As children grow their visual system matures and they are able to perceive certain details that they did not notice before. In fact, it is not until around 16 or 18 months that they can distinguish colors well, although they are not yet able to identify them. Most children cannot identify colors until they are two years old, and it is not until around age 3 that they are ready to learn them.

When the time comes, you should know that there are many strategies to teach colors to children. One of the most used is memorization by repetition, in which the little ones learn the colors thanks to their parents repeating them over and over again. However, there are other techniques that are also very easy to apply and that are often much more effective since they are based on play and encourage experiential learning. In fact, some studies have shown that children they tend to memorize information better and faster while playing.

5 games to teach colors to a child

1. Where’s the color?

This is a very simple game in which you just have to tell the child a color or let him choose one and then ask him to find an object of that color. Once you find an object, you can encourage him to look for a new one or ask him the name of the object. It is not only a way for the little one to learn the colors, but also to expand his vocabulary and his capacity to associate objects with their name. A variant consists of placing the child in front of several objects of different colors and asking him to show you the object of the color you indicate.

2. Color connector

With this game the child will not only memorize the colors but will also be able to relate them to the colors of her environment. Basically, it consists of showing him different images that you have at home, whether they are from children’s storybooks or magazine clippings, and asking him to match the colors of each image with the colors of his toys or with that of the objects around you. You can ask it to identify multiple objects of the same color or change colors once it has found an object of that color.

3. The day of color!

And if suddenly one morning you decide to draw the day of a color? This is a very fun game: choose a color for each day and try to make all the activities of the day related to that color. For example, if you choose red you can dress the child in a garment red, make the bed with a red sheet and prepare a tomato salad or macaroni bolognese to eat. This is a fun and easy way to teach your child about colors while having fun together.

4. I see, I see chromatic

This is a version of the traditional game “I see, I see”, in which the child is asked to find the objects that begin with a vowel or consonant. In this In this case, you can use the same strategy of the traditional game but with colors. Ask him to look for objects of a certain color: “I see, I see, you tell him, what do you see? asks the child. A blue colored object. And the child must go out in search of the blue object or objects. Then it starts over, this time with a new color.

5. Colored blocks

Building blocks can become a great ally when it comes to teaching your child colours. You can play to build figures, houses or any other structure with the blocks of a single color, which you or the little one can choose. You can also combine the constructions using different colors in sequence, a strategy that also stimulates the logical sequence of thought. The best thing about this game is that your little one can build all the structures they want as the combinations are almost endless.