based color activities

Color Changing Water Play 

If it's warm weather then this is always a hit - super easy to set up too. See how we set up our color changing water play here . 

color mixing water table feature

Color Matching Pom Poms

Another simple color matching idea using inexpensive and upcycled items. See how to set it up here. 

pompoms count and color match sensory activity for toddlers

Flower Color Matching  

A nice spring or summer color matching idea. See the full activity here. 

flower color match printable setup

 Easter Egg Color Sorting 

This is a great way to use those plastic eggs that you always end up with after Easter. 

easter egg hunt color sorting in baskets

Fizzing Colors Sensory Bin 

This is one of my favorite activities - so much fun. It's sensory, it's about colors and there's some science in there too! See how to set up your fizzing colors sensory bin here.

easter fizzing sensory bin for toddlers 5

Colored Pasta Sensory Bin 

If you've never colored pasta, it's actually easier than you think. The best part is that it lasts such a long time (store it in an air tight container or bag) and you get hours of play out of it. See how to color your own pasta here. 

Color Activities For Toddlers - play based color activities

Block Scooping 

This fun water play idea can easily add some color learning too. By talking about the colors of the blocks, asking them to find the yellow block etc. See the full activity here.  

scooping blocks sensory bin image 1

Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin 

If you've never made rainbow rice why not try now. See how easy it is to make here. 

rainbow rice sensory bin

Do-a-dot rainbow 

We love do-a-dots and this rainbow themed one is perfect for talking about colors. Get your free printable rainbow here.  

Color Activities For Toddlers - play based color activities

Craft Stick Rainbow 

Continue the rainbow theme with this fun rainbow craft idea. 

craft stick rainbow for toddlers to make 6

Colored Shaving Cream Sensory Bin 

A quick and easy sensory bin idea - always made better with the addition of some color! 

Color Activities For Toddlers - play based color activities

Color Matching with Match Sticks

Color Activities For Toddlers - play based color activities

Even more color activity ideas: 

Mess Free Color Mixing - Mama Smiles

Touch and Feel Color Boards - Teach Me Mommy 

Rainbow Painting 

Colorful Fizzing Sidewalk Paint - Apple Green Cottage

Color Sorting Fish Sensory Bin - Teaching 2 and 3 year olds 

I hope you enjoyed these color activities as much as my toddlers did. If you have any photos of your child doing these activities I'd love for you to share them in our Facebook Group or on Instagram (use #MyBoredToddler )

Some more toddler activities that you might enjoy are:

Color Books for Toddlers 

best color books for toddlers feature

ABC Activities for Toddlers 

50 ABC Activities For Toddlers

Counting Activities for Toddlers

Toddler Counting Activities feature

Homeschool Preschool

20 Hands-On Activities for Learning Colors

These hands-on activities for  learning colors  are such a fun way to teach and reinforce important preschool and kindergarten concepts.

Preschoolers can have fun while learning colors with a variety of simple activities. For example, playing with a color wheel and matching different shades of the same color, observing food items and sorting them according to their colors, or creating art projects such as painting shapes in different colors.

All of the color activities featured here will help young children practice their color recognition skills enjoyably and creatively!

learning-colors 20 Hands-On Activities for Learning Colors

9 Simple Tips for Teaching Colors to Your Toddler

The key to your child learning colors is over-exposure. As I’ll talk about below, you want to give them tons of opportunities to hear you say the colors names, be asked the color’s names, and see them often.

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I started really introducing my daughter to colors around 16 months old and she got a grasp of the concept quickly. Here are some simple tips to teach your toddler their colors:

1. Start simple

Don’t overwhelm your toddler with too many colors at once. Focus on two at a time and then add more in as they become familiar with those.

Whenever you see those two colors, point them out to your child, but don’t label any other colors yet. For example, choose to teach your child red and green first. Whenever you see anything red or green, point it out. Give them only red and green objects at certain playtimes.

Clearly label and talk about the red versus green objects. Ask them to sort only objects that are red or green. Once they are familiar with red and green and the differences between those two, add in yellow. Of course they will see other colors while they play, but really try to only speak about the few colors that you choose.

Showing them less choices will help them to remember the colors easier.

Related post: Pom Pom Tube Drop: Toddler Fine Motor Activity

2. Use small, colorful objects for sorting

I love using fun, simple objects for learning colors and counting. Toddlers love little pompoms because of their softness and they’ll be excited to learn with them.

I like to group and sort them by color as my daughter puts them into their correct pile. If your child is just learning colors, naming the colors of each pompom works great too.

learning colors activities for toddlers

This Rainbow Counting Bears Sorting Toy makes a fun learning resource for introducing color recognition & basic mathematics concepts such as counting and addition. It can also be used for kids math and counting games for toddlers and great for developing fine motor skills with the tongs.

Have your toddler sort the bears into their same color cup. They can use their hands or tongs . They’ll also have a fun time using their imagination to make stories and games with the bears.

3. Distinguish contrasting colors

It’s best to use colors that are not at all similar to each other so you don’t confuse your toddler. Items that have contrasting colors will stick out more to them when they’re learning.

For example, if you’re teaching colors side by side, don’t put blue and purple together, red and orange, red and pink, etc. Colors that pair well with contrast are red/green, blue/yellow, purple/green, and black/white. There are plenty more combinations to use.

Also, sometimes certain shades of a color will be closely related like a yellowish green will look similar to yellow or a turquoise could look closer to a green or blue. Try to stick to the basic primary colors when teaching them.

Toddlers can start learning their colors around 18 months of age. Here are simple, helpful tips to teach your child to learn their colors easily and quickly. Starting them early is the best way because the more exposure they get to hearing and seeing the colors, the better.

Check out our post on the Pompom Whisk Activity for Toddlers where you child can try a fun activity while also learning their colors.

4. Color puzzles

Puzzles are a great activity to develop language, cognition, and fine motor skills. My daughter loves the  Melissa & Doug Colorful Fish Puzzle and is always asking to do it. 

While we play, I  verbally label each color as she puts the piece in the board  so that she hears it over and over and can match the color name with what she sees. 

Since  this color puzzle is using all fish, your child won’t have to focus on the pictures or objects on the  puzzle , but will be able to just pay attention to the colors. I think this was one of the best aids that taught my daughter her colors so early.

Toddlers can start learning their colors around 18 months of age. Here are simple, helpful tips to teach your child to learn their colors easily and quickly. Starting them early is the best way because the more exposure they get to hearing and seeing the colors, the better.

5. Use the same objects

The concept of colors may be a little difficult for babies and toddlers to understand because it’s a word typically used to  describe something else. So far they have been learning words of actual things, like ball, car, mommy, milk, etc.

All items they can see or hold and names of these objects can make sense to them.

To get them to understand the concept of colors better, make sure you’re using two identical objects to point out the color differences. For example, don’t show your child a red car and a blue block because she will just think that you’re naming it differently because the object is different.

Instead, use a red car and a blue car to distinguish the differences.

Toddlers can start learning their colors around 18 months of age. Here are simple, helpful tips to teach your child to learn their colors easily and quickly. Starting them early is the best way because the more exposure they get to hearing and seeing the colors, the better.

This activity below works on color matching and sorting which are the first color activities your toddler will be able to do. We used MegaBlocks, but you can really use any blocks or toys that have different colors.

Simply put construction paper on the floor in the colors of the blocks and have your child match their toy to the colored paper. Read more about this activity here.

6. Label EVERYTHING with a color

This will help them to quickly build their language and vocabulary. Anything they see in their everyday world has a color. Make sure to verbally label objects with their names and colors as you see them, pass them, and give to them.

When you’re first starting to introduce colors, you may want to just label the colors on their own so they’re not confused by the color and the name. You’d be surprised how quickly children pick up these concepts and understand that you’re not naming the object, but just describing the color.

Related Post: Sticker Letter Activity: Letter Learning for Toddlers

7. Color with crayons and markers

Coloring is a great skill for toddlers to develop fine and visual motor skills (coordinating their hands and eyes to perform a task). Have your child use crayons to scribble on paper and point out and label the colors that they use.

You can print out  free blank coloring pages of their favorite characters or objects here if using a blank paper gets boring to them. 

Toddlers can start learning their colors around 18 months of age. Here are simple, helpful tips to teach your child to learn their colors easily and quickly. Starting them early is the best way because the more exposure they get to hearing and seeing the colors, the better.

For little hands, I highly recommend these  finger crayons . They are perfect for tiny fingers to wrap around and promote a proper grasp around the crayon. Skinny or chunky crayons just don’t allow your young toddler to hold it the correct way and it will end up tiring them out quicker.

8. In their natural environment

Kids learn best in the context of their everyday environment. Point out the contrasting colors at:

  • mealtimes (green beans, yellow corn, red raspberries) 
  • during dressing (blue shirt, black pants)
  • during playtime (red blocks, blue balls)
  • outdoors (blue sky, green grass, pink flower)

Toddlers can start learning their colors around 18 months of age. Here are simple, helpful tips to teach your child to learn their colors easily and quickly. Starting them early is the best way because the more exposure they get to hearing and seeing the colors, the better.

9. Fingerpainting

Sensory experiences where children are actively touching, tasting, hearing or smelling things are one of the best ways to teach your kids new concepts. Your toddler will love trying out their artistic capabilities by rubbing their hands on paper with  finger paint . 

By just getting 3 primary colors (blue, red, yellow) of finger paint, you can mix them until you make secondary colors (green, purple, orange).

Have your toddler rub their hands and fingers in the paint and just smudge it onto paper. Talk about the colors they are using and ask them what color is on their hands and on the paper.

Toddlers can start learning their colors around 18 months of age. Here are simple, helpful tips to teach your child to learn their colors easily and quickly. Starting them early is the best way because the more exposure they get to hearing and seeing the colors, the better.

You can make your own finger paint at home so quickly, which is safe and even edible for your child. Check out this post: Sensory Edible Finger Paint for the recipe!

Related Post: Edible Finger Painting Recipe

10. Songs and Videos

Toddlers and babies love to hear music. Whether it be songs on the stereo, mommy singing, or making their own sounds by shouting at the top of their lungs, they are drawn to it.

Using songs (especially with visuals) is a great way to teach your child new concepts. Putting words to music helps things to stick better in their brain and will give them a higher chance of learning the skill.

Here is  a short video  that can help your toddler to learn their colors by combining colorful graphics to a catchy tune. You can also make up your own songs and melodies to sing as you show them colors. 

Even just saying the colors but having a little rhythm to it will help your child to remember the colors easier.

learning colors activities for toddlers

Related posts:

Talk 2 Me Mama Llamas

The Complete Guide to Teaching Colors to Toddlers

Sharing is caring!

Did you know that teaching colors to toddlers can be really fun and require very little preparation? Teaching colors can and should happen all the time, in tons of different places. Follow my guide below for teaching your toddler colors from an early age.

This article includes ways you can integrate color learning into everyday routines, as well as specific activities you can do to teach colors. I’ve also included books and toys that are wonderful tools to help support you and your toddler as you teach colors.

learning colors activities for toddlers

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.

Getting Started with Teaching Colors

According to an article by Michigan State University , children start to differentiate between colors around 18 months. By the time a child is 3, they should be able to correctly label at least one color.

The reason for the large window of time to learn colors is because there are two different components to learning any new word(s). First, a child needs to be able to understand the word “blue”. They have to hear a caregiver saying and pointing to lots of blue things before they understand the meaning of “blue”.

If you only ever said the word blue when you were pointing to their blue plate, they might think “blue” means plate! That is why it is so important that you give them tons of different examples of things that are blue.

Once you think they understand the word “blue”, you should start asking them to point to blue things. Start with just a few objects (maybe a blue plate and a red plate) and say, “point to the blue plate”. This will help you gauge their understanding.

After they can somewhat consistently point to the correct object when you name the color, they will likely start saying the color on their own. Continue to point out things that are blue as you go throughout the day. Eventually, you can start asking, “What color is the plate?” and they just might have the right answer for you!

If your little one seems stuck between pointing out blue correctly and saying it, give them some help. You can show them the blue plate and say, “Is this plate blue or red?” By giving them an option, they will have an easier time saying “blue” since they just heard you say the word.

teaching colors to toddlers

Teaching Colors to Toddlers Throughout the Day

The key to teaching colors to toddlers is sprinkling opportunities to talk about colors throughout the day. It’s helpful when you use color words in a natural setting. It is also necessary to teach colors using a variety of toys, foods, clothing, and more.

When you go to the grocery store talk about yellow bananas, green lettuce, red apples, and orange oranges. Discuss the colors on the box of macaroni and cheese, and how different flavors of applesauce have different colors of lids and packages.

Go on a walk outside and point to the grass and talk about how it is green, and how the trees are green, the bushes are green, and how the leaves on the flowers are green. Point out the various colors of cars that drive by.

At the library point out the brown shelves, the blue carpet, and how all the books are lots of different colors. Help your toddler notice the color of the walls and the chairs, and everything else!

I’m sure you get the idea. Since everything has colors, there are so many opportunities to talk about it with your toddler. The important thing is just remembering to do it throughout your day.

teaching colors to toddlers

Activities to Help Teach Colors

  • Color sort: You can do color sorting activities with all kinds of everyday objects. One of my favorite things we do at our house is collect the lids that go on applesauce pouches. We keep them in a container and my toddler sorts them out by colors. (Yes, I purposely buy different flavors so there are multiple colors!) You can also do this with laundry, books you have, and any other toys. Just give your child a variety of toys with various colors and show them how to sort the objects by color.
  • Color themed day: Choose a color for the day. Let’s pretend you choose orange. When you get dressed wear something orange and then put your toddler in something orange. Make sure you tell your child, “Today is orange day.” Then eat an orange for breakfast, have goldfish as a snack, and eat some carrots. See if you can find orange things around your house, and outside. Have them color a picture of a pumpkin or a tiger, or something else orange. Then get out books that talk about colors and point out the orange page. Go all-in on color day! It’s so much fun!
  • Art: Do any number of easy art activities. You can finger paint ( here is a great set ), use crayons ( my favorite for toddlers ), or stickers ( check out these fun 3D stickers ). Art is a really fun, interactive way to help your child work on colors.
  • Sing: If you have looked anywhere else on my website, you know I LOVE to sing! Singing helps kids learn new things. You can make up your own song or learn one from Youtube. It’s up to you! Just make sure that as you sing it, try to point to things that are the color that is being sung about. (Also, if you want to know more about singing to children, check out my post here. )

Books That Help Teach Colors

There are TONS of books that help teach colors. (Actually, all books can be used to talk about colors). Books are one of my very favorite ways to help support new learning. Check out my post here on how to choose the best books for your toddler. Below is a list of some of my favorite books to teach colors.

Colors by Paul Dronsfield is a book I love because it helps your child point to the color and say it.

Colors (Fish and Friends)

Play with Your Plate by Judith Russell is another great option. It’s a fun interactive book that works on a variety of skills, including colors.

