Learn about Colors
Tell your students that you are all going to learn about colors. Talk about different colors and point out which is which. Ask them which colors they like.
Ask them about the colors of the things around you, and the things you can see out the window. Is the table brown? Is the sky blue? Is someone wearing yellow hair-clips? Is anyone wearing a white shirt? What is the color of the grass or the trees? What colors are the flowers in the vase? What color is the rainbow?
Learn about the Color Wheel
Show the children a color wheel and talk about primary, secondary and complementary colors.
- Primary colors are red, yellow and blue.
- Primary colors are mixed to produce secondary colors such as creating green by mixing yellow and blue
- Complementary colors are the colors opposite each other on the color wheel such as red and green
Using paint, have the toddlers mix the colors to produce the above results. They can also mix different shades of the colors. Have them observe how a color becomes lighter when mixed with white, and becomes darker when mixed with black.
Learn about the Science of Colors
Show the toddlers how color is affected by changing light. Photograph an object in the morning light, the afternoon light and the evening light. Then ask the toddlers if they can see any difference in how the color appears. Talk about why this happens.
Show the toddlers how colors look different when they are diluted in water. You can get a concentrated orange drink and dilute it in water. Your students will like this, especially if they can drink it afterwards.
Learn about the Colors in Food
Talk about food colors. What color is a banana? An apple? Would we like food if it came in a different color than the usual? Would you for example, like blue strawberries, purple carrots or grey tomatoes? Talk about how it is the colors that make food look attractive and edible. Have play food available or pictures for your students to reference.
Learn about the Colors in Nature
Talk about flower colors. Roses come in pink, red, white, yellow, orange, violet, and many more shades. What color is a sunflower? Which flowers are white? Offer flowers, or pictures of flowers for the children to pick from, since they might not know the names.
Talk about colorful birds, animals and insects. Again have pictures or stuffed animals available, so your toddlers will have something to reference.
