As a parent, you want your children to learn as much as they can. When they’re young, they cannot possibly learn by reading textbooks, but instead, they get to know the world through games. Children have a natural desire to sort things and bring order into their world, and color sorting is one of the ways to do it. By the time they are three, children should already be able to recognize and name different colors, and you can help them.
Coloring apps
If your child is too young to hold the pen properly, there are still ways to get them interested in coloring and help them learn colors. We know how handy kids can be around smartphones and tablets, so why not get nice, educational coloring apps and let them play? You can pick coloring sheets with something they like – favorite animals, flowers, clothes, or you can use the opportunity and teach them shapes. The right apps will help expand their vocabularies and they will also learn to spell.
Printable worksheets
Your preschooler will probably learn about colors in kindergarten through worksheets and coloring pages, but what’s stopping you from trying the same thing at home? Print out a coloring worksheet for the older ones, or simply pick one of the color recognition ones for toddlers. If they are older, aside from learning to recognize their basic colors, they will also learn to write each color and draw things of the same color. You can always use the other side of the page when they’ve finished coloring, and ask them to draw something for you.
Draw and cut
Another great way to improve your children’s motor skills along with their eye-hand coordination is to ask them to draw you something red, blue, or yellow, and help them cut it afterwards. You can use the opportunity and have them draw flowers, butterflies, balloons, and stars in different colors, and cut them later on. You can also sing songs about the colors of the rainbow and point out different things of the same color in the room.
Coloring books
Nothing beats good, old coloring books! Kids learn so much from coloring simple images: their motor skills are improved because they have to learn how to hold the pens, crayons, and markers, it prepares them for school and stimulates creativity. If they got over crayons but you still don’t think they’re ready for markers, you can try giving them gel pens instead. Gel pens have bright, vivid ink which children love, but they are less messy than markers which means less cleanup time for you.
Parents often fear that their children might even be color blind when they don’t respond to their parents’ question about what color a certain object is. Don’t be alarmed and most importantly – don’t push your child too hard. Give them time to explore the world at their own pace, and simply be there to support them and give them information. If they are free to be carefree and play, they will grow up to be happy, curious children.
