Teaching Colors to Toddlers and Preschoolers

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When teaching colors to our toddlers and preschoolers, we use the same approach as teaching other skills. We offer plenty of exposure in a variety of ways. Hands-on exploration that they can tie into their everyday lives.

One of my favorite examples is our giant color wheel. While we are learning about the colors of the rainbow, we ask the children to contribute by bringing in items from home. We then create a colorful color wheel that everyone participates in.

I do not recall how I found out about this, or even when. I just know we’ve been doing it for years and the preschoolers always love it. Plus, it gives us a fun decoration for our classroom wall!

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Asking for items:

The week prior to this activity, we sent home a note with a picture of the rainbow. We asked each family to go on a color hunt and find items around the house that are the colors of the rainbow.

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Painting the color wheel:

Using a large piece of white paper, draw a circle and then divide it like a pie so you have sections for each color of the rainbow. Have the children paint each section and let dry thoroughly.

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Adding the items to the color wheel:

We put glue in squeeze bottles and set them around the color wheel. The preschoolers then matched the items they brought from home with the colors on the wheel. They squirted glue and applied their objects.

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I love these hands-on learning activities! So much thought was taking place as the preschoolers walked around the color wheel, searching for the matching color.

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When finished with the color wheel:

Each year we proudly display our giant color wheel. The preschoolers love to point to their contributions!

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Teaching colors to preschoolers - make a giant color wheel! Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

A classroom tradition:

Creating a color wheel has been a tradition in our classroom for many years.

Here is ours from last year:

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