Play with Your Plate! (A Mix-and-Match Play Book)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a classic book that has wonderful colors. I especially like all the different colors of fruit the caterpillar eats.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See by Bill Martin Jr . is a silly book that has different colored animals included.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Slide and Find (Brown Bear and Friends)

Color Recognition Cloth Books for Babies by BabyBibi look like fun, unique books. They come in a set of 9, with each book featuring a different color.

Cloth Books for Babies (Set of 9) - Color Recognition Series. Soft Books for Babies. Touch and Feel Crinkle Paper. Baby Learning Toys/Educational Toys for 3 Months to 4 Years Old

Mix It Up by Herve Tullet is a unique book about colors and art. It has super cute ways of talking about colors and how they mix together to make other colors. It’s brilliantly interactive! I’m a big fan!

Mix It Up! (Herve Tullet)

My First Colors by DK Publishing is a simple book that features a different color on each page. It is full of beautiful, vibrant real pictures.

Tabbed Board Books: My First Colors: Let's Learn Them All! (My First Tabbed Board Book)

Toys That Help Teach Colors

You can honestly use any toy to talk about colors because everything has colors. However, there are some specific toys that do an especially good job when your goal is teaching colors to toddlers. Below are a list of some of my favorites.

Stacking cups: There are tons of options for stacking cups, but these are some of the best. I like these because when your little one is ready, they also have numbers and shapes on every cup.

The First Years Stack & Count Stacking Cups - Toddler Toys - Learning and Baby Bath Toys for Kids - 8 Count

Learning Avocado s: Yes they are as cute as they sound! This little game helps kids match colors together to form two halves of the avocado. Bonus-they also have little faces on each one so you can talk about emotions with your little one.

Learning Resources Learn-A-Lot Avocados - 9 Pieces, Ages 18+ months Toddler Social Emotional Learning Toys, Develops Fine Motor Skills, Toddler Learning Toys

Toddler puzzles : A fun, colorful set of toddler puzzles will have your little one exploring new animals and you can focus on all the beautiful colors!

Dreampark Wooden Puzzles for Toddlers Ages 1-3, Montessori Toys for 1 2 3 Years Old Girls Boys Baby Kids Puzzle Learning Educational Christmas Birthday Gifts Toys 6 Pack Animal Jigsaw Puzzle

Rainbow counting bears : We used these little colorful bears in the preschool classrooms I used to work in all the time. They are perfect for sorting objects by color because each set comes with various colored bears and corresponding cups.

Skoolzy Rainbow Counting Bears with Matching Sorting Cups 70 Pc - Toddler STEM Educational Number Learning Toys, Developmental Sensory Bin Motor Skills Activity for Preschool Kids Age 3 +

Shape tower : This toy is by my favorite brand, Fat Brain Toys. They make really fun toys that help your little one learn. This one is particularly awesome because it takes the classic ring stacking toy to the next level. There are so many opportunities to teach colors with this one!

Fat Brain Toys GeoPeg Stacking Tower - Wooden Fine-Motor Learning Toy for Toddlers

Pegboard set : This is yet another great toy that was in all the preschool rooms. I love this one because you can build with it, count with it, and of course practice colors!

Skoolzy Montessori Sensory Pegboard 33 Piece Set - Develop Sensory Play Occupational Therapy STEM Learning Educational Toys for Kids 2+ - Includes Foam Board, Lacing String, Dice, Storage Bag, eBook

Colorful, soft block set : Blocks are a classic toy for good reason. They build fine motor skills and help with problem-solving. And this particular set is brightly colored and soft so your little one can enjoy it from an early age.

B. toys – Baby Blocks – Stacking & Building Toys For Babies – 10 Soft & Educational Blocks- Numbers, Shapes, Colors, Animals- One Two Squeeze- 6 Months +

Pretend food : Melissa and Doug make QUALITY toys that I pretty much always love! They have a really cute food set that we use at our house all the time. It has tons of colors and it’s great for imaginative play!

Melissa & Doug Food Groups - 21 Wooden Pieces and 4 Crates, Multi - Play Food Sets For Kids Kitchen, Pretend Food, Toy Food For Toddlers And Kids Ages 3+

Mallet and peg toy : This is a great combination of hammering little pegs down and working on colors. It’s another Melissa and Doug toy. (Did I mention I love them?)

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Pounding Bench Wooden Toy With Mallet - STEAM Toddler Toy

Ball pit and balls : My niece has a ball pit with tons of various colored balls and she loves it! She learned the phrase “light blue” when she was quite little because she was so in love with this toy!

Playz 50 Soft Plastic Mini Balls w/ 8 Vibrant Colors - Crush Proof, No Sharp Edges, Non Toxic, Phthalate & BPA Free for Baby Toddler Ball Pit, Play Tents & Tunnels Indoor & Outdoor

FAQs About Teaching Colors to Toddlers

How do you introduce colors to toddlers.

The easiest way to introduce colors to your little one is by naming colors as you see them throughout the day. Talk about colors at the grocery store, the park, and while you are making food. Talk about them as you read books and when you are playing. You really don’t have to wait for a certain age to start talking about colors. Do it now!

When should toddlers know colors?

The article by Michigan State University claims that toddlers will start differentiating between colors by 18 months. And a 3 year old should be able to name at least one color.

How do I teach my 2 year old colors?

Mention colors throughout the day. Give your child choices like “Do you want the blue plate or the yellow plate?” You can also buy specific toys or books focused on teaching colors to toddlers. Just remember that play is the best way to learn!

More things to teach your little one.

If you want a few more ideas on things you can teach your little one, check out my post here with 22 things you should be teaching your 2 year old.

I’d also love for you to comment on your favorite toys or books you use to talk about colors.

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6 Ways to Teach Colors to Toddlers with Free Printable

April 25, 2019 by Sarah Punkoney, MAT

Teaching colors is for sure a primary objective in any toddler or preschool classroom. Here are six ways to teach colors to toddlers , including a free printable to use with each activity! But don’t be fooled, preschoolers will also enjoy these playful learning activities. ***This post includes a free color sorting printable . Be sure to grab your copy at the end of this post.***

Free Printable Toddler Color Activities

use this printable to teach colors to toddlers and preschoolers

The tile flooring at our pediatrician’s office is that traditional white flooring of many schools and offices, but with random tiles of red, orange, yellow, and so on thrown in there with no pattern in particular. We have had the same pediatrician since my oldest was a toddler, so I don’t know any better, but when we first encountered these colorful tiles my son thought they were hopping tiles. As in they hopped down the long hallway, past three other pediatrician offices, to get to our very own Dr. Ferguisen. Because that’s what kids do, right? When shown randomly placed tiles in rainbow colors they naturally will hop from one tile to the next instead of walking. That was with my first, and now I have five kids, and you know what? They all hop down that long hallway. What I have learned since then is that those tiles were actually very strategically placed. The tile floor design actually was purposeful because the next thing I know our pediatrician is asking my little boy if he knows if colors , and she points to the tiles on the floor rather than flipping through a chart of colored cards. She asks my toddler to name his colors, and he does, but by hopping to and from the tiles. Also by design. She is allow assessing if he can hop, and with one or two feet, and if he can stand on one foot and maintain his balance .  And she looks at his fine motor skills when she does get out the book of color cards and asks my toddler to show her how he can also color match.

My point is, that teaching colors to toddlers is important. So important, in fact, that it is part of developmental assessments in many pediatrician’s offices and is often used as an indicator of preschool readiness , and absolutely used in kinder readiness assessments before formal enrollment.

Year Long Color Sorting Mats

FAQ About Learning Colors for Toddlers

The easiest way to introduce colors to young children is to talk about them! It’s easy to point out colors you see throughout the day in a natural way. ~ Comment on the colors you toddler chooses. “I like your red shirt! It’s the same color as mine.” ~ Invite your child to choose between two colors. “Would you like the green cup or the pink cup?” ~ Point out colors as you read books. “This duck is yellow, but this one is white. Can you find another ___ duck?”

By the end of preschool, before a child enters kindergarten, they should know all the following colors: ~ red ~ orange ~ yellow ~ green ~ blue ~purple ~ brown ~ gray ~ white ~ black Advanced preschoolers might be able to name shades of the above list of colors by adding “light” or “dark” modifiers. Some might even be able to identify colors by saying things like, “greenish-blue.”

Like any other content you teach your preschooler or toddler, you want color activities that will make learning fun. Variety is key! Here are some tips to make learning about colors more enjoyable: Include color activities that involve whole-body movement. ~ Try matching colors. ~ Go on scavenger hunts. ~ Play “I Spy.” ~ Make color collections. ~ Create rainbows using random items from around the house. ~ Practice sorting by using color items. ~ Have “dress in ____” color days…or do the same with foods. ~ Play “Where’s the Thimble” with specific color items.

Related Reading:

5 Activities for Teaching Colors to Preschoolers with Free Task Cards

The internet and Pinterest are chock-full of ideas for teaching colors , including fun activities like color mixing or fun sensory bins for toddlers to explore colors. But today I’m sharing with you six new color activities for toddlers and preschoolers. Plus, this post includes a free color sorting printable, so be sure to grab it from the end of the post.

Activities About How to Teach Colors to Preschoolers

These lesson plans include an entire week of free preschool color activities. They are full of fun, colorful hands-on learning.

Free Preschool Lesson Plans: Colors

6 Activities to Teach Colors to Toddlers

If you’re looking for some fun, but simple ways to teach your toddler colors , then you’ve come to the right place. These activities are low or no-prep, and are new and creative. 

Color Activity for Toddlers #1 – I Spy

There’s no guessing here, I Spy is a popular children’s game and you can play it with just about any concept. You can print off the color mats at the end of this post and point to the mats to help your toddlers and preschoolers identify which color you are “spying”. For example, it might go something like this:

I spy with my little eye, something that is red.

Then you point to the red color mat and ask,

This is red! What can you spy that is red?

Playing the game in two steps like this helps your toddler make the connection that the color has a specific name.

Color Activity for Toddlers #2 – Search the Room

One of my favorite ways to teach colors to toddlers is to invite them to search the room.  Invite a toddler or preschooler to join you in the front of the room and have them select a color that the rest of the class will search for. That student gets to hold the color mat up high for everyone to see while they search the room for something that matches in color. When your students return, you may find that they come back with items that do not match. This is ok. Just help them find the right mat to make their match. Or, your toddler may find an item that is very colorful. This is a good opportunity to allow your toddler to share with you all the colors they know as they share their object.

Color Activity for Toddlers #3 – Use a Variety of Materials

These color mats are perfect for color sorting, which is an old stand-by in preschool. But for good reason because sorting activities really help strengthen a child’s knowledge of a concept. You can use the free color sorting printable in this post to sort a variety of materials. We’ve used them with Legos .

6 Different Activity Ideas To Teach Colors To Toddlers. Kids will enjoy these games that will help them identify and speak different colors!!

We’ve used them with pom poms .

teach colors to toddlers with these activities

We’ve used them with Unifix cubes and snap cubes .

6 Different Activity Ideas To Teach Colors To Toddlers. Kids will enjoy these games that will help them identify and speak different colors!!

But the fun doesn’t stop there. You can use crayons, pipe cleaner, baby food lids (from squeeze packs), foam blocks, construction paper squares, and just about any themed math counter too, like farm animals, counting bears, transportation counters, or my favorite: dinosaur counters!

Color Activity for Toddlers #4 – Race to the Color

Need to include some gross motor fun? Of course you do! Toddlers love (and need) to get up and move about! Try taping these color sorting mats onto the wall or white board. Have a “grab-bag” of items in the rainbow colors prepared. Draw an item from the bog, show the children, and have the run to the wall and slap the coordinating color mat! My little boys adore this version of the game, but if you’re worried about having lots of kid running at the same time, or worried about a child’s feelings getting hurt during the “race”, then you can also play this one child at a time. Have the one child close his eyes while you show the rest of the class, then open his eyes and go!

Color Activity for Toddlers #5 – Color Stomp

Here is another gross motor game to teach colors to toddlers and preschoolers. Laminate the color sorting mats and tape them to the floor. Tape them really well.  Turn on some music and have the children walk in a circle as though they were playing Musical Chairs. At a random time, have turn off the music and then flash a color sorting mat in front of them. The child who is standing on the matching mat(s) stomp their feet while saying the color out loud. As you might have guessed, you will need to make at least two copies of these mats, maybe even more depending on the number of children playing. You’ll want at least one color mat per student, but it’s ok if there are more more mats on the floor than children playing.

Related Reading

Gross Motor 10 Little Dinosaurs Song with FREE Printable

Color Activity for Toddlers #6 – Mixed Up Colors

One way to assess a child’s comfort in color sorting is by mixing up a set of objects on the color sorting mats and inviting your toddler to fix all the mistakes.  It’s easiest to start this activity with a single set of materials like linking chains, instead of a bunch of different materials. Scatter them over the color sorting mats and invite your toddler to join you in fixing the sorting by placing all the materials on the correct color mats. If your toddler is new to color sorting, you can start with only two colors rather than all six rainbow colors.

Looking for More Ways to Teach Colors to Toddlers?

You might enjoy some of these free color sorting printables.

Then grab your free color sorting printable down below!

10 Ideas for Teaching Colors to Preschoolers with Free Printable
6 Rainbow Math Activities for Preschoolers
Cellophane Collages – Teaching Preschoolers about Light and Color

Want this FREE Color Sorting Printable?

This post has six easy to teach toddlers their colors, so grab your free printable and have some fun with the ideas above!

Get Color Sorting Mats for the Entire Year!

learning colors activities for toddlers

I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.

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May 4, 2019 at 3:09 pm

The color mats are awesome!

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May 1, 2019 at 4:02 pm

Sarah, I love these color mats and all the ways to use them. Thanks for the freebie!

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May 1, 2019 at 4:47 am

These will be great in our color theory unit.

[…] great way to sort your colors is with Printable Color Sorting Mats. Have your little ones use tongs to sort through pom poms and place each color to its matching mat. […]

[…] these fruit and veggie color sorting mats above the play kitchen in your dramatic play […]

learning colors activities for toddlers

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20 Interactive Color Learning & Color Play Activities for Toddlers

learning colors activities for toddlers

LCD Writing Tablet 10 Inch, Toys for 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Year Old Boys Girls, Colorful Doodle Board Dra...

Parenting can be difficult , especially during a child’s early years in life. During this stage, you and your child discover new things from each other, which makes teaching extra special for both of you. In this phase of curiosity, toddlers often like to look at pictures, imitate the people around them, identify objects through pointing, follow simple instructions, and typically start getting independent. They are more and more curious about the people and objects around them, and more sensitive to their surroundings. Now is the perfect time for you to introduce them to colors! Here are 20 easy, cheap, creative activities that can help your toddler have fun and enjoy learning colors.

Cute! Simple and easy, learn how to draw in 8 smart steps for preschoolers and k-5 elementary school-age kiddos. Your children will learn to: expand their artistic repertoire, encourage fine motor skills, practice the logical order of 3d objects to 2d shapes totally FREE! Follow us for more. Art Guide, Beginners drawing tips, easy drawing, drawing technique for children, simple doodles, simple drawing, #howtodraw, drawing tricks hacks, tutorial Guides for Kids, Art project ideas, free lessons

Table of Contents

How To Start Teaching Colors to Toddlers

1. box of rainbow.

