Preschool Colors Theme

A Preschool Colors Theme is one of the most asked about themes. How do we teach colors? Do we make a month or 2 month long theme plan or do we integrate teaching colors into each day at preschool? Yes and yes! You can do both or either!

Some teachers introduce a color each week in addition to their theme. Some introduce a color each month in addition to their theme or themes. If you are planning a theme about Winter and introduce the color white for the month, you can integrate teaching about winter, snow and white during your Circle Time discussions, at the easel while painting with white paint or while making an "Animals in Winter" collage and talking about Polar Bears, snow and the white glue!

You'll find more themes to help you with your planning on my preschool themes page.

Preschool Colors Theme Art

Rainbow Collage

Materials Needed: Scraps of colored construction paper, glue, large white paper for each child, scissors (optional)

The children cut or tear paper into smaller pieces and glue onto the white paper.

Discuss the colors while the children work on their collages. Ask questions about the colors such as:

"I have a red piece of paper here. What else can you think of that is red (apples, hearts, etc.).

EXTENSION: Provide a picture of a rainbow for the children who may be ready to place the different colors in the order and shape of a rainbow.

EXTENSION: Pre-draw the rainbow arches onto the white paper. Pre-glue one color piece of paper in each arch to show the children which colors go where on a rainbow.

Preschool Colors Theme Fingerpainting

But of course! Provide all colors (or the colors you are focusing on) of fingerpaint, fingerpaint paper and just have at it!

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Preschool Colors Theme Block Center Ideas

Traffic Signs!

Add colored signs to your block area along with cars and trucks. Add stop lights, colored blocks, colored construction paper and crayons for your children to make their own color signs!

Depending on how you plan your preschool colors theme, add signs, paper or painted paper towel tubes to match the color or colors you are focusing on!

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Preschool Colors Theme Circle Time Ideas

Circle Time is such a great time for children to learn the social skills of being together as a large group AND to learn more about your preschool colors theme!

The Color That I See

Fill in the color you are working on or use each color!

______, ______ is the color that I see.

If you are wearing ________ then show it to me!

Stand up! Turn around!

Show me your __________ and sit back down!

R-E-D Red Song

I don't know the tune of this song, but it can be found on YouTube!

UPDATE: Mystery solved! The tune is Frere Jacques (Thank you, Ariel, for letting me know!).

R-E-D red, R-E-D, red.

I can spell red. I can spell red.

Fire trucks are red. Stop signs are red, too.

R-E-D red, R-E-D red.

Colors as a ......

Orange as a carrot,

Yellow as a pear.

Purple as a plum.

Brown as a bear.

Green as the grass.

Blue as the sky.

Black as a cat.

Red as cherry pie.

Prepare pictures to place on a flannel board as you tell this. Give each child one. I made 2 sets so that each child could have one. You could make one set and read this twice so that all the children have a turn.

Look Who Found a Color!

Sing this to either Mary Wore Her Red Dress or Mary Had a Little Lamb.

In advance, cut circles out of all the colors. Place them in a bag, basket or box.

Give each child to reach in and take one out.

They name the color they have and you all sing as the child shows he circle and then places it on a flannel board:

Cheryl found a color, a color, a color.

Cheryl found a color on a shape that is round.

Cheryl found a color, a color, a color.

Cheryl found a color, and green is what she found!

Can you Find the Color?

In advance, cut out long strips of colored paper (2 of each color).

Place one set of the strips on a flannel board or on the floor in front of you.

Place the other set inside a bag or box.

One at a time, a child reaches in and pulls one out. Have the child name the color and then sing this song (to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb) as they find the matching color on the floor and place it next to or on top of the matching paper:

Can you find the color red, color red, color red?

Can you find the color red and match it with its friend?

I Spy

Play this at circle time. Don't wait for a preschool colors theme to do this! It is a great review any time or year!

Give one child a paint stick or magic wand from dramatic play. Say "I Spy something ______" Pick a color.

That child walks around the room and points to something of that color.

Continue until each child has a turn.

VARIATION: Rather than a magic want, give the child a flashlight and have them shine the flashlight on the color you name.

Little Mouse Where Is Your House?

Cut out and laminate house shapes, one in each color.

Cut out and laminate a small mouse picture that is smaller than the house shapes.

Introduce this game at circle time.

Place the mouse under a house when the children all "hide their eyes".

Tell them to uncover their eyes and say:

Little Mouse, Little Mouse--Where is Your House?

Is it this red one? (Lift up red house). No mouse here!

Continue with each color house saying the phrase "Little Mouse..." for each one, until you find the mouse in his house.

EXTENSION: Place this game in your Math/Manipulatives Area for the children to play on their own! This was a DAILY request all year with one group of preschoolers we had!!

