“RAINBOW is my favorite color! – Connor, 4 and 1/2″
At what age should a toddler be able to know his colors? Well, it’s a bit of a gray area. Pun intended!
Some will start as early as 18 months, but generally, it’s around the age of 3. Around the same time he starts noticing similarities and differences in shapes and sizes. Hmmm… Shapes, colors, and sizes! If you think about it, this is probably why the oh-so-popular Shape Sorter has been the classic of all classics when it comes to babies and children’s toys!
Editor’s note: Some toddlers will get there a little later. And that is perfectly fine! They will ALL know that Roses are RED and Violets are BLUE by the age of 16, I promise. So, parents: there’s absolutely no need to worry. Trust me!
It’s been proven that the best way to learn is always through play! So, that’s good news! Here are fun and easy ideas for a playful learning experience with your toddler. You’d be surprised how many learning opportunities there is with just your normal daily activities.
Grocery shopping? Go on a scavenger hunt and find everything YELLOW. Browse the Fresh Produce aisle (the best one for this game) and have your little one point to all the Yellow fruits and Yellow veggies he can find. Once this becomes a little too easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy… Time to change things up a bit! Every time you add a fruit to your basket, have him call out the name of the fruit and the color!
Use Baby Blocks! Get your lil’ one going by arranging half of his baby building blocks by colors schemes. Then watch him place the other half in the same-colored group. This is a great learning activity to help your toddler develop organizational and logical thinking skills.
Construction Paper: For a lil’ visual help… Spread out no more than 3-4 sheets of colored paper on the floor or on a table. Make sure to use primary colors at the beginning (red-yellow-blue) and get sorting! Grab those baby blocks, some fruits, and veggies or anything that’s a plain color and place them directly on the proper craft paper.
Take it one step further with the Battat Farmers Market Basket! Grab the same craft paper, lay them on the kitchen table and have your toddler sort all the fruits and veggies by colors. Oh, and trust me, the harvest must have been successful, ‘cause this playset has plenty! Your toddler can also enjoy “slicing” them in 2 while he’s at it. Grab the toddler-friendly knife and the cutting board and… CHOP! CHOP! Whether it’s with fresh tomatoes or big round potatoes, this pretend play food basket will get him to practice and build strong motor skills at the same time. Need a little change because you ‘re all color-sorted out? Hide the play food items around the kitchen and even in the fridge, and watch him grab the basket and browse the “Farmer’s Market” searching for fresh ingredients!
It’s a well-known fact: toddlers looooove doing just like mom and dad. Learn and discover how pretend play is an essential part of childhood right here.