It is important not to rush your children to learn all of the colors at the same time. It takes patience. For this activity, help them to learn one color at a time by using a box filled with different colored balls. Let them choose one ball and use that as your color of the week. Provide them with different items of the same color to make visual learning and retaining easier.

Premium Photo | Colorful balls background

2. Colorful Fruits and Veggies

Nothing is better than learning while also establishing healthy eating habits for your kids. Prepare colorful meals with a variety of fruits and vegetables on their plates. This will not only help them remember their colors but also train them on proper eating habits.

colorful-smoothie-drinks-to-teach-colors-for-toddlers

3. Chunky Flap Book

Kids get excited whenever they see new creatures, especially colorful ones, around them especially if it’s interactive. My daughter LOVES these flap books and she has been able to play with lifting flaps since she was 9 months old. It’s really good to practice fine motor skills and learn colors at the same time. Don’t be stuck to traditional colors, try to find the yellow and brown giraffe , pink pig , green turtle , blue whale , and a lot more! Flap chunky board books will help them remember different colors while practicing motor skills.

learning colors activities for toddlers

4. Mixing Paint Colors

Once your child masters the primary colors, you can now teach them how secondary colors are made. Your kids will get amazed at how the colors of the paint change as you mix them.

learning colors activities for toddlers

5. Colorful Playdough

Another way of mixing colors is by using playdough . It is non-toxic and can easily be handled by kids. You can divide it into several portions for more chances of creating different color combinations.

Color Sorting for Toddlers

1. popsicle sticks & cups.

One of the easiest ways to set up a color sorting activity is by using colored popsicle sticks and cups . Store-bought popsicle sticks have vibrant colors that can help kids distinguish the colors from one another. Make sure to match the color of each cup with those of the popsicle sticks.

learning colors activities for toddlers

2. Colorful Candy

Every kid has a soft spot for sweets. Prepare a bowl of skittles and extra bowls for sorting. Instruct them to sort each skittle by color and as a reward for completion, let them have some candies after! A little treat is not so bad after all.

learning colors activities for toddlers

3. Color Sorting Games

These budget-friendly little learning pieces and a simple sorting tray we bought from Amazon gave us so many creative activities and ideas to our learning room sessions.

learning colors activities for toddlers

Another idea we had inspired by TheGoodMama.org ! It’s a dream for every child to be one of Santa’s little helpers and this is your toddler’s chance to be one! This activity includes color-coded socks and gifts. Your child needs to put the right color of the gift inside the sock to receive a special present from Santa.

whats-in-the-christmas-stocking-toddler-game

4. Color Ring Donuts

This toy is one of the original, classic color learning games for toddlers where they stack a series of donut-shaped pieces on top of a board with poles. There are versions with color and number learning matchings too! It’s a classic for a reason.

learning colors activities for toddlers

5. DIY Colorful Birds

This activity may take a lot of effort, but promise this would be worth it! This DIY colorful birds tutorial from EasyLearningIdeas is too cute! Toddlers are visual learners and it would help them a lot by seeing something new and fun. Encourage your child to create something with their hands that’s colorful and match up the same color of paper as the birds feathers!

6. Sorting Cups

A fun and easy activity for the on-the-go parent. Gather a combination of colored toys around your house and put them on a small pile. Make sure to prepare the cups that will be used for sorting the items. Most importantly, make sure that these items are big enough to avoid choking as toddlers are fond of putting their toys inside their mouths.

learning colors activities for toddlers

7. Park the Car

For toddlers who love playing with toy cars! Create a makeshift parking lot inside your house using colored paper. Make sure to change the color of each parking slot into the corresponding color of their toy cars, then ask them to arrange these cars based on the color of the slot.

Practice and review basic colors with this cute, printable Color Matching Car Park! Your toddler or preschooler is going to love it!

Learning Colors Active Activities

1. the floor is lava.

Play a game of “the floor is lava ” with a twist! Prepare big and colorful paper squares that your kid can stand on. Pretend that the floor is lava and the only way to get saved is by going to the correct color of the paper that you will say. A fun and cool game for your active ones.

learning colors activities for toddlers

2. Bring Me! Color Edition

Who wouldn’t enjoy a classic game of Bring Me! With a twist? Usual Bring Me! rules will apply with a little tweak. Ask your kid to bring you an object with a specific color that you have in your house. It can be an orange ball, a blue pen, or even white bread.

Studio People Kid Model Shoot Race

3. Sugar Cookie Decorations w/ Colorful Icing

Stimulate creativity by letting your kids color their own sugar cookies . You can prepare different animal-shaped cookies and colors of icing for them to decorate and enjoy.

Animal Cookies Monkey Elephant Giraffe Lion Zebra 24 image 0

4. Treasure Gems Games

Aye, aye, Captain! Join your kids in a treasure game where you sort different colors of pirate gems in their respective color chests.

Sorting Surprise Pirate Treasure

5. Field Trips in Nature

Every once in a while, your kid needs to explore the outside world . It does not only keep them physically active, but it is also a way to meet new friends. Expose them to the colors of nature. Show them the green color of trees, plants, and grass. Let them experience the blue sky, ocean, and beach. Make them feel the warm yellow sun and let them play and run around the brown soil.

learning colors activities for toddlers

Free Color Learning Resources

Rainy days call for a warm cup of milk and a set of fun and engaging, free learning printables.

1. Coloring Books

Have you seen our coloring page gallery? We’re currently at over 1000+ coloring pages and tons more how-to-draw tutorials! We update our resources library regularly so feel free to check back as we add more and more content.

Make your own coloring book by printing different pictures of fruits, vegetables, and animals for your kids to color. This is a way to test whether they have learned something from your previous activities.

food-line-art-for-kids-coloring-page-learn-colors

2. Matching Paint Swatches

Home Depot and Lowes have these paint swatches FREE! There are literally thousands of colors which will make the color sorting game extra fun and challenging. It’s another way of testing your kid’s learning is to print a color matching activity. This will help your child identify alike colors and match them together.

Print, Printing, Color, Paper, Colour

3. Color Flashcards

If you can’t get your hands on free paint swatches from Depot or Lowes, invest in flashcards! Reviewing will be so much easier for both of you with these cheap flashcards that are not too wordy and simple to the eyes. Best part, i’s only $3!

Helping your toddlers to learn colors can be challenging, but this can also give you the chance to bond more with your kids and be with them through important milestones. I hope these activities will help your toddlers learn colors. Let me know about your experience by leaving a comment below. I would love to hear about them!

learning colors activities for toddlers

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Fun Color Activities Make Learning Colors for Toddlers Unbelievably Easy

It’s fun & simple learning colors for toddlers when you use fun, hands-on color activities and books for your toddlers and preschoolers. Teaching colors to toddlers and preschoolers is natural and fun.

You hold up a red shirt and ask your toddler, “What color is this?” and he proudly says, “Boo!”

You hand your toddler a green ball and ask him what color it is. His answer? “Boo!”

“What’s your favorite color?” you ask. The answer? “Boo!”

By now, you may be worrying that the only color your child will ever know is blue. Fear not, it’s very easy to teach your toddler colors. With so many fun color activities for toddlers, before you know it, a crayon box of colors will make its way into your child’s vocabulary!

Easy Ways to Teach Your Toddler Colors

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see my full disclosure for further information.

Now, when I talk about teaching children colors, I do not mean drilling them with flashcards. I’m sure that can be effective for some parents and children, but I don’t formally teach my toddlers. Instead, I like to have them learn through play.

To begin, I find the following tips to be most effective when teaching preschoolers . I want my children to find pleasure in learning. I want them to learn through hands-on, child-led activities.

3 Tips to Follow When Teaching Young Children Something New

  • Go at your child’s pace. If they are not ready to learn a concept, then forget about it for a couple of months before reintroducing it.
  • Make it natural. Try to teach them about the concept throughout normal activities in their day.
  • Realize it may take awhile to learn. Many factors depend on how quickly your child will understand a concept fully. Don’t get discouraged if it takes longer than your nephew or neighbor took, or longer than you think it should take. Your child will learn when they are ready.

The Best Way to Teach Colors to Toddlers: Naturally

The concept of colors can be difficult for some children to learn. However, the more exposure children have to something, the easier it will be to understand. I have found through teaching colors to my four kids that fun, hands-on color activities make learning colors for toddlers and preschoolers simple and fun.

First, watch my video to learn about different types of activities to use when teaching colors. Then continue reading for specific examples using these types of activities.

Make Learning Colors for Your Toddlers & Preschoolers Fun

Begin with life experiences.

Introducing colors to toddlers can be quite easy. One of the simplest, most natural color activities for toddlers is to point colors out in the world around you. You could tell your child that it’s time to put on the blue shirt. Or ask your child to choose between the green or orange plate. Once your child begins to hear color words over and over, then they’ll begin to associate that name with the color. The same works when you are trying to teach numbers or letters.

You will want to start small though. Don’t try to show your child every color in the beginning. Perhaps just point out a couple of colors, then slowly add in one more at a time. I would start with the primary colors of red, blue and yellow first. Then move on to green, orange and purple. Later you can include black, white, gray, brown, and pink.

learning colors activities for toddlers

Color Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers Using Toys and Puzzles

After you start pointing colors out to your child, you can further their associations with colors by including toys that show these colors. You can do this in a myriad of ways, with store-bought toys or even by making some yourself. By setting up an invitation to play with items that teach colors, you show purpose to their playtime. You may also want to read my post on the best activities to keep your toddler busy while you homeschool for more playtime ideas that are also educational.

Toys and Puzzles for Learning Colors

Melissa and Doug Shape Puzzle : No, I didn’t put this puzzle in the wrong post! Even though the puzzle is to teach shapes, all of the shapes are different colors. One way to use this puzzle to teach colors is by sitting with your child while they work on it. Ask them for the green circle or the blue triangle. Not only is this one of many great color activities for toddlers, but you’ll also be teaching shapes at the same time, so it’s a win-win!

learning colors activities for toddlers

Lacing Beads : These lacing beads are another great example of a toy teaching more than one concept. Not only do these beads help develop fine motor skills, but they also are a variety of solid colors. So you could point out the colors to your child first. “Look at the yellow square.” “Can you put an orange bead on next?” Then when your child is old enough, you could try teaching patterns with the beads. For example, you could ask your child to make a pattern with red, yellow, and blue beads.

DIY Toys that Teach Colors

Painted Wooden Pieces: Not all play materials need to be purchased. If you are at all crafty, you can make some play pieces for your child. I noticed I had quite a few leftover wooden pieces from various crafts I’ve done in the past, so recently I made some toys out of them. To make them, I gathered six of each item (wooden peg people, rings, bowls, eggs, and discs) and painted each one a different color (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple). I then covered them with clear Mod Podge to seal the paint.

To set these up as an invitation to play, I sat next to my little one at first and pulled out two of the items in two or three colors. Without speaking, I showed him how to match the same colored pieces. Very soon, he was able to do this by himself. So then I’d ask him to find all of the red pieces or ask him to find the match to a color I’d hold up. All of this is done in a very relaxing and informal way. If he showed no interest, then I dropped it.

Teach Your Child Colors Through Play

Sensory Activities for Learning Colors

Sensory Bins : Sensory bins are so much fun for little ones that they don’t even know they are learning! These are containers that contain filler materials such as rice or beans and various other objects like small toys, craft filler, and measuring tools, depending on the bin’s theme. To teach colors, you could use colored rice and a variety of colored filler items.

Teach Your Children Colors Through Sensory Bins

Tip : I share pictures of my little ones’ sensory bins on Instagram . Check it out for ideas to use with your little one and follow me so you don’t miss out on any!

Playdough : Playdough is also a fun sensory material for teaching colors. You can buy it or make your own in any color you want. I like to make up a batch every couple of months and change the colors each time so that my little guy is always getting something new and exciting.

These activities also work well when you enlist the help of your older children to help distract your toddler so you can teach the others.

Coloring Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

learning colors activities for toddlers

Using crayons for coloring is another great way to help your child learn colors. You could start with just a few crayons to teach the primary colors and then add more once those are learned. When you join my email community, you can receive a booklet called, My Book of Colors , for your child to color. This booklet has the color word and an object that they can color. They can then “read” the book to you to help further the fun.

Additional Color Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Sorting activities.

Sorting activities are great at helping children distinguish colors. These activities can be done in so many ways! The basic concept is to have your little one sort through items in different colors and either group them together or match them to something like a piece of colored construction paper. Many of your child’s toys could probably be used for this activity. Toy cars, Legos, play food and more easily lend themselves to sorting by color.

Do you use Montessori-style shelving or centers in your homeschool preschool? If so, these color and size sorting activity cards are a fun way to help your preschooler learn colors. For younger children, just set out one to three colors of cards in a basket. Children will find all of one color and put them on the matching color board. Once your little one gets the hang of it, or if they are older, add in more colors until they eventually can sort all eleven.

learning colors activities for toddlers

Literature-Based Color Activities

Learning colors for toddlers is much more fun with books! Many times I just read my little guy books for the fun of it. I like to gather books each week to cover whatever theme I’d like him to learn. But there are times that it’s nice to create extension activities from books he’s particularly enjoyed. Below I share three such color books and activities that I created based on them.

The Crayon Box that Talked by Shane DeRolf

The Crayon Box that Talked is about a girl who overhears colors in a crayon box criticizing each other. So she buys the crayon box and creates a picture using all of the colors. Of course then the colors all see how important each color is.

I created an extremely simple activity for my little one based on this book. After we read the book together, I gave each of us a piece of copy paper and a small box of crayons. We drew pictures on our papers using all of the colors. As we drew, I would occasionally ask my son what color he was using, point to ones he already used and ask him what colors he used. A very easy activity, but one my little guy just loved! We’ve repeated it several times at his request.

Playdough color activities

Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

This is one of my favorite books for toddlers. Three mice are on a white sheet of paper and they get into jars of red, yellow and blue paint while a cat is sleeping. Each mouse gets into a different jar of paint, and drips paint onto the paper. Then the other mice play in the puddles, creating new colors.

Mouse Paint is fabulous for teaching about color mixing. Youngsters who are a little older can also learn about primary and secondary colors. I created an activity that applies the concept of color mixing. You can easily use paint for this activity, but I used playdough because we had each of those colors made the day I read the story.

An Activity to Use with Mouse Paint

I chose to do the activity first with this book. So my little guy and I started at a table where I had small amounts of red, yellow and blue playdough set out. I let him play individually with each color for a few minutes. Then I broke off a small chunk of red and yellow and asked him to put them together. I had to help him a little with the mixing, but he noticed that they turned to orange. Then he followed with the other combinations, creating green and purple as well. He was so amazed by it!

As he continued to play with the playdough, I read Mouse Paint to him. When we got to each page where the mice make new colors, I stopped and I had him show me what colors of playdough he used to make each of those new colors. He was so excited to see that the mice made the same colors he did.

White Rabbit’s Colors by Alan Baker is a great follow-up for this book, or to use in place of Mouse Paint if you don’t have it. If you’d like to use paint for this activity, Play Teach Repeat has a mess-free activity for Mouse Paint .