FINGERPLAYS

One day the sun was shining bright (hold up right hand like blocking the sun from your eyes)

But some clouds came along and it became black as night (hold up other hand for the clouds)

Then the rain began to sprinkle, down to the ground. (Wiggle fingers to make it look like rain)

And soon it was raining all over the town.

But after the clouds had passed on by (Hold hands up and move from left to right)

A big beautiful rainbow stretched across the sky (Make a rainbow shape in the air with your hands).

Sing Color Songs!

Sing songs with colors in them such as:

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep

Mary Had a Little Lamb

5 Green and Speckled Frogs

Little Boy blue

If You Are Wearing a ___Shirt, Stand Up (from a Hap Palmer CD)

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Snack Recipe Ideas to Cook Up for Your Colors Theme!

Cooking with children helps develop their math skills and helps them to learn how to follow directions. It also allows for some great conversation! Ask many questions while cooking with your children to encourage conversation! Be sure to ask specific preschool colors theme questions while making these fun snacks!

A Preschool Colors Theme Toast Snack

Ingredients: small cups, milk, food coloring, new paintbrushes, bread, toaster

Make different colored milk in each cup with milk and food coloring.

The children paint designs on a piece of bread.

Toast the bread for snack!

Rainbow Fruit Snack

Needed: clear, plastic cups; fruit of different colors--strawberries, bananas, oranges, blueberries, kiwi, etc.

Have the children help you wash and prepare the fruit.

They scoop or place one thin layer of each fruit in their cup to make a rainbow.

Pretty and yummy!

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Preschool Colors Theme Ideas to Transform Your Dramatic Play Area

Dramatic play lends itself to a preschool colors theme any time of year. You can add color activities, however, just having conversation can introduce your colors. Ask a child to set the table with red dishes. Do we have any blue cups?

Laundry Time!

Provide a laundry basket with many pairs of socks in different colors.

The children sort, match and fold the socks into matching colored pairs.

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Preschool Colors Theme Ideas for Your Easel--

More Than Just Painting (Although that is always THE favorite in our classroom!)

Colored Chalk

Provide chalk for the children to use at the easel. My favorite is to also provide a small cup of water for the children to dip the chalk into. It makes the colors much bolder when they color!

As with most of the activities on this page, add the color or colors you are focusing on during your preschool colors theme.

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Preschool Colors Theme Large Group Games

that help build their muscles while they have fun together

Go for a Color Walk

Go for a walk outside. Tell the children to talk about the different colors and items they see. You, or an adult helper, write down the child's name, item and color they see.

When back inside, read back all the items each child saw!

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Preschool Colors Theme Ideas for Your Library

Book Suggestions for the Library for your preschool colors theme

(I LOVE Amazon, and some of the links below will take you to the Amazon website.  If you do choose to purchase yours through Amazon, they do send me a few cents--which supports my coffee habit! )

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle

Color Dance by Ann Jonas

Dog's Colorful Day: A Messy Story About Colors and Counting (Picture Puffins) by Emma Dodd

Elmer (Elmer Books) by David McKee

Is It Red? Is It Yellow? Is It Blue? by Tana Hoban

Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni

Mary Wore Her Red Dress and Henry Wore His Green Sneakers by Merle Peek (this is also a song and makes a GREAT file folder or flannel board story!)

My Crayons Talk by Patricia Hubbard

Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

White Rabbit's Color Book (Little Rabbit Books) by Alan Baker

Whose Shoes? by Victoria Englehart

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Preschool Colors Theme Activities to Help Your Preschoolers Develop Their Math Skills

and Develop Those Small Muscles in Their Hands!

Pom Pom Color Sort

Materials Needed: Paper towel tubes, construction paper, pom poms, plastic tongs/tweezers

In advance, cut the paper towel tubes in half (so they are the size of toilet paper tubes: I don't use toilet paper tubes---just seems germy to me!).

Cover each tube half with a different color of construction paper (or paint the outside of the tube).

Print the name of the color on the tube with black marker.

Provide the tubes, tweezers and colored pom poms for the children to sort into the correct colored tube.

Colored Noodle Sculptures

Purchase colored packing noodles that are biodegradable (can be ordered through teacher stores).

Materials needed: colored noodles, poster board, shallow trays of water.

The children dip one end of a noodle into the water for a few seconds and then sculpt with them.

The noodles will stick to teach other and you'll see some great creations!

Macaroni Mosaics

Materials: colored pasta, glue and poster board.

Use colored macaroni too glue onto poster board for a colored noodle mosaic! Color the macaroni by placing macaroni in containers. Add alcohol colored with food coloring. Let sit until noodles are the color you want. Let dry overnight on paper towels.

