Teaching Color Recognition to Kids

Did you know that color recognition is a key developmental step for children? I am quite amazed that my 2-year old niece can identify so many colors: red, blue, “lellow” [yellow], etc. She checks our understanding too as she holds up each crayon: “What’s dis?” “What’s dis?”

But some school-age children still struggle with color identification. They also ask me to name the colors of crayons. If they didn’t peel off all the wrappers (and throw them on the floor!), maybe I’d know if the crayon was indigo, periwinkle or prussian blue!

How Can You Teach Colors in the Classroom?

A lot of coloring goes on in elementary school classrooms. Some have an academic component, such as color by code worksheets that create a picture, based on which sections are which color. Or, color the synonyms matching colors. Primary grade children can’t write a 5-paragraph essay, so they are often asked to color a picture of a story. My principal sometimes remarks that we are doing “crafts” in the library. No one loves crafts more than I, but I tell him, “they are literary response projects.”

There are various ways to teach colors in your curriculum. You can read books with color themes. Younger students can sort or match items by color (pre-math skills). Play I Spy and have them find items of a certain color. Even puzzles often have a color matching component, as they try to put two pieces of an image together. Thematic lessons around holidays often involve certain colors (think rainbows for St. Patrick’s Day or turkey feathers for Thanksgiving).

Fun Activities for Reinforcing Color Recognition

I have created some interactive Google Slides decks that reinforce color recognition. In What Color Is the Fish, student look at a certain colored fish and tap on the matching crayon. A fun mystery picture is revealed as they choose correct answers.

Or this one, What Color Is the Ladybug

Some of my color recognition activities are BOOM Cards, which are online digital task cards, hosted on the BOOM Learning website.

What Color Is the Backpack

What Color Is the Apple

So, have a rainbow of a good time teaching your students about colors and reinforcing this developmental step. Sometimes the simplest activities can be the most educational!

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