Ten Color Activities

1.  Color Caterpillar:  My inspiration for this came from here.  It's really simple, cut out the color shapes.  Glue them in the shape of a "C".  Draw a face.  Have child pick a name that begins with a "C".  This could be used in a colors unit and in teaching letter "C".

2.  Color Slapping Game:  I bought these color posters from the Dollar Tree and put them up in our preschool room.  I give my boys each a plastic spatula and then say things like, "S, can you find the color green."  "L can you find the color purple." "What color is the pumpking?  What color is the rubber duck?"  And they slap the correct poster.  I learned this in my teacher education program.  We've also tried it with spelling words, sight words, shape posters, etc.  It's a big hit at our house!

3.  Color Junk Sort:  Found the idea here along with many other CUTE ideas.  The one with the number is for S.  He has to put the correct number of colored objects into each section.  For L, I did no numbers, he just has to sort them into colors.  I found these boxes on sale at Michaels Crafts for $1 each!  I taped construction paper into each space and found all the "junk" around the house.

4.  Color Nature Hunt:  I can't seem to find the link where I found this activity, but I'm pretty sure it was on the blog Tired Need Sleep.  She has great ideas!  This activity is best done in spring or summer.  We went on a hunt outside to find something in nature for each color.  Then we dumped out our bags and shared our treasures.

5.  "The Color Song"  found at Mrs. Jone's Room.  We LOVE this song at our house!  Here's just one verse to give you a taste: 

(To the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It")

If you are wearing red, shake your head
If you are wearing red, shake your head
If you are wearing red
Then please shake your head
If you are wearing red, shake your head

6.  "I Have...Who Has..." Game:  Another great find from PreKinders!  Click on the link for directions and downloads.  This game works on colors and shapes.  S keeps asking to play this game, he caught right on and loved it!  L had a harder time getting it, but it was a really good way to see what shape and color names he knows.  It starts to cost a lot when printing in color, but there are always deals on copies too!  (Frugal Tip:  Office Depot had a coupon a few months ago for $10 off a purchase of $10 or more.  So I made a folder of all the preschoolish things I wanted to print in color and printed them there for free! Their website or the fabulesslyfrugal website will show deals like these.) 

7.  "Oh Rats" Game by Discover Toys:  We had this game when I was little, so my sister and I were ecstatic when we found it at a thrift store for $2.00!  I always check the games isle everytime I go to the thrift store, you never know what treasures you'll find!  I looked on ebay and saw a few copies of the game. We also play color games just using the color spinner from "Oh Rats".  If you can't get a hold of the game, make a spinner or dice with colors and try these variations:

a.  "I See":  Spin or roll the dice.  Look around the room for something of that color.  I say to everyone, "Something that is purple is the package of baby wipes." 

b.  Colored Laundry:  We tried this one yesterday.  I was working on folding laundry and the boys wanted me to play with them.  I dumped all the clean laundry on the couch then spun the spinner.  It landed on green and I said, "S will you please bring me all the laundry with green on it?"  Then I would fold it and go until we did all the colors. 

What other spinner or dice games do you play?

8.  Fruit Loop Necklaces:  A classic and EASY activity that I seem to forget about.  So incase you have forgotten too, I'm am posting about it.  I had L tell me the name of the color as he put it on.  I had S make color patterns on his necklace.  Tip:  Tape one end of the yarn or string with masking tape for easier stringing. Tie a froot loop double knotted on the other end to keep them on the string.

9.  I saw this idea here  and decided to also make it a color activity.  S and L loved dropping the water and shaking the tray to make the colors dance.  They also learned that if you collide the colors, they make new colors.  (See how I got my pipets and another pipet activity here.)

10.  Coloring Snow:  I think this was the favorite color activity at our house!  I filled each muffin tin hole with snow, filled glasses with primary colored water (using food coloring) and gave the boys pipets.  They mixed colors and colored their snow.  I ended up giving them plastic spoons also for stiring and tasting (they thought it tasted SO good!) and straws for drinking the melted snow.