My Book of Colors

Your toddler or preschooler will love this coloring booklet to help them learn colors! When you join the Homeschooling in Progress community, you’ll receive tips, ideas, and resources to simplify your homeschool in your email inbox. Plus, you’ll also receive a FREE My Book of Colors booklet for your little one to color.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr and Eric Carle

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? is one of my all-time favorites! Eric Carle is one of my favorite authors. As I was thinking of an activity to go along with this book, I came across this cute activity over at Totschooling. You can have your child put the animal from the page you are reading onto the correct colored circle. A bonus for this story is that your child can also learn animal names!

Learning colors through literature

Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton

Blue Hat, Green Ha t is one of my little one’s absolute favorites. There have been days where he’s wanted the book read over a dozen times. He loves saying, “Oops!” on each page.

In this book, an elephant, moose and bear each wear different colored articles of clothing correctly. The turkey, however, puts his clothing on incorrectly. For example, each of the other animals all have their pants on their legs. The turkey put his over his head and says, “Oops.” My little guy just cracks up at the turkey.

Color Activities to Use with Blue Hat, Green Hat

I have a couple of activities to go along with this book. For younger children, probably around 2 to early 3 years old, you can ask your child what color item the turkey is wearing. It changes on each page, as they alternate through red, yellow, green and blue clothing (each animal is wearing a different color, though not always the same color). For example, the elephant wears the blue hat, but the red shirt on the following page. We also discussed what the turkey did wrong when putting on the clothing item.

Include books in activities

An additional activity for this book uses cut out items, and is geared for children around ages 3-4. You can draw and cut out each item the book mentions in each of the four colors of red, yellow, green and blue using construction paper. Then your child can put them in the order shown in the book. You could also have them sort all of the same colored items in 4 separate piles after you finish the story. So, for example, your child would put every yellow item in one pile, every red in a separate pile, etc.

If you’d rather not trace each item on your own, I have the items available as part of a Teaching Colors guide that is a free bonus for my email subscribers. In the guide, you can choose to have your child color each clothing item and cut them out along the dotted lines. Or you could print out the pages that I have already colored.

The Teaching Colors guide also has printable lessons from the books discussed in this post, along with my favorite playdough recipe to use with the Mouse Paint book . It’s a great resource for teaching colors that is not only free when you join my email community, but also gives you access to my newsletter where I share additional homeschool information, tips and resources.

You can find even more great books in my post on picture books about colors .

Unbelievably Easy Ways to Teach Your Child Colors

Teaching your children colors can be a fun and rewarding experience. Use examples from their life as you begin to mention the color names. Have a purpose to their playtime by using toys that help teach colors. Once your child begins to understand the concept, then add in fun color activities with sensory items and books.

Before you know it, your child’s favorite color might not only be blue but navy or indigo!

learning colors activities for toddlers

Hi, I’m Christy!

I’m a homeschooling mom of 4, from preschool to high school. Homeschooling can be overwhelming, but I believe you can simplify your homeschool day so it’s manageable and enjoyable. When you join the Homeschooling in Progress community, you’ll learn ways to simplify your homeschool through emailed tips PLUS receive 5 Easy Steps to Create a Simple Routine for Productive Homeschool Days guide so you can start simplifying your homeschool today!

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Everyday Chaos and Calm

11 Simple and Fun Color Activities for Toddlers

Activities , Toddlers | 0 comments

The best way for toddlers to learn the colors is through play. They are naturally drawn to colors and often will learn them just by simple and consistent reminders from you.

That doesn’t mean that learning colors can’t be fun! Here are some super simple color activities for toddlers that will having them naming the rainbow in no time!

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Toddler Activities: The best way for kids to learn the colors is through play! Here are 11 simple and fun color activities for toddlers to help them learn all the colors of the rainbow!

11 Fun and Easy Activities to Teach Toddlers the Colors

Color themed books.

Reading is one of the best, and simplest, ways to teach kids anything. There are millions of color books out there to choose from, but here are some of my favorites:

7 Blind Mice

Mouse Paint

Elmer’s Colors

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Rainbow Colored Activities and Crafts

Crafts are a great jumping off point for toddlers. They give the kids something to do with their hands while they process. And you can talk about every step along the way.

Rainbow crafts are colorful and a ton of fun- making them the perfect way to discuss the colors!

You can try one of my rainbow crafts such as the Rainbow Kandinsky Circles or make a Crumpled Paper Rainbow . 

And here’s a list of 25 Rainbow Crafts and Activities you can do with your toddler while you talk about the colors.

Color Sorting

Sorting colors is another simple color activity to set up for your toddler. All you need is an object that comes in multiple colors and a few containers to sort them into!

What can your toddler sort? (Click the links to see an example of the activity)

  • Water Beads
  • Colored Pom-Poms
  • Colored Cereal

Basically anything that comes in a variety of colors! If you are working with a young toddler, start out with just a few colors and add more as they master the first ones.

learning colors activities for toddlers

Go On a Color Hunt

This is such a fun color activity! You can do multiple colors at a time or just one (if you are working with a young toddler).

You can use colored bags or baskets or simply set up colored paper for your child to collect colored objects that match.

See an example of a color scavenger hunt from Creative Family Fun.

I think this would be great as an outdoor nature-themed color hunt too!

Colored Bath time

When my oldest boys were young they did a lot of learning in the tub. We had a set of colored foam letters that would stick to the sides of the tub and wall so we learned colors, letters and numbers that way.

Over the years we’ve also had bath crayons and tablets that color the tub water.  All of these make bath time even more fun!

You can simply play with them and discuss the names of the colors or set up a color-themed bath. Red toys, red water, red crayons, maybe even a red towel if you have one on hand!

Color Themed Sensory Play

If you don’t want to color bath time you can still get some colored sensory play by setting up color themed sensory bins.

You could do a rainbow bin- or like my bath example, collect items of just one color.

Yellow corn, yellow cars, yellow scoops, yellow spoons, yellow toys, etc.

Allow your toddler to explore one color for a week and then switch it out for a new color.

Check out my post on How to Make a Yellow Sensory Bin .

Make Color Jars-

Take a few large jars or containers and fill them with exciting trinkets or toys all of one color.

Make a whole set in all the colors of the rainbow and let your toddler explore!

Here’s a great article on ways to make and use color jars with your toddler.

Color Hop Outdoor Activity

I love games and activities that get your kids up and moving. This is a fun outdoor activity for learning color.

Make a color hop using sidewalk chalk!

Then call out colors- or maybe make a big die or get the twister spinner out- and let your toddler jump from color to color!

Here’s how to make a color hop on your driveway.

learning colors activities for toddlers

Color Matching

Color matching is similar to color sorting but with a bit of a different spin. Instead of just sorting the colors in to piles, toddlers have to be able to place a colored object with it’s corresponding colored partner.

Free paint chips at your local home improvement store can be an easy way to set up a color matching activity. I like this one that uses clips to match up colors .

If you have some bear counters on hand, this free color matching printable looks like a lot of fun.

Color Collages

Similar to the color scavenger hunt, you can make color collages to help your toddler learn the colors.

Instead of searching for objects around the house, search for colored pictures in magazines or in your craft bucket.

Collect feathers, stickers, paper scraps, magazine images,etc and glue them down on a matching piece of colored paper.

Color Mixing and Transferring

Water is great for sensory fun. When my boys were young we had a color mixing set from a Montessori catalog. They LOVED it and it kept their attention for a long time.

This color activity teaches a lot more than just colors. It lets your child gain fine motor skills and let’s them explore how to create new colors by mixing.

You don’t have to have a special set to create this activity. Check out How to Make a Color Mixing Station for specifics on how to set up this activity. 

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Make Learning Exciting with Color Activities for Toddlers

Wondering   how to teach your 2 year old their colors? Or 3, 4, or 5 year old? Whatever your child’s age, they’re going to love these color activities for toddlers (featuring a FREE printable color activity!), written by an early education teacher.

I don’t know how it happened, but my daughter somehow knew all of her colors by two years old. I don’t remember doing a lot of kids’ learning activities with her- my older daughter just picked  up the color names on her own , and I didn’t think much of it.

So when my son didn’t know his colors at a few months past two, I panicked, thinking he was way behind.

Well, it turns out he’s not.

 So the first step for us was accepting that we did not have a problem, by any stretch of the imagination. But it did also make me realize I needed a plan for how to teach my 2 year old their colors , and as a result, I’ve been making a greater effort to teach him.

So if you are ready to start teaching colors to your child, we’ve got some The average child should be able to name at least one color by age three .

child sorting candy by color; text overlay: fun ways to teach kids colors

What Age Should Kids Know Colors?

First up, toddler mamas- don’t stress too hard about your kiddo knowing their colors. According to the CDC, most kids can start to recognize different colors and grasp the concept by around 18 months.

toddler hands with paint on them

When it comes to naming colors, that begins around age three. The average child should be able to name at least one color by age three, and know most basic colors by age 4.

If your child seems “behind,” please don’t stress. There are lots of fun, low pressure color activities for two year olds and up that will make learning fun and not a chore.

A Note About Teaching Colors to Toddlers

Before we get into the color learning activities, you need to know that there are two ways for a child to “know” their colors. One, receptive, is when kids can identify a color when you give the name . So you might ask, “which one is red?” or “give me the blue one.”

toddler doing color themed art

Kids can also identify colors expressively, and this is the way we think of more often . So you might ask your child, “what color is this?” and they would give you the name of the color.

When you’re first starting out teaching colors, you may want to focus on receptive color knowledge first . You might be surprised to find that your kids already “know” their colors, just not in the way you expected.

Color Learning Art Activities

Art projects and experiences are the perfect way to get your kids learning in a fun, low pressure way.  As they color, paint, and draw, ask them to hand you the purple crayon, paint with the red paint, or tell you what color they want to use next .  Keep it fun and focused on the art, and your kids will learn their colors naturally before you know it.

Color Mixing Art Activity

In this amazing (and no-mess!) art activity from Fab Working Mom Life, kids will get the chance to mix and mush colors together . It gives you tons of language opportunities to talk about primary and secondary colors. And, on top of that, it lets kids play an active role in making colors on their own.

Toddler playing with pain in plastic sandwich bags; Text overlay: Mess-free sensory science color activity.

Monster Truck Painting

Staying on the theme of color mixing, this active art project lets kids blend primary colors into something new.   Talk about the colors as you pour them, and then let your kids take the lead.

monster trucks in color mixed paint

Process Art Activities

We’ve got a fun assortment of paint related projects you can try . Interact with your child as they paint, and encourage them to identify the colors they are using.

Rainbow Sun Catcher

We are loving this melted-crayon artwork from Me and My Mer Baby . It is hands on, exciting, and gives kids a chance to talk about, sort, and create with crayon shavings . 

Melted crayon panted onto parchment paper by toddler.

Related Post:  Edible Yogurt Paint

Color activities for toddlers using sorting.

Sorting colors is one of the best ways to teach colors to a two year old , and even for older kids.  Kids love the active approach to learning colors, and sorting is typically a big hit with the toddler set. Here’s a few ways to keep it fresh.

Colorful Pom Pom Sort

This pom pom sorting activity could not be easier to set up, and toddlers love the novelty of the container.

Egg carton half with sorted color cotton pom poms

Simply set out an empty egg carton (I cut mine in half so we could focus on six colors at a time) and place one colored pom pom in each section. Ask your child to match their remaining pom poms to the ones you placed in the crate.

Froot Loop Color Matching Activity

Abram LOVES this activity- mostly because he gets to eat the Froot Loops when he’s done! Draw six circles on a piece of paper, in the same colors that Froot Loops come in (or get your FREE copy here ). I laminated ours so we could use it again, but it will work just fine without this step, too.

froot loops, sorted by color and about to be put on a string

Now ask your child to sort the colors into the matching circles . Use the opportunity to talk a lot about colors in the process, like “ooh, you found a blue one,” “put this with the other yellows,” or “you can eat a green one now.”

Sticker Sorting Activity

This activity was always a big hit with my toddler art class.  I’d put out four pieces of colored paper along with a bunch of these stickers, and kids would stick the dots to the matching paper. 

sorting colors using stickers

Sure, there were lots of errors. But perfection isn’t the point, talking about colors is.

Related Post:  (Even More) Easy Preschool Busy Bags

sticker activity sheets

DIY Color Boards

Kids get the chance to sort the colors again, but with this activity from Every Day Above Dirt , they are sorting foam shapes onto magnetic cookie sheets . Most of the materials can be found at the dollar store, and these color boards can be used again and again to practice the colors at home.

Baking sheets with magnets while a child sorts.

Puppet Color Sorting Activity for Toddlers

Mostly Under Control brings us a sticker sorting activity with a twist. You’ll use dinosaur stickers and popsicle sticks to create little puppets that your child will sort into different cups . 

Plastic cups with different colored dinosaur stickers attached to popsicle sticks to be sorted.

There’s tons of opportunity with this color learning activity for both receptive and expressive skills, as well as a chance to engage in some pretend play.

Color Sorting Puzzles

We love this sort and stack color puzzle from Melissa and Doug .

Wood puzzle with assorted colors and shapes to be stacked.

Hands-On Color Learning Activities for Kids

Toddlers love to get hands-on with just about anything, so why should colors be an exception? These ideas let toddlers take control of their learning with fun and engaging activities that will keep them busy while they practice their colors.

A twist on a classic, kids will drop index cards with color names on them into an empty oatmeal or coffee can .  You can make them using markers and index cards, or get a free set to print here    

an oatmeal can with a slit in the lid; flash cards

We recommend printing on cardstock and laminating so that your kids can use them over and over again.

toddler using an ispy bag to practice colors

It’s an interactive sensory experience that will provide lots of fun as your child moves, shakes, and investigates the bag to find all the different bead colors.

Color Paddles

My son is obsessed with these transparent color paddles that allow him to view the world with different colored lenses. 

We use these like magnifying glasses , and I ask him to make the ball blue, the milk yellow, or the cup red by looking through the lens. You can use these one at a time, or let them switch between the paddles as they explore the house.

color mixing paint; text overlay: Fun and easy ways to teach kids colors.

Teaching toddlers their colors, and more to do with consistent, fun exposure to color activities for toddlers.  By integrating some of these activities into your toddler’s daily routine, they’ll have the colors down in no time.

What’s your favorite kids’ learning tool for the colors? Tell us in the comments below!

Looking for more fun ways to help your kids learn? Head here next-

  • How to Teach Your Toddler (or Preschooler!) to Read
  • How to Do Preschool at Home (Whether You Want to Or Not)
  • Explore & Learn Activity Packs

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These are such great ideas! Thank you for sharing them! 🙂

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Activities for Teaching Colors

  • by Colleen Beck
  • February 22, 2021

Amazon affiliate links may be included in this blog post. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases.

There are so many ways to include multisensory play in teaching colors to children. Here, you’ll find hands-on, creative ways to teach colors of the rainbow using play that helps kids develop skills, move, and grow. Use these color activities in preschool or to teach toddlers colors. It’s a fun way to develop visual discrimination skills in young children.

