Benefits of Teaching Colors
Just how do you teach colors?
Through PLAY!
By creating opportunities for your young child to observe, match, and sort colors you give them the chance to develop visual memory. You can use everyday items, printables, toys, etc. One fun way of teaching colors is by color matching.
Color matching helps strengthen visual discrimination skills and thinking skills. Since color matching activities involve sorting by colors by using their hands, fine motor skills are also developed, too. The picking up of small manipulatives builds strength in small muscles of fingers, wrist, and hands.
In addition, you can add other developmental learning skills to this color matching activity by counting the foam blocks, making patterns, building towers, etc!
IT IS A GREAT WAY TO LEARN AND PLAY TODAY!
I made this fine motor skills toy with my 1 and 2 year old in mind, but I can see it as a great sorting activity for preschoolers, too!
Your baby and/ or toddler will have fun grasping, pinching, and pulling the foam blocks off the container.
I also cut a square in the lid of the container to add in some more hand- eye coordination! Happy Fine Motor Friday!
Once you have painted and added a protective coating, it is time to add Velcro dots to the container and the foam blocks.
Place the soft-sided set of dots on the container and the scratchy-sided dots on the foam blocks, or vice versa.
The Velcro dots add a fun sensory element to the activity as well.
As you can see I set up our Velcro Tower to reinforce color matching skills, but the kiddos just enjoyed pulling them off, putting them in the hole on top of the container, dumping them out, and attaching them back to the container paying no attention to matching the colors.
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COLOR MATCHING ACTIVITY
To put together your own color matching activity, gather your materials:
Note: I used a plastic container because that is what I had an excess of, however, an oatmeal container can be painted on with no chipping and/or use colored duct tape
instead. An oatmeal type container would have been way easier to work with; ah! Live and learn! Or a sturdy box would work, too!
Make this color matching activity for your toddler and/or preschooler! It is sure to be a HIT!
- Tall Container {I used plastic}
- Package of Velcro Dots (buy a big ol' pack-- you'll find Velcro to be very addictive! ha!)
- Foam blocks (similar to these). I purchased mine from The Dollar Store (or some other type of manipulative)
- Paint
- Mod Podge or some type of sealant that can be used on plastic to protect the paint from chipping. {I did not do this, and it is definitely a must!}
Note: I used a plastic container because that is what I had an excess of, however, an oatmeal container can be painted on with no chipping and/or use colored duct tape
instead. An oatmeal type container would have been way easier to work with; ah! Live and learn! Or a sturdy box would work, too!Make this color matching activity for your toddler and/or preschooler! It is sure to be a HIT!
I also cut a square in the lid of the container to add in some more hand- eye coordination! Happy Fine Motor Friday!
Once you have painted and added a protective coating, it is time to add Velcro dots to the container and the foam blocks.
Place the soft-sided set of dots on the container and the scratchy-sided dots on the foam blocks, or vice versa.
The Velcro dots add a fun sensory element to the activity as well.
Irregardless, the color matching activity is a fun activity to make so your toddler and/or preschooler can learn and play.
This kept the kiddos entertained for quite some time! Yay!
However, as I mentioned above, in hindsight I wish I had made it with a cardboard box instead.
This kept the kiddos entertained for quite some time! Yay!
However, as I mentioned above, in hindsight I wish I had made it with a cardboard box instead.
More activities to teach your child colors
More Fine Motor Skills Activities:
- Winter Cotton Ball Crafts from P is for Preschooler
- Rainbow Scissor Skills & Color Matching from Little Bins for Little Hands
- St. Patrick’s Day Gelatin Fine Motor Play from House of Burke
- Tiny Pom Pom Fine Motor Skills from Powerful Mothering
- Color Sorting Box from Still Playing School
- Fine Motor Ideas Using BIG Bubble Wrap from Lalymom
- Shamrock Garland from Stir the Wonder
Oh, what fun!
ReplyDeleteSo fun! Those Velcro dots ARE addictive aren't they? It's nice that the blocks fit inside too, making two activities in one!
ReplyDeleteWhat a good idea! They can stick the blocks to the velcro, or push them inside. (We're velcro fans too! lol!)
ReplyDeleteThat's neat. I wonder if my 2 year old would get into this??? Maybe I should try it out. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAwesome idea! I love velcro too!! Fun for my wild man and not messy =)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Glad I am not the only one ; ) Definitely try it-- my kiddos truly enjoyed the activity!
ReplyDeleteI may be a bit biased, but yes! I think you should try this activity : ) My 14 month old & 35 month old had a great time with it.
ReplyDeleteWow! Cool ideas.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderfully creative idea. i have never seen anything like this before. We use containers that look like that for shaker rhythm instruments and for putting pipe cleaners in. I have never thought about using the outside. Great take on color sorting. This would fit in wonderfully with my Toddler Idea Tuesday post this week. I shared several different color activities.
ReplyDeleteI would love if you could stop by and share with Toddler Idea Tuesday. I am always looking for new activities for my little ones and I love to share with my readers.
http://totsandme.blogspot.com/2014/02/toddler-ideas-tuesday-february-25th-2014.html
Have a great evening