Did you know that? At birth, babies can only see in black and white. Yes, just like the TV screen from long ago. Then, around 3 months, he starts to distinguish bright colors like red and green. Around 5 months, he can distinguish as many colors as an adult and continues to develop his vision until 18 months. As you can see, learning colors is an important step in your child's development. Kidlee has prepared some Montessori activities to teach children about colors.
When should you teach your child colors?
It is undeniable that there is no specific age for learning colors. Each child is unique and progresses at his own pace. Children will be able to name the primary colors around 2-3 years old, but some children can do it as early as 15 months. Finally, shades will probably not be used until age 5. If your child has no interest in the activity, it may not be the right time. The main goal is for the child to learn while having fun, so the activity will be offered a little later.
Now that you know when, the second question is how?
Some activities for learning colors
Learning colors with the Montessori color boxes
They are boxes that contain pairs of colored wooden tablets of which there are 3 sizes. The first one contains 3 pairs for the primary colors. The second contains 11 pairs for the complementary colors. The third contains 32 pairs for the shades of colors.
But in all of this, you are probably wondering how to set up this activity. The answer is divided into 3 parts!
Naming what we see
First, you need to start by saying the names of the colors out loud. For example, you point to the red pair and say "that's red". Also, you can ask your child to repeat after you if he or she wants to.
Use your assisted memory
Once the shelves are set up, ask the child to show you, for example, the color blue. Of course, the child should have already mastered the first step.
Use your memory
For this third step, memory and learned vocabulary will be emphasized. You can ask him "Where is the green?"
The hunt for colors
Here we have an excellent variant of the treasure hunt. Here, instead of looking for the chest full of gold coins, you will only have to find objects in the chosen color. For more excitement, feel free to let your child choose the color to hunt. For more fun, keep score for each colored object found.
Making paint
Your little Picasso needs to express his vivid imagination. And if he also needs to learn about colors, this activity is perfect for him. You can suggest to your child to paint with different colors. One day a painting with blue only, another day with green...etc. For more craziness, you can also ask him to mix colors. You can propose them in parallel of the color hunt, if you choose a week on the theme of yellow for example.
Montessori color pots
The Montessori pencil pots are colored pots, in which pencils or other items are stored according to color. To facilitate the use and storage of the child. This activity is a two in one because it allows the child to learn colors and develop motor skills. If you want to make your own color pots, here is a tuto.
