Have you ever made a sensory box for little one to explore? They are wonderful for vocabulary development, encouraging creativity, open ended play, hands on learning, fine motor development… ahhh the list could go on and if you follow me on Instagram you know I am a BIG FAN!
Color sensory boxes like this, are actually really easy to put together and they can help your little learn shades of color, recognize different objects in the same color, and different textures, and they are a perfect way to introduce and explore colors. For this one I whipped up a batch of dyed rice (see how to make your own here), placed it in a small tub then searched our house for items in the same color and added them to the bin. Both my girls LOVED playing and exploring with these types of bins.
Sorting is kind of a big deal. I mean, think about it we sort every single day! From pairing our socks, organizing toys, papers, food, we categorize and sort without even thinking about. With that said, sorting is important and a fundamental skill for littles to learn. They are learning to look at objects, compare similarities and differences, describe attributes, and organize the information they are gathering. WOW! So sorting by COLOR is one way to get them critically thinking and also, works well when teaching children to recognize and identify colors.
Here’s a SIMPLE activity you can do today with your little one at home to work on color sorting. Collect objects in 2-4 different colors, remember start with less if your little is just starting to recognize colors, then lay out a few sheets of paper, and ask your little to sort the objects. If they need more direction model for them by saying, “Today we are going to sort by color. If I pick up this toy I see it is red. I can match it to the red paper. Red goes with red. Can you match each toy and paper?”
Kids enjoy creating, getting messy, and exploring new art materials so making crafts is a natural way to teach about colors! Pull out a new art material and let them explore the color they are using while they create. You can easily make single colored crafts like a painting of a yellow sun or a frog collage made from torn green paper or pull out all the colors and engage in rainbow fun! Here’s a look at a fun craft activity I did with my girls.
TALK! Yes, talking about colors in the world around you is one of the easiest ways children begin to learn and identify colors. “The sky is blue. The grass is green. The car is red. Your shirt is pink.” Chat about the colors you see all around. Learning from experiences is one of the best ways for children to learn and engaging in conversations about early concepts while reading, playing, out and about, eating…. is KEY!
There really are SO MANY ways your littles can engage, learn, and play with colors! I’d LOVE to hear about how you explore colors at home or in the classroom. Leave me a comment below and let’s share ideas!
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