Fruit Loops Rainbows

ALLERGY ALERT:

Fruit Loops contain coconut, which is a TREE NUT. Do not use if you have any students with tree nut allergies.

Materials needed: paint, paper, glue, fruit loops.

Color glue with paint to match the Fruit Loops cereal colors.

Paint a rainbow on the papers in advance.

The children glue the corresponding cereal in each arch.

Colored Rock Sorting

Materials Needed: empty egg cartons, small rocks that fit in each egg cup, paint.

In advance, paint the rocks and paint sections of the egg carton with various colors.

When dry, the children sort the rocks to match the egg cups.

VARIATION: One teacher provided this activity in the sand table! She buried the rocks in the sand and provided the egg cartons at the sand table.

The children sifted through the sand, found the rocks and sorted them into the egg cartons!

Board Games

Provide a board or table game for the children. Limit to 2 or 3 players and one adult helper. 

Some of my favorites are:

Candyland

Connect 4 (for patterns!)

Color & Shape Bingo

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Preschool Colors Theme Music and Movement Ideas to Get Your Preschoolers Movin' and Groovin'!

Color Song (sung to Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes)

Red, yellow, green and blue. Green and blue.

Red, yellow, green and blue. Green and blue.

Purple, orange, brown and black.

Red, yellow, green and blue. Green and blue.

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Preschool Colors Theme Activities for the Sand and Water Table!

Sensory activities do not have to happen ONLY in the sand and water/sensory table. For some of these preschool colors themed activities, especially with ice cubes, try adding small bins at a table for smaller groups of 1-2 children to take their time exploring!

Ice Cube Fun

Make red, yellow and blue ice cubes (by adding food coloring to water, place in ice cube trays and freeze).

In Ziploc baggies, place one red and one yellow cube in a baggie and seal. Place one red and one blue in a baggie and seal. Place one yellow and one blue in a baggie and seal.

Make several sets of these. Place them in your sensory table. As the cubes melt they create new colors. Give the children mittens to wear and help to melt the ice by holding the baggies!

Colored Water

Each day, put a different color of water in your table with cups, spoons and water wheels.

Colored Rice

Color white rice by soaking in food colored alcohol. Let dry on paper towel overnight.

Use in your sensory table with spoons, measurers, water wheels and sifters!

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Preschool Colors Theme Science Activities for Your Preschool Scientists in Training!

Don't limit your science activities just to a "designated" science area! Some of these activities can be done as your art activity, math or at circle time during your preschool colors theme!

Preschool Colors Theme Rainbow Bottles 1!

I have this activity in my folder, but must admit that I've never tried it! If you do, please email me (use the contact me button on the left side of this page) and let me know how it worked!!! Thanks!

Materials needed: vegetable oil, water, alcohol, food coloring, 16 ounce clear plastic bottles, hot glue gun

Color each of the liquids a different color.

Pour them in the bottle in this order: oil, then water then alcohol.

Hot glue the covers onto the bottles.

When the children play with them, the colors will mix. When you let it stand, the liquids should all separate again!

Preschool Colors Theme Rainbow Bottles 2!

Again, I have not tried this one but would love to hear from someone who has!

Materials needed: candle wax coloring; baby oil, water, food coloring, 16 ounce clear plastic bottles.

A week in advance (it takes 5 or so days for this part to happen): chop or shave small amounts of the candle wax coloring into some baby oil.

Once it has melted, color some water using food coloring.

Pour the colored baby oil into the bottle (about 1/2 full).

Then almost fill the bottle with colored water (at different color than the baby oil).

Hot glue the covers on.

When shaken, the colors mix and then separate again when it sits for a while.

Preschool Colors Theme Scientists

Using clear paint cups, place colored water in each cup.

Provide the children with pipettes and an empty clear cup.

The children use the pipette to mix colors into their cup to make new ones.

VARIATION: Use white ice cube trays instead of cups.

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Writing Center Ideas for Your Preschool Colors Theme!

Color Cards Thank you Susan S. for this idea!

I am going to cut different colors of paper to 3 x 5 size ex. red and write the word red, green paper with word green etc. and laminate them. Children can "read" and "write" the colors.

Cheryl's note: I love this idea to add to what we called the "Word Box". In addition to these, anytime your preschoolers want to know how to spell a word, draw a picture (or find one online and print it) and print the name of the word on an index card, laminate and add to the Word Box!

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Miscellaneous Activities for Your Preschool Colors Theme!

Rainbow Windows

Materials needed: colored cellophane/plastic wrap (we used the kind that is used to wrap Easter baskets).

Place one color of cellophane on the window one day. Observe the view with the children and talk about the colors of the items outside now! The tree, the house across the street, etc.

The next day, add pieces of a second color. Observe and discuss what color it turned some of the window and how it affects the view now.

Continue each day as you add colors!

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