Teaching colors and coloring goes hand-in-hand. Our resource on the best crayons for toddlers is a huge help, especially when deciding on the type of crayon to use at the age of teaching colors to toddlers and young children.

Multisensory activities to teach colors to toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners.

I’m including color activities for kindergarten and school-aged children, as well, because this color themes can be used in therapy activities or to help kids develop handwriting, or visual motor skills in the older grades. There is a lot of fun, hands-on activities listed here that help children learn colors and explore through play!

Activities to teach colors to toddlers

Teaching Colors to Toddlers

Toddler play and development is all about the hands-on exploration of the world. We have a lot of toddler activities designed to develop motor skills and learning here on the website that you’ll want to check out.

To teach colors to toddlers, it’s all about making things fun. These toddler activities will get you started with hands-on development activities.

So many color activities in the toddler years involve sorting colors, identifying colors, and pointing out colors. All of these activities lay the building blocks for visual discrimination that kids will use in reading and writing down the road.

Try these activities for teaching colors to toddlers:

Toddler Color Sorting with Toys – This activity uses toys and items that are found around the home, making the color identification part of every day life. You can use items that the child uses and sees every day.

Teach Color Sorting Activity – This simple color sorting activity is great for families that have a preschooler and a toddler. The preschooler can cut foam sheets and work on scissor skills and then both the preschooler and toddler can sort the paper scraps by color. This is a nice activity that allows siblings to work together to learn concepts and grow skills together.

Color Sort Busy Bag – Toddlers love to drop items into containers, and put things into buckets, bins, and bags…and then take them back out again. It’s all part of the learning process! This color sorting busy bag gives toddlers colored craft sticks or dyed lollipop sticks and has them sort by color. It’s a great activity for developing fine motor skills and coordination, too.

Cup Sorting for Toddlers – This color sorting activity uses items in the home, like plastic toddler cups! There is just something about toddlers playing in the kitchen with baby-safe items…and this one builds pre-literacy and pre-math skills that they will use long down the road…through play!

Talk about colors – Pointing out colors during play, conversation, in reading books, and going for walks…there are so many ways to teach colors to babies and toddlers through everyday conversation. It’s as simple as saying, “look at that blue flower” to add descriptive terms to kids.

Color with painting – Incorporate all of the colors of the rainbow in multisensory activities from a young age. These art play activities incorporates colors into play and learning through art with toddlers.

Teach colors with a ball pit – Use ball pit balls in a baby pool . You can bring a baby pool indoors as a baby ball pit to teach colors. Here are other ball pit activities that can be used to teach colors.

Teaching colors to preschoolers with multisensory learning activities

Teaching Colors in Preschool

In the preschool stage, learning occurs through play! These color learning activities are designed to promote learning through hands-on exploration, because those are the ways that learning “sticks”…when hands are busy and developing motor skills that they will later need for holding and writing with a pencil. Let’s look at some ways to teach colors in the preschool years:

Color by Letter Worksheets – These are great for the preschool age because they are getting the exposure to letters in uppercase and lowercase format but not through writing. the coloring builds hand strength and fine motor skills needed in kindergarten and beyond.

Teaching Shapes and Colors with Rainbow Rocks by Fun-A-Day- This activity is fun because it uses the heavy weight of rocks to teach colors and shapes. But, kids are also strengthening their hands and gaining motor feedback about objects as they explore colors and other discriminating factors like weight and size.

Color and shape sorting – This preschool color sorting activity gives kids fine motor experiences with wikki stix . Ask preschoolers to copy the shapes, too for extra fine motor skill building and visual motor integration.

Fine Motor Color Sort – Grab an old spice container or cheese container, and some straws. This color sorting activity lays the groundwork for fine motor skill development and math skills. Kids can count the straws as they drop into the container and work on sorting colors while developing open thumb web space, separation of the sides of the hand and arch strength.

Color Matching Water Bin – This color learning activity is a sensory motor activity that also teaches letters. It’s perfect for preschool and kindergarten or even older grades as kids are immersed in multi- sensory learning with letters and pre-reading skills.

Clothespin Color Match – Children will love this fine motor activity that builds hand strength in a big way.

Bear Sees Colors Book and Activity – We used a snack to explore colors with a beloved preschool book. This is multisensory learning at its finest.

Gross Motor Color Games – There are many ways to explore and teach colors using games. Try some of these to add movement and play into learning colors at the preschool level:

  • Color I Spy- Call out a color and kids can run to touch something that is that color. Add variations of movement by asking kids to skip, hop, leap, crawl, or bear walk to touch the colors.
  • Color Simon Says- Call out directions based on clothing colors that kids are wearing. Add as many variations of movement and auditory challenges. This is a great activity for building working memory skills in preschoolers.
  • Color Tag- Kids can play tag and when they tag another player, they need to say a color for that person to go to. Another variation is having the players who are tagged run to a color that the tagger calls out.

Teaching colors to kindergarten children with multisensory learning activities.

Teach Colors in Kindergarten and older grades

Once children are school-aged, teaching colors doesn’t end. In the school years, children explore color mixing, learning about primary colors, and more. Look at all of these color experiences that kids learn during the school years:

  • Spelling color names
  • Learning Primary Colors
  • Learning secondary colors
  • Color mixing
  • Color theory
  • Color wheel
  • Complimentary colors

Try some of these color activities for older children:

Color I Spy free therapy slide deck- This color themed scavenger hunt will get kids up and moving, using the items they have in their home as they work on visual perceptual skills, handwriting, and more. Kids can visually scan around their home to match the colors on the slide deck. Then, there is a handwriting component. This is a great slide deck for anyone working on handwriting skills with kids, virtually.

Color Exercises – Use gross motor exercises and stretches as well as fine motor exercises to get kids moving while working on SO many skill areas: bilateral coordination, motor planning, strengthening, core strength, precision, dexterity, visual motor skills…

Rainbow Deep Breathing Exercise – This free printable PDF is super popular. There’s a reason why: kids love the deep breathing activity and We love the mindfulness, coping skills, calming, and regulation benefits. Great for all ages.

Rainbow Binoculars Craft – Kids can use paper towel tubes in a craft that helps them look for and identify colors. Use these rainbow binoculars in visual scanning, visual discrimination, visual figure-ground, and other perceptual skills.

Colored pencils activities –  All you need is a couple of colored pencils (or substitute with a regular pencil if that’s all you’ve got on hand) to work on pencil control, line awareness, pencil pressure, and letter formation.

Benefits of coloring with crayons –  Just grab a box of crayons and build so many fine motor and visual motor skills.

Make crayon play dough – Explore colors with heavy work input through the hands and arms using all the colors of the rainbow. This crayon play dough recipe is a popular sensory recipe here on the website.

learning colors activities for toddlers

Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to [email protected].

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Learning About Colours: 31 Activities for Preschoolers

By: Author Tanja McIlroy

Posted on Last updated: 29 January 2024

Categories Cognitive Development

31 super fun activities to teach colors pinterest image

Colour identification is an important part of a child’s development. Here are 31 ‘learning about colours’ activities your kids will love.

They are great for teaching colours to toddlers and preschoolers, and many are still suitable for kindergarten kids. 

Why Is It Important to Learn Colours?

Learning the colours is a milestone in early childhood and represents a child’s cognitive understanding .

Exposing children to and teaching them about the colours develops their visual perception – which is the ability of the brain to correctly interpret what the eyes see. This is an important pre-reading skill .

Child's hand in a colourful sensory bin. Text reads "31 super fun activities to teach colors to your preschoolers".

How Do I Teach My Child Colours?

Colours are a part of daily life and are all around us. The best way for children to learn them is to experience them and play with them.

The concept of colours can’t be taught in one sitting and kids need lots of experiences to learn them.

Make use of everyday opportunities to talk about colour and to point it out in the environment. Ask your child to pass you the pink bunny and the blue hat. Point out that he is drawing with the purple crayon.

Try not to default to worksheets at too young an age – there are many more meaningful ways to teach colour in a way that will imprint in children’s memories.

Colour games and activities are a great way for kids to learn the colours as they are hands-on , interactive and fun.

Child painting a picture with coloured paint and messing paint on her face

Colour Activities for Preschoolers and Toddlers

Here are a few ideas to try at home or at school.

1. I Spy With My Little Eye

Play a game of I Spy With My Little Eye . Identify objects by colour and add in more details for clues:

“I spy with my little eye something blue that you wear on your head.”

2. Colour Collage

Make a colour collage by using paper tearings in only one colour. For young toddlers provide the paper tearings, but let older kids find and tear the colour in a magazine or set of coloured papers.

Use different collage materials for this, not just paper.

3. Sorting and Grouping

Teach kids to see the differences in colours by doing sorting activities . 

Sort beads, buttons, blocks or coloured counters into separate baskets, containers or egg boxes.

4. Matching Cards

Play a classic memory game of matching the pairs of cards, using only plain-coloured cards. They are easy to make – you just need two of every colour.

Get your own memory game cards by downloading the FREE set of printables at the end of the post.

5. Park the Cars

Play with cars in various colours and make little parking garages out of boxes or paper. You could even draw them on the paving with chalk. 

Make each parking spot a different colour and get kids to park the car in the corresponding colour.

6. Object Sort

Do a colour sort with mixed objects. Collect household objects and toys that have one distinct colour and sort them into groups, according to their colours.

Child sorting objects on shelves of a play shop

7. Label the Environment

Make small coloured labels with the name of the colour written on them and place these in familiar environments like a classroom or bedroom, labelling the most common items and spaces.

8. Bean Bag Toss

Incorporate movement into learning by playing with bean bags . Throw different coloured beanbags randomly at kids and as they try to catch them, they must shout out the colour before they touch them.

9. Colour Hunt

Go on an indoor or outdoor colour hunt. Give kids a basket and allocate a different colour to each. They must go in search of items of that colour and place them in their basket.  

10. Listen and Draw Picture

‘Listen and draw’ pictures are great not only for developing listening skills but also for teaching concepts such as shape and colour. 

Tell kids to:

  • Draw a green hill.
  • Draw a black sheep standing on the green hill.
  • Draw a blue flower at the foot of the hill.

Two kids drawing pictures in exercise books on the floor

Here are some examples of following directions drawing activities . 

11. Car Games

Play games in the car to keep kids entertained and learning at the same time. Pick a colour and count how many cars of that colour go past you. 

Make a challenge such as seeing if you can reach 20 yellow cars before you get to your destination.

12. Colour Plates

Using a white paper plate and some coloured pegs, draw or paint strokes of the colours around the edges of the plate. Get kids to place the pegs onto the corresponding sections of colour.

You could even make a pattern, such as blue-yellow-yellow-blue-yellow-yellow .

13. Picture Hunt

Do a picture hunt using a magazine or any children’s books. Challenge kids to find images in their books of various colours. 

For example, point out all the green items you can in this Dr Seuss book, or cut out all the blue items from this magazine.

14. Tissue Paper Tearing

Tearing is an important fine motor activity .

Provide tissue paper in a few colours and get kids to tear it up and create a picture with the tearings and some glue.

15. Colour Mixing

For a colour mixing activity , provide the three primary colours – red, yellow and blue  – and mix them together to see the following combinations:

  • Red and yellow make orange.
  • Blue and yellow make green.
  • Red and blue make purple.

Introduce kids to the concept of shades of colours by adding white or black to make them lighter or darker.

Young child's hands painting on a paper

16. Matching Socks

Luckily for parents, all kinds of domestic chores provide great learning opportunities. Give your kids the pile of socks to match according to colours and patterns.

17. Sort the Laundry Basket

Don’t stop there. As you fold the laundry, ask your child to sort all the unfolded laundry into piles by colour.

18. Fruit and Veg Sort

Had a trip to the market? Get your kids to categorize the fruit and vegetables by colour. 

While you are cooking, involve your kids with requests such as “please fetch me three orange carrots and that packet of green baby marrows.”

19. Songs about Colours

Sing songs about the colours. Here are lots of fun rainbow songs to teach your kids.

This post contains affiliate links for educational products that I personally recommend. If you purchase through one of them, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the terms and conditions for more details.

20. Books about Colours

Read your kids books about colours or simply read colourful books and discuss the colours of the characters or objects.

Books such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See and Dog’s Colorful Day are a hit with toddlers.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?. by Bill Martin, JR.

  • Carle Eric (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)

Dog's Colorful Day: A Messy Story About Colors and Counting (Picture Puffin Books)

  • Dodd, Emma (Author)

21. Colour Bracelet

Make a fun colour bracelet with cereal loops or macaroni dyed with food colouring. Make it all one colour or make a pattern with two or three colours.

22. Colour Patterns

Teach kids to follow patterns by drawing or building colour patterns with objects such as blocks, beads or counters. 

For younger kids, use only two colours in a pattern and increase it for older kids.

23. Light Table

Place transparent coloured objects or materials such as plastic or cellophane onto a light table and let kids experiment with them and explore the properties of colour.

24. Sensory Stations

This can be a great way to incorporate colour into sensory play. Set up stations with coloured rice and coloured materials or use some of these sensory station ideas .

Child playing with a colourful rice sensory bin

25. Bathtub Fun

Bring colour into bathtub fun by dropping in ice blocks (coloured with food colouring), watching coloured bath fizz balls disintegrate or letting kids draw with bath crayons, like these:

Honeysticks Bath Crayons for Toddlers & Kids - Handmade from Natural Beeswax for Non Toxic...

  • NATURAL AND FOOD-GRADE INGREDIENTS FOR PEACE OF MIND: Lovingly handmade in New Zealand using only natural...
  • 7 EXCITING COLORS FOR BATHTIME FUN - Honeysticks Bath Crayons come in 7 exciting colors that children of all...

26. Coloured Playdough

Let kids play with playdough in various colours. They can also mix the playdough colours together or mix food colouring to make a new colour when making a batch of homemade playdough .

27. Finger Painting

Finger painting is a fun sensory activity for kids that teaches how colours mix together. While mixing the paints on the page, they naturally mix together, revealing new colours.

Be deliberate and only offer two colour paints so kids can see the colours mixing. 

28. Pass the Parcel

Play a game of Pass the Parcel , wrapping each layer in a different colour of gift wrap or tissue paper. As each layer is removed, the child unwrapping it must name the colour.

29. Categories Game

The categories game is a fun circle game and you can use it to teach any concept. 

Pick a colour and go around the circle, naming things that are typically of that colour. Each child must add one item to the list, without repeating any.

Or, try another variation with older kids and do a round of naming colours. Kids will start with the easier colours and then need to remember less common colours such as peach, magenta, maroon, etc.

30. Broken Telephone

Play a round of the Telephone Game by using colours as the phrases to whisper. Use phrases such as light blue, violet and deep red to make it more challenging.

31. Make a Rainbow

How about a little science experiment? Teach children about light by making your own rainbow .

I hope you’ve enjoyed these experiences for exploring colours with toddlers and preschoolers!

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6 Games That Teach Toddlers Colors

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Latest update:

These color activities pack a powerful learning punch and are just plain fun too.

