I’d like to teach my 16 mo old daughter colors and shapes and I know she can learn them, I just need the right ways to teach her. She doesn’t like sitting down and having them pointed out and explicitly ‘taught.’ I think it needs to be more Doman-like: fun, quick and frequent I guess. We sort out her fridge magnet letters and blocks, and of course I always tell her what color something is, but what else can we do so she doesn’t get bored? Someone here mentioned playdough, which sounds great.
We have the plastic balls that go in the toy ball pits that kids can play in, so we use those for color recognition while she plays with them. There are several board books that are neat for colors and shapes too. I try to point out shapes and colors in as many different situations as I can. Foods are fun tools for teaching colors and even shapes (cutting a sandwich or pancakes into different shapes, for example).
I’m sorry I’m not much more helpful. I’d love to hear what others have to say because I’ve actually been wondering what else we can do to encourage this. So thank you for asking!
:yes:
You just have to keep introducing them at any opportunity you get. My daughter had coloured balls she plays with in the pool as well as coloured cups that she loves to stack. Have also tried a colours book that we read together and basically just point out colours and shapes everywhere - the clothes she wears, food she eats, toys she plays with, pictures in books, her cups and spoons - basically anything that has a colour! I do also have paint cards (the ones you get in the hardware stores that advertise the ranges colours) which show colours that she found fun, but they have a few too many colours for this stage.
Mention colors everywhere!!
Honestly, when you’re at the store and you’re buying a pencil or whatnot, ask her if she’d like the green one or the red one. When you use crayons, ask her which one she wants (only giving her one at a time).
Talk about the colors of Christmas lights!! Use food coloring to make her eggs purple or green one morning–that would be fun.
I don’t think it’s possible for a child to not learn his colors. It will happen–just make it fun!!
One more thing!!
They have a “Candy Land” DVD game that even very young children can play. You put squares of colors all over the floor and then a character on the television will say “Run to the green square”
That’s a really fun game and might make a great Christmas present.
Fun for playdates, too!!
I found this website that has lots of craft ideas. http://www.first-school.ws/INDEX.HTM
I printed off a few projects already that I will try with my 17 month old. The old fashion color forms are a good idea too. 
Thanks for the link littlemamapuz! :happy: I checked the site out, and it does have a lot of very useful resources to help teach colors and shapes! Karma to you!
Hi there,
We used blocks. I think there were 20 altogether in red, yellow, green and blue. We built with them, put them in rows, counted with them - and said the colours all the time. By the time my son could speak he knew his colours!
TABS