Can you describe the things around you without naming their color? How about setting up a whole room with only one color? Would you know what to do at traffic signal if you cannot tell apart the colors?
Sounds difficult? That's because colors are vital in our experience of the world. That’s also why it’s crucial that your child be able to identify and tell apart colours.
You may have heard about the importance of colours in childhood education but do you know that children don’t see colours the way most adults do?
A child’s ability to see colours, identify them, and differentiate between them grows over the years. In this blog, we speak about how this ability develops, how you can introduce your child to different shades, and some colour-focused activities that will help stimulate and hone their cognitive skills.
Why Teaching Colours Is Important For Kids
1. Builds Language Skills
Learning colours helps kids describe the world around them. When they know colour names, they can say things like “red ball” or “blue sky,” which builds their vocabulary.
2. Boosts Observation Skills
Colours help kids pay attention to details. Noticing different colours trains them to look more closely at things, which is a big part of learning.
3. Encourages Creativity
Knowing colours lets kids explore their creative side. Whether they’re drawing, painting, or just choosing clothes, colours let them express themselves.
4. Helps with Sorting and Matching
Colour names for kids are among the first ways kids learn to sort and match things. Sorting toys by colour or matching a blue block with a blue car strengthens their thinking skills.
5. Prepares for School
Understanding colours is one of the basics for school readiness. Recognizing colours and using them to describe objects gets them ready for more advanced learning.
How Do Kids Recognise Colours At Different Ages
Newborns - When a child is born, they can only see in monochrome. Since their vision is highly sensitive and only beginning to develop, it’s best to not surround them with too many colours at this stage. Having a monochrome room, simple wooden rattles, and plush toys with patterns will help gently stimulate their brains during the first few months.
3-6 months - At about three months, your baby will be able to see the colour red. This is followed by other colours such as green and yellow. Their vision is still sensitive, so make sure they are not being overstimulated by too many colours. Surround them with neutral colours, natural light, and wooden tones.
6-12 months - By about eight months, a baby will have a well developed sense of colour. They will also be able to make different colour associations at this point so keep pointing out and naming colours to them.
1-3 years - A toddler will be able to see almost all colours and differentiate between them. During this time, their oral skills are also rapidly developing so they can probably identify and name them too. You can further hone this skill by introducing them to different shades of colours at a young age.
4+ years - As your little one grows, they will start having colour preferences. This is a wonderful expression of their individuality so make sure you notice and nurture this! Let them get involved in decorating their rooms and selecting their toys and clothes as this will give them a chance to creatively tell you more about the people they are becoming!
Basic Colour Names To Introduce Kids
Here are some basic colour names that you should introduce to your baby. These should be the basic learning colours for 2-year-olds:
- Red
- Yellow
- Blue
- Green
- Orange
- Purple
- White
- Black
- Brown
- Pink
- Maroon
- Golden
These are the 12 colours name that you can teach to your toddlers
Why Is It Difficult To Teach Colours Name To Toddlers
Teaching colours to toddlers can be a bit tricky because of many reasons.
- Colours Are Hard to See as Separate Things for Kids: Unlike a ball or a toy, colours aren’t things they can hold.
- Learning Words Takes Time: Toddlers are still learning to speak and understand new words. In such a situation, learning colour names adds an extra challenge. Since they need to know both the object like an apple and its colour ‘red’ at the same time, it can take slightly longer for them to learn colours.
- Seeing Different Colours Isn’t Easy Yet: Young kids are still learning to tell colours apart. Some colours, like shades of blue and green, might look similar to them.
- Colours Change Depending on Light for Kids: Colours look different in different lighting, which can confuse toddlers. For example, “yellow” might look different on a toy than on a banana.
- Short Attention Span: Toddlers don’t usually stay focused for long. They might get distracted from learning colours and want to play with toys or explore instead.
Activities to introduce children to colours
1. Bright and colourful toys - Toys are the easiest way to help a child learn anything as children interact with the world through play. Toys with all the colours of the rainbow are ideal for teaching your child the basic colours. You could also use blocks with patterns for babies, colourful activity triangles for toddlers, and sorting boards for preschoolers.
2. Colour card games - Card games are another great way to get your little one comfortable naming colours. You could use flash cards to teach them colours associations, or play simple memory games where they have to pick and match cards of the same colour.
3. Colourful Books - Everyone loves a good book, including babies and toddlers! Use gorgeously illustrated books to grab your child’s attention and familiarise them with colours. Point out the colours of the ducky, monkey, and little girl to help them form connections they won’t forget.
4. Painting and art - There’s nothing like some creative fun with stamps, paints, crayons, and sketch pens to get your little one excited about colours! Making art will help them identify colours, build associations, discover which shades they like, and beautifully express themselves!
5. I-spy a colourful thing - How about a fun game of I-spy? Pick an object in the room, mention the colour, and try to get your child to guess it! They are sure to remember the colour to use it and win the next time, making this simple game a fantastic way to solidify their knowledge of colours.
6. Colour sorting basket - Fill a basket with items of a few colours and ask your toddler to sort and group items of each colour together. This will sharpen their colour recognition, recall, and differentiation abilities. Make sure there aren’t too many colours so it doesn’t get too confusing for your child!
Tips To Remember When Introducing Colours To Child
If you are looking for tips for teaching colours to your child, here are some helpful teaching methods that you can try:
1. Start with Basic Colours
Kick things off with the basics: red, blue, and yellow. These are usually easier for kids to tell apart. Once they're comfortable, you can slowly bring in other colours, like green, pink, and purple, to keep things interesting.
2. Spot Colours in Everyday Life
Use stuff around you! Point out colours in things like “the green leaves,” “the red apples,” or “the blue sky.” This way, they start connecting colours with real things, making it stick a bit better. You can also ask them to tell you the colours of their outfits.
3. Make It Fun and Interactive
Learning colours for kids doesn’t have to feel like “learning.” Try using games, painting, colour blocks, or puzzles to keep it playful. Turning it into a game keeps them engaged and excited about learning colours.
4. Sing Songs and Tell Stories
Songs and stories make colours way more memorable. Rhymes like ‘Roses are red, the sky is blue’, or a storybook with lots of colourful pictures can be great for teaching colours.
You can make up stories about rainbows to teach kids 7 colour names.
5. Sort by colours Together
Grab a few objects of different colours and let your child group them by colour. Sorting by colour is a fun way to practise. This way, they will not only learn colours but also understand different shades and hues. Plus, it’s great for building coordination too.
Keep playing and learning colours!
This video with early years educator Ashrita Johnson will tell you more about how children see and respond to colours. She also shares some awesome DIY activities that will help stimulate colour learning for young children.
Remember that it takes time for a child to see and identify colours. And many children spend a long while soaking in what's around them before they begin to speak and share what they’ve learnt. So be patient, stay the course, and let your little one explore and shine in their own time!
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you teach colours to kids?
The best way of teaching colour names for kids is by making a fun game out of it. Introduce activities like painting that involve different colour names to teach them to your kids.
What questions can you ask about colours?
If you are teaching colours to your kids, you can ask them to identify the basic colour names by pointing to daily life objects.
At What age do kids identify Rango ke naam?
Kids can learn to identify different colour names or rango ke naam as early as 3 to 4 years of age.