Want a great way to brighten your little one’s day and stimulate that busy little brain? These low-key color activities won’t teach your cutie how to name each and every hue — she’ll gain that skill when she’s in preschool — but they will teach her the basic concepts of color, which will give her a richer vocabulary and make it easier for her to communicate and be creative. Even better, these games get a gold star for being fun and easy to work into your tot’s routine.

Play with your food

Turn your toddler’s plate into a double-duty lesson in colors and nutrition. Name the color as you serve up the food — brown bread, yellow cheese, red pepper strips, green broccoli trees, white hummus.

Or let her create her own palette by adding brightly hued stir-ins, like a spoonful of strawberry jam or a handful of blueberries, to plain yogurt. Mix it in, and now her snack looks pretty in pink or purple.

Paint by hand

Give your pint-sized Picasso homemade finger paint, which is less expensive than the store-bought kind. Plus, part of the fun is whipping up a batch together.

To make it, mix 1/2 cup cornstarch and 2 cups water into a saucepan and boil the mixture until it gets thick. Divvy the cooled concoction into a few plastic bowls and add as much food coloring as you want.

Then let her smear it on a large piece of butcher paper or poster board until she’s produced a color-saturated masterpiece. Stay-clean hint: Drape a vinyl cloth on the table, so you can rinse the paint off once she’s done.

Stroll in the shades

Before you head outside with your toddler , have your cutie choose a piece of construction paper that she can hold onto. During your walk together, help her spot objects that match the color of the paper: leaves, pumpkins and someone’s apricot-colored jacket to go along with an orange piece; the sky, a pair of jeans and the neighbor’s car to match a blue piece.

Once you’re back home, let your tot draw pictures of some of the items you saw as a reminder that so many things can share the same shade.

Race for a ribbon

This color activity combines learning with an energy-burning race, so try it the next time the weather’s got you stuck indoors. Tie a different colored ribbon to the tops of three long-handled wooden spoons, then put the spoons in a small pail placed at least 10 feet away from your tot. Call out the color of one of the ribbons, and tell your darling to make a dash for the spoons — and earn a victory hug for her effort (whether she grabs the right one or not).

Got an older preschooler? Add an extra challenge by leaving out the name of the shade and telling her to pick the ribbon that’s the same color as her coat, say, or her favorite cup. Then let her have a turn giving you color hints as you dash for the spoons (and cash them in for your victory hugs!).

Sort some socks

Got socks? Place two laundry baskets on the floor, and tape a piece of white paper to one. Grab a bunch of socks and hand your sweetie a sock ball of any color, telling tell her to throw it in the basket she thinks it belongs in. Be sure to help her — you want color activities to be fun, not frustrating.

Sock alternatives: Try stuffed animals (with a blue or multi-colored piece of paper on one basket) or other small toys for a game that’s challenging for her mind and her motor skills.

Even second-year toddlers can be creative about their clothing choices (pink tutu with a green top and purple-striped leggings, anyone?), but you can still try to teach the concept of matching colors.

To start, pull out a T-shirt and three pairs of pants. Can your little one figure out which pair matches the top? Help her see how, for instance, the green flowers on the shirt are the same shade as the green bottoms, then let her pick her own matching set.

Just remember, though: Even when your sweetie understands the concept, she’s bound to have her own definition of what’s stylin’.

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Easy Play to Learn Activities and Printables for Little Learners

70+ Shape and Color Activities for Toddlers Preschool and Kindergarten

ACTIVITIES , ART , DIY Activities for kids , FINE MOTOR PLAY , Hands-On Learning , INDOOR PLAY , Kids Activity Tips , KINDERGARTEN , Play to Learn Activities , PreK , PRESCHOOL , Shape Activities for Kids , TODDLER , Toddlers , TOP ACTIVITIES We use affiliate links and may earn commission from purchases made through those links.

Table of Contents

Shape and color activities for toddlers and for kids are one of my absolute favorite activities to bring forth! 

They are just so much fun and filled with learning fun, learning about new colors each day can be really fun, you can literally create shapes out of colored paper and call it a day , neat, right , related: looking for fine motor skills activities these are our favorite, i wanted to include a big list for you to go by if you ever were interested in the best way to bring forth fun and engaging colorful activities that also may incorporate shape learning as well , of course, some of these activities will only be about primary colors, color mixing, different colors and others will only be about shapes but some will definitely include both simultaneously. , shapes and color recognition are a wonderful lesson that can even be included in different themes throughout the year. , for example, around valentines day we love to learn about the colors red, pink, white and talk about the shape of a heart. , we may even include a bit of sensory play to create a fun color activity that is hands-on for young children. , add some colorful pom poms into sensory bottles or a sensory bin to create a fun activity for your preschool classroom., on christmas day , instead of working on all the colors of the rainbow, we like to include the colors green, red and gold and talk about the star shape , easy activities that incorporate creative ways to go about different seasons and themed activities make learning about color objects a lot of fun. , there are many fun ways to get creative with learning about shapes and colors throughout the different seasons of the year. , get this toddlers colors printable free with preschool themes, (learn more), i’ll be sharing below color and shape ideas in the following order: , color activities for toddlers, preschool color activities, color activities for kindergarten, shape activities for toddlers, preschool shape activities, shape activities for kindergarten , and, you will see some shape activities in the color category – colorful shapes. , you may also see color activities in the shapes category – shapes and colors. , matching color activities and more (tap below), how do you make learning colors fun , learning colors doesn’t have to be done with only a simple worksheet. , you can make color learning fun with simple play to learn activities , the basic question asked often is, “how to teach a two year old colors”, there are two learning colors games for toddlers i want to talk about right now: , color learning for kids can look something like filling a bin up with a small amount of water and adding a bit of food coloring into it. , a toddler learning colors can play with the water and you can talk about that color you added in. , not only is the toddler learning about the colors, they are playing while learning., kids painting games are also a fun way to learn about colors. , painting games for kids can look like painting your hand in the color green and then stamping it onto a paper. , this is a very simple way on how to teach colors to little ones because it is fun, easy and effective. , when do toddlers learn colors , toddlers are learning about the world around them every single day. , colors are everywhere and most children are able to see them and so if you point at something and show them the colors they will absorb that knowledge and in turn grow learning what you are teaching them 🙂 , every child is different but toddlers are learning everyday and colors is one of those categories they are learning about. 🙂 , learn about colors (and shapes) with the colorful object below : , color activities for preschoolers, here are some fun ideas we have tried that incorporated preschool color activities: , rainbow fish craft, leak proof bag color matching activity, paper plate jellyfish , ice cream craft with cotton pads, a lot of these toddler colors game activities were so much fun and not only about colors. they were playing, creating and learning as well , related: for even more simple color activities, check out these awesome  sensory activities, how do i teach my 5 year old colors , color activities for kindergarten can be easily brought forth with a few manipulatives. here are some of our past ideas that we have done that helped my littles learn about colors: , kindergarten busy book, color matching activity , diy sidewalk chalk paint, kindergarteners are also learning to write. , they can practice writing the color names in the same color of that color name. , how do we celebrate colour day , i didn’t even know color day was a thing 😀 , what a fun way to incorporate a rainbow of colors on a specific day of the year , if you are wanting to celebrate color day, a great way to bring forth learning colours for kids is to set up easy and effective activities to learn colors. , learning the colours of the different flags of the world, or games on colours such as board games or interactive games are other fun ways to learn about colors in a group setting. , learning color for kids can be fun , with the right direction and guidance, you will be learning colors in a fun way , what color should i teach first , there is no right or wrong way to teach colors. , a fun way to teach colors is by seasons. , for example, next time that it is st. patrick’s day, you may want to bring forth fun activities that involve the holiday. , the colors green and gold come to mind and this can be a wonderful time to teach about green and gold. , sticker sorting is a great opportunity to learn the names of the colors and rainbow colors on stickers for the preschool years, add a sheet of paper next to the sticker activity to write out the color name and practice learning colors. , related: looking for a fun toddler color sort printable this one is so much fun , how do i learn colors , i will be sharing a list below of different methods on how you can teach and/or learn colors , learning colors activities can be fun and doesn’t have to be boring , with a little help and direction from this post, you will be learning and teaching about colours in a fun way in no time , some ideas on color games are: , use colorful lego pieces to learn about the concept of colors, use this brown bear free booklet to learn about colors, point to the different colors in children’s books, create a fun game of pointing to the different color at the grocery store, point to all of the yellow cars one day and then on a different day point to a different colored car., use ice cube trays to create colorful ice cubes held on by popsicle sticks., related: looking for shape worksheets for kindergarten check out our kindergarten busy book , how do you introduce shapes to preschoolers , learning about shapes is so much fun , some ideas on how you can teach about shapes are: , by introducing fun hands on activities , matching shapes activities, shape art lesson, kids shapes learning by bringing forth a sensory bin, games of shapes or games with shapes, shapes in nature lesson plan, shape books for preschool, group activities for preschoolers about learning shapes, making shapes with pipe cleaners, these are just some of many ways you can teach about shapes to preschoolers 🙂 , how do preschoolers teach colors and shapes , preschoolers can learn about colors and shapes by learning through a fun shapes to learn activity. , for example: we tried this shape activity that was oodles of fun , you only need two items: a poster board and construction paper. , not only did my preschooler learn about shapes, but she also learned about colors too , what are good activities for preschoolers , a question i see often is, “how to introduce shapes to preschoolers”, there are many fun ways you can teach about shapes to preschoolers. , i like to keep it simple like our construction paper poster board shape matching activity , if you are interested in a preschool busy book, our busy book includes a shape matching page that will also teach your little about shapes in a fun way , it is a wonderful busy book that can be taken on the go and it is one of our most popular items. , check out our preschool activity binder , how do you introduce square shapes to preschoolers , you can bring forth a fun set of shape crafts for preschool. , for example, cut out different square shapes from construction paper and talk about the different square sizes and the square shape , elaborate on how the square has four sides. , another fun way to talk about the square shape is to try stick shapes. , grab four popsicle sticks and create a square using four craft sticks , what other fun shape ideas can you think of incorporating to learn about the square shape , what shapes should preschoolers know , i like to bring forth the four basic shapes first: , these are the first four that we learn in our home and then we work on any other shapes once these have been mastered. , what about you is there a specific set of shapes you like to go by first leave me a comment below letting me know , related: looking for toddlers lesson plans, check out our toddler busy book , 70+ shape activities for toddlers, preschool and kindergarten, color activities for toddlers , fine motor color sorting activity – active littles, color matching caterpillar – fantastic fun and learning, pom pom color tray – busy toddler, paper roll color match activity – busy toddler, heart color hunt – toddler approved , learning colors with rainbow bears – simple fun for kids, gross motor color game – simple fun for kids, colors busy bag – the chaos and the clutter, color matching lid drop toddler activity – raising dragons, easy diy color activity – active littles, rainbow rice diy – active littles, water play color activity – active littles, monster color match activity – active littles, color activities for preschool , squishy bag color activity + free printable – active littles, easy color matching fish activity – active littles, simple feather color matching activity – active littles, color sorting sensory bin – the resourceful mama, colorful pre-writing activity – days with grey, an easy way to get preschoolers to learn colors – coffee cups and crayons, paint chip color matching – play teach repeat, muffin tin color sort – happy toddler playtime, color play on mirror – little bins for little hands, toilet paper crayons – the best ideas for kids , color and texture sensory bag – active littles, color match ice cream cone – active littles, color activities for kindergarten , pumpkin seed art – fun a day , duplo color match – happy tot shelf, color hunt – raising dragons, playful way to learn about colors – little pine learners, watercolor painted seashells – hello wonderful , e xploring colors with baking soda and water – buggy and buddy, color matching activity – active littles, color match leak proof bag – active littles, pipe cleaner color matching activity – active littles, teaching colors printable – active littles, ice cream color activity – active littles, gold playdough using watercolors – active littles, shape activities for toddlers , play to learn shape cards – active littles, sponge shape paint activity – active littles, easy shape sorting activity – active littles, triangle activity for toddlers – teaching 2 and 3 year olds, shape, hop, toss shape gross motor play – learn play imagine, giant shapes puzzle – play teach repeat, shape sorting suncatcher – happy tot shelf, matching shapes – raising dragons, sticker shapes – busy toddler, sorting shapes sensory bin – learning 4 kids, shapes parking lot – happy toddler playtime, shape activities for preschool , shape printable activities freebie (preschool shape worksheets) – active littles, simple color and shape cardboard activity – active littles, diy shape sensory bags + free printable – active littles, post it notes shape puzzles – happily ever mom, shape match preschool game – days with grey, shape art – busy toddler, making crayon shapes – toddler approved, exploring shape symmetry – no time for flashcards , 3d wooden puzzles – rhythms of play, sticky tape shapes – happy toddler playtime, diy shape threading fine motor activity – active littles, shape matching printable freebie – active littles, create birds with shapes – fantastic fun and learning, grape shapes activity – coffee cups and crayons, shape rocks – fun a day, mystery shapes build – days with grey, shape painting – messy little monsters, sand shapes – gift of curiosity, geometric shapes math activity – little bins for little hands, shapes memory game – hello wonderful , shape necklace – buggy and buddy , straw shapes – raising dragons, floating shape dry erase marker experiment – active littles, related products, looking for free printables and activities.

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April 26, 2023 at 9:00 am

I really loved the article. It provides a useful resource for parents and teachers who are looking for creative and effective ways to teach young children about colors and shapes.

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May 1, 2023 at 8:45 pm

Awe, thank you so much!

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August 2, 2023 at 10:47 am

Absolutely loving these patterns and color activities! Not only is it fun and entertaining, but it is also incredibly educational for toddlers and preschoolers. The variety of ideas you have shared is fantastic and the step-by-step instructions make it easy for parents and teachers to implement.

August 30, 2023 at 4:16 pm

Yay! So happy you do 🙂

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Easy Color and Shape Activities for Toddlers!

January 19, 2024 by Sarah Leave a Comment

Playing with colors and shapes are wonderful activities for toddlers! As you play with these things, you naturally introduce your child to new language and build their vocabulary as you have fun together.

The Color and Shape-themed activities are ideal for young children between 18 months and 2 1/2 years old. There are so many ideas for strengthening those little hands and developing fine motor skills, as well as great opportunities for building language.

As you go through these activities with your little one, you might choose to focus on one specific area of development. Young toddlers are actively and rapidly developing language. As you play with your toddler, encourage that chatter! Help your little one lengthen his or her sentences by adding on. For example, your toddler might point to a pompom and say, “red!” You can reply by saying, “Yes! A red pompom is on the table!” Or perhaps your toddler says, “I want blue!” You can reply by saying, “I understand. You would like to have a turn filling the blue block up with pompoms.”

It is amazing the power that play holds! All of the skills our toddlers need to develop can happen so naturally through daily play.

These toddler activities teach colors and shapes through fun and play! Perfect for two year olds to explore.

When we are playing with colors and shapes with toddlers, it is important to remember that our goal is not memorization. We don’t need our little ones to memorize how many sides a square has or what color you get when you mix red and blue. We want our little ones to play with these ideas and introduce these big concepts so that when they learn about them in detail down the road, they have a knowledge base to build on.

