As the school year starts many of us will be teaching colors in our classrooms. Most children are familiar with colors and will be able to use their background knowledge to learn color names, color sorting, color words, and more. Below are some resources and suggestions of how these activities could be used in the classroom.
Color Posters
Color posters are perfect for classroom decor in the art center, visual aides in the classroom, sorting mats in the math center, and much more. These posters are simple and change only in color so students focus on the color and not the objects.
Coloring Pages
To build mastery students need the opportunity to identify and use each color. These coloring sheets allow students to focus on one color at a time. To learn it's name, color, and objects that are often that color. As students color the pictures have them repeat the color and use language to tell what objects are that color. Students can brainstorm other objects not on the coloring sheets.
Color Words
For older students or students that are advanced color words are familiar and can be taught. Following research students should identify the word, search for the word, and then produce the word on their own. These worksheets allow students to focus on one word at a time. The sections on the page can be done all at once or divided over 3 days. Students could have a day of identifying the word- tracing and coloring the matching color sheet. Day 2 students can search for the word in the word box and then search for the color around the classroom. Day 3 students can the missing word to complete the sentence with a matching picture- then write labels to label the color of a few objects in the classroom.
Play Games with Color
There are so many games to play to help students identify, sort, and use color. I've included the following:
* Color Cat Identification Game: Teacher chants the poem and then shows students a picture
card. The students identify the color of the object.
* Color Matching: Students match objects to the correct color of crayon. This is a file folder
game with an accompanying worksheet. This is perfect for a center or to use as an
assessment.
* Color Emotions: Have a class discussion about warm and cool colors. How do these colors
make you feel? What is your favorite color? Why do you like this color?
Color Mixing
Of course no color theme is complete without mixing colors. Show students how to make green, orange, purple, and brown using paint, colored water, colored plastic, colored play dough or any other color mixing tools. Students can mix paint on their own color wheel to show understanding of the concept.
Color Mixing Bonus: Use this chant to have students practice identifying the secondary color made by two primary colors.
Cat color this, Cat color this,
Cat color that, Cat color that,
Take (primary) and (primary) Take Red and Blue (put hands out)
Together and SPLAT! (Name Secondary) Together and SPLAT!
(Clap students say "purple")
All of these activities are available in my TPT store.
