Teaching Colors to 3 and 4 year olds

A couple of summers ago, my two granddaughters, six and eight years old, came for a week’s visit. I told them how great they both looked in their aqua tee shirts. The six year old, Alayna replied, “aqua is only for people over 60 years old, so this is not aqua.” I got a color wake-up call that day on what to call different shades or hues. Evidently, the word “aqua” must be out of style. However, even at age six, Alayna definitely had ideas as to what colors she liked and disliked, especially with clothing. When I took Alayna and Mikaela shopping, they would politely tell me when a color did or did not meet with their approval. It was fun to see them modeling different colors and styles. One of their favorite matching outfits was a bright orange skirt and top, which they called their “cheerleading outfit.” I think that bright orange seemed like a “fun-energy” color for them. They practiced cheerleading routines all week.

Have you ever noticed how children are so happy when they are learning something new (which is all the time). They are learning every breath they take, every moment. They are like sponges, absorbing concepts, behavior , environment and attitudes. I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

How do you teach a preschooler a concept about colors? First, we have to punch their curious button, which shouldn’t be hard. For example, if they heard a story about a little girl who only liked yellow, they might wonder what does yellow look like? One of my first rhyming stories that I wrote is about such a girl, “Louella, Who Only Liked Yellow.” The neat part about the story is that there are other colors that Louella soon became willing to try, such as “green jeans” or “black slacks."

Louella Who Only Liked Yellow

There was a little girl name Louella.She loved everything that was yellow.

She wore yellow dressesAnd even had yellow tresses.

She didn’t like:

Green Jeans
Or
Black Slacks
Or
White Tights
Or
A Red Dress
Or
Blue Shoes
Or
A Brown Gown

Louella only wantedTo wear yellow.

Louella liked only yellow food.Anything yellow put her in a good mood.

She liked corn, bananas, and lemon pie.They all were yellow and that was why.

Yellow made her feel sunny.Yellow made her feel funny.

Her mother said “Louella,You can’t just wear clothes that are yellow.”

Her father said “Louella,You can’t just eat foods that are yellow.”

But Louella only wanted clothes that were yellow.Louella only wanted food that was yellow.

Then one day, LouellaGot tired of yellow.

She announced to her parents,“I am going to wear:

Green Jeans
And
Black Slacks
And
White tights
And
A Red Dress
Blue Shoes
And
A Brown Gown

I am going to eat whatever you give me to eat.Because I know it will give me a delicious treat.

However, if you ever see Louella,Maybe, just maybe, she may be wearing yellow.

-Francine Larson

This story is a great way to teach colors. You can have the children draw the various clothing that Louella would not wear, such as “green jeans” Have fun with it.

As I was surfing the internet for more information about colors, I found some great sites that would be helpful material for preschoolers. This site teaches colors and nutrition at the same time. Children can color vegetables and fruits at http://www.5aday.org/html/kids/coloring.php

I believe every child has a favorite color – a color that makes them feel happy. Why not ask each child to make a circle with a smile, (a happy face) and color it the color that makes the child feel happy.

Enjoy and color me purple for my happy face!