That is what my Playful Days Toddler Program is all about! We build vocabulary and build a strong knowledge base by playing with all seven themes—one of which is Shapes and Colors! Not only will this provide your little one with a beautiful foundation for learning, but it will provide just the right amount of structure to those long days at home with wee ones, and will build beautiful memories as well.

The activities below are great examples of the daily activities you will find in my Playful Days Toddler Program!

You can read all about my Playful Days Toddler Program right here: https://www.howweelearn.com/playfuldays/

And just before we dive into these color and shape activities for toddlers, would you like a fun printable to enjoy together? This one is totally free and a wonderful, learning-filled activity for you to enjoy with your toddler. You can grab it right here:

Color and Shape Activities for Toddlers

These activities are great examples of similar activities that can be found in my Playful Days Toddler Program.

Make a rainbow with this awesome and easy toddler scavenger hunt!

Rainbow Scavenger Hunt – Head out on an adventure and build a rainbow in your house! Begin by hunting for one color of the rainbow, and build that rainbow one arc at a time.

a rainbow fine motor sensory bin for spring

Rainbow Fine Motor Sensory Bin – This is a beautiful sensory bin and great for building fine motor skills! Little ones can sort by color, or they could practice threading the beads onto pipe cleaners making beautiful bracelets.

This is such a fun color mixing activity! It combines science and a bit of mess - perfect for kids! Plus some fine motor skills. The kids loved making rainbows with their hands!

Color Mixing – Let your toddler experience the magic of color mixing with his own hands! This messy and colorful art exploration is so much fun and will really wow your little one. 

Making shape finders to teach toddlers shapes

Shape Finders by Apples to Applique – These little finders are such a fun prop for toddlers to use as they walk around trying to spy various shapes! You could easily make these out of some cardboard. 

A touch and feel shape activity for toddlers

Touch and Feel Shapes by Teach Me Mommy – Using pipecleaners to make these shape cards is such a fun idea to add in some sensory learning while exploring shapes. Toddlers will be able to feel the difference between a curved line compared to a straight line, which brings this learning to a whole new level.

Growing a rainbow across a paper towel

Grow a Rainbow by MomBrite – Using markers and a paper towel you can, your toddler can grow a rainbow together! This magical moment will be treasured for a long while.

Sticker color sorting activity for toddlers

Sticker Sort by Busy Toddler – Grab some pieces of construction paper and some stickers of matching colors and get to sorting! Toddlers love this simple activity.

Pompom color sorting activity for toddlers

Mega Block Sort  by Happy Toddler Playtime – This is another fun way to play with colors with your toddler. Turn some Mega Blocks upside down and add pompoms!

There you have it! Fun and easy color and shape activities to enjoy with your toddler. And don’t forget, if you like these activities, you are going to LOVE my Playful Days Toddler Program . One playful activity a day, perfect for breaking up that long day at home with the littles!

Find out more about Playful Days right here: https://www.howweelearn.com/playfuldays/

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learning colors activities for toddlers

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Color Learning Games for Toddlers Online

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Learning colors is an important age-appropriate goal for toddlers. The internet is loaded with educational games aimed at children of all ages and skill levels. Look for games that involve simple computer skills like one click of the mouse and repetition to help your toddler learn his colors.

Easy Color Games for Toddlers

Toddlers range in age from one to three years old. Keep in mind your child's developmental level before selecting a game. For younger toddlers, the easier games will help develop cognitive and computer skills in preparation for more difficult games. Children at this skill level will need parental supervision and assistance with most games.

  • Thanksgiving Online Games for Kids Filled With Turkey Day Fun
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  • Color Theory for Kids: Teaching Strategies and Project Ideas 

Oliver World: Colorful Bubbles

BabyTV character, Oliver the monkey, is taking a bubble bath and his soap keeps making colored bubbles in the air. Oliver calls out a specific color and toddlers use the space bar to pop them. Colorful Bubbles is an easy game for the youngest computer users. Other fun features include:

  • Option to use the space bar or one-click mouse skills to pop balloons (when using the space bar, the correct color balloons automatically pop)
  • Engaging sounds like a light 'pop' when a balloon breaks or a slightly louder 'pop' when the mouse hovers over a bubble
  • Display image of the selected color remains on the screen during each round
  • Automatic progression to the next color when all correct bubbles are popped
  • A cute song at the end with automatic progression back to the beginning of the game

Colorful bubbles teaches basic colors in five rounds and displays game progress on a sidebar using stars. The game does not have a full-screen option but is set up so there are not many other items your child can accidentally click on. You need Adobe Flash Player for this game.

Find the Color

This basic color game teaches kids eleven colors using one-click mouse skills. Find the Color features a four-by-three grid of large, colored dots. A quiet man's voice directs you to click on a specific color. Kids can click around the game board with or without help. If you forget what color you are looking for, there is a little red button to click that repeats the color. When your child chooses the wrong color, the voice calmly says to try again. When he chooses the correct color, there is a clapping sound. After each color, you must click the 'next' button to move on. If you don't choose the 'next' button, your child can still click around the board with the same result for that round.

The main downfall of the game is, like many others, it does not open in a full-screen. This means a child could accidentally click on other games. However, at this age parental guidance and hand-over-hand mousing is helpful. One major appeal is the simplicity of the game. There are no extraneous sounds or visuals to distract a young toddler from the task.

Does Not Belong Color Puzzle Game

Color With Leo features a basic color puzzle games ideal for toddlers called Does Not Belong. Kids will see three identical objects pop up and have to click on the one that is a different color from the other two. The game doesn't include any background music, so it's less distracting than other color learning games.

This easy color puzzle game helps kids solidify their skill of differentiating one color from another with great features like:

  • One-click mouse skills
  • Friendly female voice says when you are correct or incorrect
  • After a few correct answers in a row, kids see a special fun graphic
  • Gameplay automatically continues as long as kids want to play

Medium Skill Level Color Games

These games will help your toddler learn colors. Your toddler may need or may not need parental help at this skill level, depending of course on the task.

Chasing Rainbows

In Chasing Rainbows , The Cat in the Hat and his friends try to catch a rainbow for the king. The game begins with a short cartoon to introduce the task and includes a fun song to help toddlers remember the colors of a rainbow. The first activity requires the child to choose the color The Cat in the Hat asks for out of a grouping of four. In the second activity, the child must choose the correct color to paint on each part of the rainbow. A short video clip plays after the activities.

Chasing Rainbows is an easy multimedia game for toddlers:

  • Only requires one-click mouse skills
  • Includes a cartoon, song, and activities
  • Directions repeat automatically

The game is fun and teaches colors in multiple ways. The only downside to the game is that it focuses on the proper colors of the rainbow, using indigo and violet, as opposed to primary and secondary colors only. This can be confusing for toddlers in finding the difference between blue and indigo or violet and purple. Also, the game does not have a full-screen option, so your child may accidentally click on other games.

Please Put It on the Shelf

Please Put it on the Shelf is simple in concept, but may be more difficult for toddlers because it involves matching the color word to the actual color. Nine colors are listed, each under a spot on a wooden shelf. Kids have to click and drag the colored blobs to the space above their matching words. When kids place the correct color, they hear a voice that says the color name. There is no full-screen option, so the play may be too small for kids who don't have great mouse control.

A few simple features make this matching color puzzle game ideal for teaching toddlers:

  • Color words written in all lower case letters
  • Click on the speaker icon next to each color name to hear the color name
  • No negative response for wrong answers
  • Uses only standard shades of common colors

Little People Shapes & Colors

Featuring Fisher Price's Little People, the Shapes & Colors game is simple and slow-paced. To start the game, your child will be asked to paint a specific shape with a specific color by clicking on the correct color and then the correct shape. The same activity repeats but features different shapes and colors to follow.

The ease of use for the game is apparent in its features:

  • Game opens in a new window
  • Utilizes a child-like voice

Little People Shapes & Colors uses simple graphics and a slow pace to teach colors alongside shapes. Although the slow pacing is desirable for young children, the directions for this game can sometimes be a bit too slow. In addition, some of the color tones are different from what your child might be used to seeing, which can be confusing. For example, the red looks like a burnt orange color.

Difficult Games for Older Toddlers

Games with multi-step directions and advanced hand-eye coordination may be difficult for younger toddlers. However, older toddlers with more computer experience may find these games challenging, but not impossible.

Shapes and Colors Bingo

Educational website ABCya.com offers this fun, online Shapes and Colors Bingo game where you choose the difficulty level. The hardest level is on a five-by-five grid and uses concepts aligned with Kindergarten Common Core standards.

The colors-only level uses a three-by-three grid. A cute little ball character calls out a color and the child must click on the correct color. If she is right, you hear a cheerful bell sound and see a check mark displayed on the screen. If she is wrong, you hear a buzzer sound and see an 'X' on the screen. Once she gets three colors in a row, she wins.

Other features include:

  • A "Repeat" button if the child forgets what color was called
  • Upbeat background music

The small screen may make this game difficult for children learning mouse control. It does not open in full-screen so there are other things your child could click on accidentally.

Create Mosaics Color Puzzle Game

If you're looking for a quiet logic game that includes colors for your toddler, Create Mosaics is a great option. The game features an 8 by 8 grid of empty squares where your child needs to copy the image they see in the bottom right corner. Each image uses anywhere from four to six different colors. Children simply click on a color then click on the squares where that color is shown in the original image. While you won't hear the color names, kids will need to be able to identify a specific color by sight.

The best game features include:

  • No sound distractions
  • Full-screen option
  • Fast forward (two arrows pointing right) button to choose an image
  • Check button to let kids know they have completed the mosaic correctly

Grow Your Colors

Sesame Street characters Grover and Rosita direct toddlers to help grow foods of different colors in Grow Your Colors . You first have the choice whether to play in English or Spanish, making this game more inclusive for bilingual children. After the characters talk about a community garden, they tell kids which colors they are already growing and ask kids to pick an image matching the color they now need. Toddlers choose the correct color seeds, then help plant them and pick the vegetable after it grows.

The best features include:

  • Mouse movement skills
  • Storyline paired with activity for a slower pace
  • Repetition of the selected color name
  • Color name is given for each item the child clicks on

The game is easy to use and is a highly entertaining option for helping kids with learning colors. The only major drawback is there isn't a full-screen option, so there are other games your child could accidentally click on. If you don't close the screen, each successive turn on the game uses a different color.

Finding Age Appropriate Games for Young Kids

Free online learning games often incorporate beloved television and book characters. Finding games with content matching your toddler's interests can help motivate him to enjoy the process of learning colors, as well as other skills. Start by visiting websites for your child's favorite television channels to find age-appropriate and engaging learning games. The National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families encourages games involving repetition for kids in this age group because it "strengthens connections in the brain that help children learn." Online color learning games can help your child grasp the knowledge of colors while also having fun. Finding online games for your toddler is an easy way to supplement other methods of learning, such as singing along with The Color Train Song .

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9 Easy Methods for Teaching Colors That Will Brighten Your Child's World

After a child's first birthday, many parents become excited about the idea of teaching their toddlers the concepts of colors, numbers, letters, and shapes! While these notions are second nature to us, teaching colors to your kids can feel a bit daunting. Where do you even start? And when should kids know colors? Get ready to breathe a cyan of relief! We have a marvelous list of ways for your kids to learn colors that hue will absolutely love.

When Do Kids Learn Colors?

Teaching a child the colors of the rainbow typically begins between 18 months and three years of age. However, introducing concepts early is the best way to ensure that your child is on track for kindergarten. Why? Because by the age of five , your child must be able to:

  • Recognize and name colors
  • Match and group items by color

Therefore, don't be afraid to start playing color games and labeling items by color right away! Best of all, by engaging in these types of activities, you also help them hone their fine and gross motor skills, improve their language development, and you promote problem solving.

Why Is Teaching Colors Important?

Color recognition is a fundamental part of development and a milestone that children generally need to meet to enter kindergarten. This means that it's good for parents to be proactive in teaching colors to their kids. Thankfully, children learn best through play and there are simple games and activities to help teach them these concepts that are easy to implement into your daily routine.

Helpful Hack Consider printing out a color chart and taping it on their bathroom mirror. Every night when you go to brush their teeth, point out and name something in each color on the chart. For instance, a red apple, an orange fish, a yellow banana, etc. Then, ask them to point at something in one of the colors you identified! This is a simple way to introduce color concepts.

9 Simple Ideas for Helping Toddlers Learn Colors

Get ready to paint the town red! These color games are a fun and easy way to help your toddlers learn their colors.

Simple Color Sorting Games

This game is simple to put together and very effective at teaching colors. For this game to work, you need to have at least two different color options, but you can offer as many as you want!

What You Need:

  • Colored bags, cups, or bowls
  • Wooden shapes
  • Fruit pouch lids
  • Random small toys

How to Play:

Once you have gathered your objects and containers, mix the various colored objects together and place them on the floor.

Then, grab any object, say the name of the color of the item, and place it in the corresponding container.

Repeat this with an object of the opposite color until you have labeled all of the available color choices.

Next, ask your child to sort the colors. With each item they pick up, continue to label the item by stating the color.

After sorting and labeling a handful of the items, begin to ask your toddler what color each object is as they pick them up.

Give them a second to guess. If they get it wrong, correct them. If they get it right, praise them!

Helpful Hack This is a great activity to do at lunchtime! Serve your kids a fruit salad or vegetable spread and have them sort their food into colored containers.

For the parents who are always on the go and don't want to lug around all of these supplies, you can also use our convenient color matching printable! Simply print out the color pages and the colored object cards. Then, cut out each of the object squares. Mix them up and see if your kids can match them to the corresponding color page.

Color Sorting Games That Are More Challenging

Once your child has gained the basic understanding of sorting colors, the best way to solidify their ability to identify different shades is to enhance your original game. The key is to not make too many changes to the original. What this means is that if you sort Legos, stick with that object.

  • Masking tape
  • Construction paper
  • A truck toy (one with a large area to hold objects)
  • The objects you normally sort with

How to Set Up:

Place three differently colored pieces of construction paper on the floor and adhere them to the surface using masking tape.

Then, place strips of masking tape in zigzag directions on the floor, leading to each piece of paper. Make sure that the masking tape is like a road - everything connects together.

Mix up the different shades of objects and place them in the back of your toy truck.

Next, demonstrate to your child that the truck will drive along the masking tape and stop at each piece of construction paper. When it arrives, it must deposit all the objects that match that color. For instance, they will deposit all the red Legos on the red piece of construction paper.

Once the red Legos are deposited, the truck will back up along with the pattern of masking tape and redirect to the next piece of construction paper following the same instructions. You will continue the steps until all the pieces have been sorted.

Simple Color Matching Games

This is another great game for teaching colors, introducing problem solving concepts, and honing fine motor skills.

  • Clothespins
  • Paint color samples (which you can snag for free at most local hardware stores)

Once you have all your paint samples, simply take your markers and color the clothespins in the various colors that you have selected. For instance, color three clothespins red, another three blue, and the final three purple.

