Colors are all around us and are a core part of our days, even if we don’t think about it. A key part of childhood development is when toddlers start to identify colors. However, there are plenty of easy ways that parents can nurture this skill at home. Today we’ll share a list of over 10 fun and creative activities that help toddlers learn about colors.
Matching Colors: How to Teach Your Child About Colors
Colors are some of the first things that kids start to recognize – it’s estimated that babies can start to understand colors at around four months old.
By the time your child is three, they probably know the words for one or more colors, and by the time they are four they probably have a very colorful vocabulary – in a good way! So you don’t need to worry about your kids picking up on the difference between colors. What you can help them with is learning the words for them and getting them to stick.
And the best way to learn is always the fun way. As far as teaching colors to toddlers, activities and games are the way to go. These are fun ways not only to learn colors, but to develop other skills. Here are just a few fun color activities for toddlers to start with!
#1 Sticker Sorting
Stickers are always fun, and they’re a great way to get started on color crafts for toddlers. Simply put up a set of colored paper on the wall, and give your toddlers some colored stickers. The game is to try and match stickers to paper. This game is a great way to develop fine motor skills as well.
#2 Button Sorting
If you want to boost your own creativity, you can create button sorting cups for your kids. Not only is this a fun color craft for toddlers that will teach them colors, but it’s a great way to teach counting as well!
#3 Sensory Bin Color Match
Sensory bins are a really fun way to get your child used to handling different types of objects and developing their sense of touch. By making color-coordinated sensory bins you can help them develop their color recognition as well.
#4 Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin
A fun twist on the sensory bin is the Rainbow Rice bin. It’s really easy to make, but few other color activities for toddlers will keep them so engrossed. Give your toddler some colorful measuring cups and scoops and let them go wild.
#5 Lego Hunt
Building blocks of any kind are synonymous with childhood fun activities. By encouraging kids to stick those of the same color together, you can help with their color recognition. If you hide the lego bricks, however, you’ll also improve their problem-solving skills with a fun hide and seek activity!
#6 Color Hop
Got some colored chalk and a sunny day? Then you can have a load of fun with Color Hop. Just make a grid of colorful dots and encourage your child to jump to the right color when you name it. It’s great exercise as well!
#7 Mixing Colors with Ice Cubes
Recognizing colors on their own is a great start, but your kids should also learn how different colors mix together. By freezing food-dyed water, you can create ice cube “color bombs”. Let your kids choose which ice cubes will melt together and let them watch what new colors form.
#8 Paint a Rainbow
Painting is not just great for getting kids to recognize colors, but for letting them stretch their creativity overall. You can encourage them to try and match a premade rainbow – learning the correct order of colors in a rainbow at the same time.
#9 Outdoor Scavenger Hunt
If you want to take the Lego Hunt to the next level, why not set up a full-on scavenger hunt? This is a great activity to do when you have a full day, and multiple children to entertain. When teaching colors to toddlers, activities like this are also great for teaching the names of objects.
#10 Colored Shaving Foam
If you’re willing to get messy, why not try setting up some colored shaving foam for your children to play with. Trust us, they’ll love to get messy! This kind of sensory bin is super easy to set up, and great for teaching children how colors mix.
#11 DIY Coloring Book
Making your own coloring book isn’t as difficult as it seems. You can stretch your own creativity by setting up this color activity for toddlers. And why not get in on the coloring too? You’ll inspire your children to copy you, and coloring is a real stress reliever.
Let Your Child Get Creative: Supporting Early Learning Skills at Home
As you can see, there are plenty of fun color activities for toddlers that you can do right in the comfort of your own home. Vivvi has always been about bringing fun childhood learning experiences directly to you, even if you don’t live near one of our campuses. If you’d like to learn more about our In-Home programs, make sure to contact us! It will certainly add some color to our days.