Color Unit Activities for Young Children

 

I love unit activities when the whole family gets to participate! This is how I included my younger children into our study on colors.

Some Ideas to try:

1. Print color flash cards on card stock. (I found mine at: http://www.ziggityzoom.com/activities.php?a=173 I liked these because the animals are very cute and they have the colors written so my oldest can learn the color sight words.) Have the children take turns picking out a color, naming it, and finding something in the room that is that color. (they enjoy this more than you might think!)

2. For your early readers: Make your own flash cards, using two cards for every color. Write the name of the color on one 3x5 card and color a circle on the second in that color. Play a matching game with the cards face up, and as the child gets very good at sight reading the words, flip the cards over and play a memory game.

3. Print out a simple color by number (I found mine at: http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/TurkeyColorByNumber.htm I liked this because it is very simple and had many colors listed without the actual color on them so you have to read it. Also, it is almost Thanksgiving) Have the STUDENT read the color and find the appropriate number-does this count for math?

4. Have child pick out a color of their choice. Find pictures of that color in old magazines and cut them out, pasting them on a piece of cardstock for a color poster.

Paper Rainbow

This is a fun project to teach children how to measure using a ruler, and how to put colors in rainbow order.

Materials Needed:
1 “ wide strips of construction paper in: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple
Pencil
Ruler
Scissors
Stapler
Optional:
Paper for background/extra paintings
Washable paints
Paintbrushes
Glue
Wipes/Washcloths for cleanup
Light book (to weight down rainbow while it dries onto paper)

1. Have STUDENT measure and mark the following lengths in paper: Red:10 inch, Orange: 9 inch, Yellow 8 inch, Green 7 inch, Blue 6inch, and Purple 5 inch
2. Have STUDENT cut rainbow strips on measured line
3. Show student how to stack colors in rainbow order
4. Help student staple edges of paper strips together on both ends, folding the second end into an arch to complete

Optional:
1. Have student paint the background paper with the washable paints. You may wish to use only blues and whites with your students, but I let my children choose whatever design and colors they want. That’s what makes it art instead of an assignment
2. Brush white glue on an area about the size of the rainbow on your background paper. Lay rainbow on top of glue, and weight down with light weight (book) making sure it does not crush the rainbow
3. Have the STUDENT help clean up-wash paintbrushes and table after they are done

PS-Can’t stand throwing away those pretty rainbow paper scraps? Me neither-some ideas: Mix them up and have student arrange them from smallest to largest (hint:it will be in rainbow order) OR have student cut up the rainbow pieces. On seperate sheet of paper, use gluestick to write out a number or letter you are working on. Have student stick rainbow papers to the glue in shapes of the letter, creating a kinethetic learning experience!

Color Wheel

What a wonderful way to teach children how to mix paints and read a color wheel!

Materials Needed:

- Blank Color Wheel Printout. (one for each student, plus one for the teacher if you want the end result to be pretty and neat for future lessons) I found mine at: http://www.alifetimeofcolor.com (A very good site with useful information on the Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Colors, plus other projects to do with kids)

- Picture of painted color wheel (see above site)

- Washable Paints (red, blue, and yellow)

- Paintbrushes (you will either have to rinse your brush often while working or use many brushes-I opted for many brushes)

- Cup of water for rinsing brushes

- Paper towels

- Egg carton (empty please!)

- Wipes/washcloths for cleaning up


1. Show student picture of completed color wheel and explain that you are going to be mixing a whole rainbow of colors from only three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue)

2. Pour red, yellow, and blue paint into separate sections of the egg carton. Paint each of the large circular shapes on your blank color wheel a different primary color (they are marked ‘Primary Colors)

3. Explain to student that you are now going to be mixing two primary colors (red, yellow, blue) to make three new secondary colors (orange, green, and purple), which you will paint in the square shapes on your color wheel.

Using the color wheel as your guide (the two primary colors you use will be on either side of the new secondary color square, which is marked ‘secondary colors’) mix equal amount of the two primary colors in a new egg section to make the secondary colors. (red + yellow=orange, yellow +blue=green, and blue + red=purple) Either rinse and dry the brush in between colors, or use new brushes, or the colors will be muddy) Paint the square shapes (again, marked ‘secondary colors’ with the new colors.

4. Ask the student what colors they think will go into the remaining triangle shapes on your color wheel. Encourage problem solving here and then add that these next colors are called tertiary colors, and they are created when you mix a primary (red, yellow, blue) with a secondary color (orange, green, purple)

Using the wheel as your guide, mix the two colors on both sides of the triangle shape to make these third tertiary colors on new egg sections, keeping your brushes clean. Fill in these colors on the triangle shapes. (For those interested, red + orange= red orange, orange +yellow= orange yellow, yellow +green=chartreuse, green +blue +aquamarine, blue +purple=indigo, and purple +red=violet red. Violet is the technical name of our purple) (your children will think you are quite clever if you know these)

5. Have your children help you clean up now-they will become very good at cleaning brushes.