Quick Tip Don't have clothespins or markers? No problem! You can also use colored chip clips or binder clips. You can also use colored paper that you have lying around the house instead of the paint chip cards.

Simply have your child clip the clothespins to the matching paint chip samples.

Color Puzzles

Fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, sequencing, language learning , spacial vocabulary, and problem-solving: these are just a few of the many benefits that your kids can experience when playing with puzzles ! The key is finding puzzles that highlight the various shades of the rainbow.

Target has a great color puzzle that features a literal rainbow of colors along with corresponding colored numbers. You can also buy an array of Montessori style color puzzles on Amazon as well.

Flash Cards

When kids are older, flashcards aren't always the most exciting activity, but for toddlers, they are surprisingly fun! The merka Alphabet Flash Cards feature colors, numbers, shapes, letters, and objects. Everything comes in a color, which makes it the perfect opportunity to question your child about the color of the frog, a flower, or the shade of the letter A!

Read Color Books

Reading promotes language development and the learning of various concepts, which makes it another perfect way to teach your kids their colors! Some of the best books to introduce the different shades of the rainbow include:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? - The repetition of color words and fantastic animal illustration make this a winner.

First 100: First Book of Colors Padded - This best-selling durable kids book uses real-life objects to help teach colors.

My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss - This imaginative book explores the concepts of colors as well as feelings in an approachable way.

I Spy Something…

As you are driving in the car, walking through the grocery store, or playing at the park, playing I Spy is a wonderful way to teach colors and build vocabulary. I spy something green… Could it be the broccoli or the Granny Smith apples? See what your kids can pick out!

Rainbow Sensory Bottles

If you don't have time to play I Spy, then sensory bottles can be a great solution! Parents can make a bottle for every color of the rainbow and then see what items their kids can find inside.

  • Six large plastic VOSS bottles (one for each color of the rainbow)
  • Small objects in each shade (toys, buttons, colored paperclips, charms, etc.)
  • Food coloring
  • White vinegar
  • Six Ziploc bags

To Assemble:

  • Combine white rice, white vinegar, and food coloring in a Ziploc bag. Mix one teaspoon of white vinegar and 10 to 12 drops of food coloring for every cup of white rice.
  • Seal the bag and use your hands to mix the ingredients together until the color sets in.
  • Pour the rice evenly on a cookie sheet and allow it to dry (this requires at least two hours).
  • For best results, leave one inch of open space at the top of the bottle so your kids can move the rice around.
  • Apply super glue to the lid, seal, and allow it to dry!

Once done, let your kids explore their colored jars. As they find objects, ask them questions to help them verbalize the color. For example: "Oh, you see an apple? What color is the apple?"

Show Your Artistic Side

Whether you grab your paints, crayons, or markers, coloring using these mediums is a fantastic method for teaching your toddlers about colors. The best way to do this is with coloring sheets that have designs printed on them.

Select your sheet and announce that you are going to paint the item in a certain color. For instance, "I am going to paint a blue dog! What color are you going to paint the starfish?"

Daily Activities That Help Young Kids Learn Colors

Another spectacular technique for introducing colors is to label items based on their shade and to incorporate colors into your daily conversations.

Give Color Options

Every single day, you will dress your child. Giving them options is a great way to teach colors and give them a little bit of control at the same time. In case you didn't know, this is also an amazingly easy way to prevent meltdowns .

All you have to do is select two items. For example, two shirts. Present them to your child. Then, ask "do you want the BLUE shirt or the RED shirt?" Make sure to emphasize the colors. When they select an item, reiterate the color that they have chosen. "You want the BLUE shirt!"

Repeat this process with every single clothing item - pants, socks, underwear, jackets, hats, pajamas, and whatever else they wear for the day.

Helpful Hack Parents can also buy colored plates and cups and then give their kids choices on the color of their serveware. Follow the same premise above and ask if they want to eat their dinner on a green plate or a yellow plate.

Serve Color-Themed Meals

When you are at the grocery store, have your kids pick out a color for each meal of the day. Then, try to theme your dinner around that shade! This is something that can easily be done at breakfast time with a little food coloring.

Dye their oatmeal red or their eggs green and pair them with red strawberries or green grapes! This introduces both colors and flavors to young toddlers. It can also help picker eaters to overcome their preconceived notions about foods simply based on their shade.

Quick Tip You also have the option of serving rainbow meals! Incorporate every shade on your toddler's plate and discuss the different hues throughout the meal.

Teaching Colors Can Be Fun

Was that a pigment of our imagination, or did all those activities sound pretty fun? Teaching colors doesn't have to be hard. Just remember that repetition is key, so keep going through the motions and they will get there! Learning colors can take a few months, but there will be a magical day where you strike gold and your toddler will finally be able to name all the colors in the rainbow!

Cute little girl with colored hands

Educational Kids Games 2-5 4+

Mixing & matching colors 2‪+‬, brainytrainee ltd, designed for ipad.

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Do you want to learn colors quickly and without difficulties? Learning color games for kids are a perfect way for the youngest players to start to memorise color names, as well as having fun. Play educational toddler games for children ages 2-5. Learn colors, develop fine motor skills and train your visual memory. Our kids games will introduce your little one to the basic color palette and teach them how to mix colors quickly and correctly. - 8 interesting learning mini-games to memorize colors; - easy to learn the names of the colors; - development of kids fine motor skills; - simple gameplay and bright interface; - the kid can use the app independently. Our color memorization games are made in kids puzzles format! Kids learning games for toddlers ages 2+ will be introduced to basic homework and will learn mixing and matching colors correctly to get a new color combination at the same time. ~~~ Features of color games for kids ~~~ ~ Sort the clothes into sections Play the sorting mini game and arrange the items of clothing by color. Look at the colors of the doors and objects. Correctly compare them with each other and collect bright sets of clothes in games for toddlers. ~ Explore shapes and colors with fabric patches In this mini-game for boys and girls, your child has to fix the sofa. Play puzzles for kids, match patches by shape and name their colors. Collect magic stars and learn by playing paint and color learning games for kindergarten kids and babies. ~ Learn to mix colors Want to see some magic in toddler learning games? Try to get a completely new color mixing by blending one paint with another. What color will be obtained from red and yellow paints? Increase your erudition and knowledge in the baby games world of bright colors! ~ Develop fine motor skills in preschool games Color learning games for pre-k kids are great for training your little ones' fingers. Our infant games are designed in such a way that the child will have to press, drag, select, twist a lot. Children of 3+ years can enjoy their playtime in toddler color games for preschoolers! SUBSCRIPTION Enjoy the game and get bonuses: 1. mini-game "Wash"; 2. mini-game "Items sorting"; 3. mini-game "Colorful fabric patches"; 4. mini-game "Guess the color"; 5. mini-game "Sea shapes"; 6. mini-game "Mixing paints"; 7. mini-game "Colorful figures". Make your life easier with premium access: - Check its advantages, by getting a free three-day trial. After 3 days, the trial will automatically turn to the weekly paid subscription. - The paid subscription is divided into the 3 types: weekly, monthly, and year. - A week paid subscription costs $9.99. Month - $19.99. Year - $99.99. - Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. - You can cancel the subscription or a free trial at any time, but at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. OTHERWISE, it will be automatically renewed. - The account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours before the end of the current period. - You can manage the subscription and turn off the auto-renewal in your Account Settings after purchase. - Any unused portion of a free trial will be forfeited when you purchase the subscription. - Read our privacy policy https://brainytrainee.com/privacy.html And Terms of use https://brainytrainee.com/terms_of_use.html

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COMMENTS

  1. 21 Color Activities for Toddlers: Fun Ways to Match, Sort, and Play

    There are so many fun ways to teach colors to toddlers through activities. It's always a bonus when they don't even realize they are learning! The best way for toddlers to learn is through play, learning colors is no exception. Toddler Color Matching and Sorting Activities. These color activities for toddlers focus matching and sorting by ...

  2. How to Teach a Toddler Colors with 20+ Fun Activities

    Learn how to teach toddlers colors in a hands-on way with over 20 easy and fun activities that invite young children to explore, sort, match, and mix colors. From sensory bins to sensory bottles, from sensory hunts to sensory hikes, these activities will help your preschoolers learn about colors in a fun and engaging way.

  3. Color Activities For Toddlers

    Learn colors with fun and easy crafts, games and sensory activities for toddlers. From printable color matching cards to sensory bins, from sensory play to sensory painting, from sensory play to sensory scavenger hunt, you can find a variety of ideas to teach your toddler about colors in a playful way.

  4. 20 Hands-On Activities for Learning Colors

    Learning Colors Hands-On Activities. Learning the colors of the rainbow is an important part of preschoolers' cognitive development. Through color recognition and matching activities, kids learn to differentiate between basic colors, recognize patterns, and expand their visual-spatial awareness.

  5. Color Activities for Preschoolers and Toddlers

    Color activities for preschoolers and toddlers doesn't have to mean coloring pages or worksheets. You don't need to use printables to exposure your child to colors. Learning about colors is a dynamic process in early childhood - it's also fun, magical, and engaging.

  6. 25 Color Crafts and Activities for Kids

    3. Bubble Wrap Roller Art. Develop fine motor skills with this simple Bubble Wrap Roller Art for kids. Toddlers and preschoolers will love learning with this fun colors activity for kids. 4. Easy Paper Plate Rainbow Craft - Arty Crafty Kids. A super easy Paper Plate Rainbow craft for toddlers and preschool - great for color mixing and fine ...

  7. 9 Simple Ways to Get Your Toddler to Learn Colors

    Learn how to introduce colors to your toddler with simple tips and activities that over-expose them to the concept of colors. From color matching to puzzles, from crayons to puzzles, find fun and easy ways to teach your child their colors early on.

  8. The Complete Guide to Teaching Colors to Toddlers

    Check out my post here on how to choose the best books for your toddler. Below is a list of some of my favorite books to teach colors. Colors by Paul Dronsfield is a book I love because it helps your child point to the color and say it. Colors (Fish and Friends) $5.99.

  9. 6 Ways to Teach Colors to Toddlers with Free Printable

    Here are some tips to make learning about colors more enjoyable: Include color activities that involve whole-body movement. ~ Try matching colors. ~ Go on scavenger hunts. ~ Play "I Spy.". ~ Make color collections. ~ Create rainbows using random items from around the house. ~ Practice sorting by using color items.

  10. 20 Interactive Color Learning & Color Play Activities for Toddlers

    1. The Floor is Lava. Play a game of "the floor is lava " with a twist! Prepare big and colorful paper squares that your kid can stand on. Pretend that the floor is lava and the only way to get saved is by going to the correct color of the paper that you will say. A fun and cool game for your active ones. 2.

  11. Fun Color Activities Make Learning Colors for Toddlers Unbelievably Easy

    Three mice are on a white sheet of paper and they get into jars of red, yellow and blue paint while a cat is sleeping. Each mouse gets into a different jar of paint, and drips paint onto the paper. Then the other mice play in the puddles, creating new colors. Mouse Paint is fabulous for teaching about color mixing.

  12. 11 Simple and Fun Color Activities for Toddlers

    Learn how to teach toddlers the colors through play with easy and fun activities such as color books, crafts, sorting, hunting, sensory play, and more. Find tips, ideas, and examples for each activity on this website.

  13. Make Learning Exciting with Color Activities for Toddlers

    Color Learning Art Activities. Art projects and experiences are the perfect way to get your kids learning in a fun, low pressure way. As they color, paint, and draw, ask them to hand you the purple crayon, paint with the red paint, or tell you what color they want to use next . Keep it fun and focused on the art, and your kids will learn their ...

  14. Activities for Teaching Colors

    Color with painting - Incorporate all of the colors of the rainbow in multisensory activities from a young age. These art play activities incorporates colors into play and learning through art with toddlers. Teach colors with a ball pit - Use ball pit balls in a baby pool. You can bring a baby pool indoors as a baby ball pit to teach colors.

  15. Learning About Colours: 31 Activities for Preschoolers

    3. Sorting and Grouping. Teach kids to see the differences in colours by doing sorting activities . Sort beads, buttons, blocks or coloured counters into separate baskets, containers or egg boxes. 4. Matching Cards. Play a classic memory game of matching the pairs of cards, using only plain-coloured cards.

  16. 6 Color Activities for Toddlers

    Race for a ribbon. Stocksy. This color activity combines learning with an energy-burning race, so try it the next time the weather's got you stuck indoors. Tie a different colored ribbon to the tops of three long-handled wooden spoons, then put the spoons in a small pail placed at least 10 feet away from your tot.

  17. 70+ Shape and Color Activities for Toddlers Preschool and Kindergarten

    If you are wanting to celebrate color day, a great way to bring forth learning colours for kids is to set up easy and effective activities to learn colors. Learning the colours of the different flags of the world, or games on colours such as board games or interactive games are other fun ways to learn about colors in a group setting.

  18. Easy Color and Shape Activities for Toddlers!

    Playing with colors and shapes are wonderful activities for toddlers! As you play with these things, you naturally introduce your child to new language and build their vocabulary as you have fun together. The Color and Shape-themed activities are ideal for young children between 18 months and 2 1/2 years old. There are so many

  19. Learning Preschool Colors: Crafts, Activities & Worksheets

    There are lots of ways for kids to learn colors! From color matching and color recognition activities to color worksheets and coloring sheets - we have lots of ways for children to explore beautiful colors! So whether you grab a box of crayons, markers, or colored pencils to learn color names with free printables or you work on color matching ...

  20. FREE Printable Color Worksheets for Kids

    These color worksheets are great for learning color names and working on color regognition. Whether you are a parent, teacher, or homeschooler - these Learning Colors Worksheets are a fun way for kids to learn to recognize items in the real world that are typically these colors. At the same time toddlers, preschooler, and kindergartners will ...

  21. Color Learning Games for Toddlers Online

    Learning colors is an important age-appropriate goal for toddlers. The internet is loaded with educational games aimed at children of all ages and skill levels. Look for games that involve simple computer skills like one click of the mouse and repetition to help your toddler learn his colors.

  22. Colors and Shapes Learning Games

    Stick a few different colored papers to the wall. Get some stickers that have the same color range and ask your toddler to peel and stick the stickers on the matching colored papers on the wall. 4. Color Hunt. Learning colors games for 3 year olds can be so much fun! Take Color Hunt for instance. Determine a color.

  23. Color Game

    This color game for preschool and kindergarten helps young kids learn how to sort orange, blue, red, green and yellow objects. The game has audio instructions and fun animations and sound to keep learning fun. Preschool & Kindergarten - games & activities that now work on tablets (and all devices!) Some other color activities your preschooler ...

  24. 9 Easy Methods for Teaching Colors That Will Brighten Your Child ...

    These color games are a fun and easy way to help your toddlers learn their colors. Simple Color Sorting Games This game is simple to put together and very effective at teaching colors.

  25. Educational Kids Games 2-5 4+

    Learning color games for kids are a perfect way for the youngest players to start to memorise color names, as well as having fun. Play educational toddler games for children ages 2-5. Learn colors, develop fine motor skills and train your visual memory. Our kids games will introduce your little one to the basic color palette and teach them how ...