Series 2: Colours
We often take it for granted that every child can name colours with ease. But, this complex task of assigning a word and sound to a hue that your child's eye registers is a complex learning process that develops in tandem with visual and cognitive development. Read on to understand how vision develops and colour recognition becomes a part of a child's life.
Vision Development
- First month: Even though your baby opens his eyes, he generally will ignore people and his surroundings.
- Second month: For the first 2 months, your infant will focus best on things that are 8 to 12 inches from his eyes. So, baby soon becomes fascinated with a face brought close to him. At this stage, baby is best attracted to high contrasts; the best toys are black, white or made of very bright colours.
- Third month: Your little one can actually gaze further and see his little hands.
- Fifth month: Baby's world enlarges and his own little feet become part of his world.
- Sixth month: Baby can turn his head and move his eyes in all directions.
Mastering Colours
- 2 ½ years: Now, your precious little one can name one colour
- 3 years: Your child will know 2 colours
- 4 years: He definitely can spot three colours with confidence
- 5 years: He is the master of the 4 basic colours
Children Enjoy Colours
Brilliant colours make a child's life exciting. So, fill up his environment with lovely hues.
- In the first two months of life, start with toys that have colours with high contrast preferably just black and white.
- By the time your child turns two years old, start talking about the colours of the things around him. Describe a colour you see and ask your little one to identify it over and over again on different objects.
- Introduce the bright primary colours (red, blue and yellow) into his world first – brighten up his room with bright colours and brilliant toys. Then, introduce the secondary colours (violet, orange and green). Learning the colours of the rainbow is a fun way to internalise these basic colours.
- Once your child has got a grasp of basic colours, add on complex shades such as magenta, brown and even, shades of blue and green.
- Expand his colour vocabulary with creative colouring games and activities.
Activities To Learn Colour
Sort coloured objects:
- Offer your child a variety of coloured blocks and, ask him to pick up a 'red' block or a 'green' one. Praise him when he does it right and, show him the right colour if he does get it wrong. Repeat the game over and over again and, soon your child will pick up coloured blocks with ease.
- From an assortment of coloured balls, ask your child to pick up all the blue balls.
Learn the colours of the rainbow
- There is something magical about gazing into the sky to see a majestic rainbow. Use the opportunity to teach your child the 7 colours of the rainbow.
Colour pencils, crayons and paints
- Allow your child to explore all these colouring instruments – let your child doodle, scribble, colour or paint with them. Soon, he will realise his favourite art medium and be able to express himself effectively.
Finger painting, vegetable art
- Most kids love to touch paints. Offer your child a small tub of 'baby-safe' paints and allow him to make his own art piece as he dips his finger, palm, a sliced vegetable into the paint and smears it onto canvas (moms and dads do the slicing – keep sharp objects away from your little one). Supervise art session at all times to ensure your child's safety.
Art Classes
- Formal art classes are fun. Kids learn how to create nice keepsakes and gifts as they learn to colour inside a frame or create a complex picture.
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