Although I'm posting ideas below as often as I can, I have reserved my very favorite color activities for my "COLORS" booklet (see"Stormie's Stuff for Teachers" section of my website).
 
 COLORS OF THE EARTH/SPRING:
Blue, Yellow, Green, Brown, Pastels
 
From Stormie:
April Bulletin Board Border: For April's border, put markers out (in the monthly colors) and simply let the children draw their version (not yours) of spring flowers on the border strips.  As always, some children will want to draw other things, not flowers.  Provide additional paper on which they can do their "other marker pictures."  This way, they can do both, or make a choice between the two.  

Flower Sort: Let children sort magazine pictures of flowers that are in various pastel colors.
Extension: Natural Beauty: Talk about the beauty of spring flowers.  A real flower would be fantastic for children to see, touch, smell -- to appreciate!  

Green Veggie Color Comparisons: Open a can of peas, limas, and/or green beans.  Compare the various shades of green.  Other choices to compare: celery and cucumber, various kinds of lettuce/cabbages, etc.  Provide each child with a sample of each "green" veggie for tasting.
 
Here's another one of my own super easy color songs:

I Love Colors
(Tune: Three Blind Mice)
I love (color name), I love (color name)
Yes I do, Yes I do
Please may I show a (color name) thing to you
So that you will love (color name) too?
I love (color name), Oh, I love (color name)

Because there are multiple lines to this little ditty, you can't expect the children to sing it alone immediately, so here's a neat way to play a game while singing:  In advance, give each child a color picture card(s).  As you sing the song using one color name, the children will need to see if they have that color then hold up their card(s) at the end of the song.  Include language by having children name the item on their picture cards. 

Earth, Sky, and Sun Abstract Paintings: In advance, discuss and show pictures of the colors of the earth (green trees, yellow sun, blue sky, brown landscapes).  Tape a large sheet of butcher paper to a table and provide brown, blue, and yellow paints in the center of the table.  Children stand around the edge of the table and paint to their hearts' desire while listening to New Age music.

Using magazine pictures, compare the colors of Spring with the colors of Winter, Fall, and Summer.  What is your favorite season?  Why?  What do you like best about Spring?  

Pastels: Have pastel colored Yogurt Sticks for snack.

Color Words: Using the same color markers, print the words "blue" "yellow" "brown" "green" on several index cards.  Tape the cards to various items in the classroom that are the same colors.  For example, tape the word "brown" on a brown door.

Color Count: During Greetings Group Time, tell the children you have placed a box of pegs in the Math Center for a "counting" game.  Tell them that today, the game is to count out all the "blue" pegs.  Then maybe tomorrow, you'll ask them to count out all the "green" dinosaur counters.  And so on.

Paper Clip Game: During Greetings Group Time, tell the children you have placed colored paper clips and a card in the Games Center and that the game is played today by placing "green" paper clips around the edge of the card.  (Perhaps you could draw a green spring thing on the card, say a tree with a green fluffy top?)

Leaves: Place various types of green leaves in the science center for children to do vein examinations using magnifying glasses.

See/Do Game: Alternately hold up the colors of blue, green, and yellow after telling the children you want them to growl when they see green, yell when they see yellow, and blow when they see blue.  (To lessen the difficulty, you may want to begin with just two colors.)

Color Brown: Make chocolate pudding for the color "brown."   

Please share your ideas too.  E-mail me at stormie@preschoolbystormie.com

bl pinHere's a great little idea with lots of learning, sent to me from Candance Wilson, Moab, Utah:
Green Day: On "green" day in my classroom, I read the book, "In the Tall, Tall Grass" by Denise Fleming.  It was also letter "Gg" day (grass is green and starts with the letter G).  After reading the story, the children made grass art of their own.  I pre-cut pieces of green paper in half horizontally for my 3 yr olds.  I then cut many slits to look like grass, leaving the bottom intact.  The children glued the grass to a sheet of card stock.  I wrote at the top of each paper: "In the Tall, Tall Grass."  I then gave bug stickers to the children to place on their papers or hide in the grass, "bunny and bee" ink pad stamps, and we glued pom-poms together to make caterpillars.  The children had a blast; many of them didn't want to stop stamping.
 
bl pinFrom Joanie Krepp, Arizona:
Mixing Colors: Stormie, it may sound strange, but I like to let the children experiment with mixing colors by mixing primary colors of liquid Kool-Aid drinks.  I like this because, unlike food colorings, Kool-Aid provides a sense of smell practice.  In fact, texture is also a factor as the children (with very clean hands) can feel the powder before water is added.  The mixed drinks won't hurt the children should they want to taste it, but they usually don't want to.  (By the way, I read on your personal page Stormie that you like Wal-Mart.  Well, the Wal-Mart brand of kool-aid is perfect for this project and is cheaper!   :-)
 
bl pinThis fabulous idea from Brenda Zimmerman, in Salt Lake City, Utah, fits so well with the themes of "Green" and "Growing Things":
Green-Haired Creatures: This is an activity in which children can "assist the teacher" as s/he makes a "creature," or they can make their own individual creatures: In advance, sew three buttons to the toe/foot area of an old, adult sized sock -- these will be the eyes and nose of the creature.  (Put your fist in the sock first to represent a "head" shape and then mark where it looks like the eyes and nose would be placed.)  By the way, you will need to send a note home well in advance of the activity if children are to bring in their own button-faced adult socks.  On the day of the activity, set up a work table so that all the materials are at hand.
Procedure: Wet the sock and put it into a mug (coffee mug will do) and then turn the top of the sock over the rim of the mug.  Then use a spoon to spread lots of grass seeds all over the bottom of the sock.  Next, fill the mug with potting soil, again, using spoons.  Then, wrap a rubber band tightly around the sock and chop the excess off of the top.  Pour water onto the top of the sock.  Lift it up and let it drip.  Then turn it upside down on a dish and pour water all around it.  (The eyes and nose are now face up.)  Store the plant(s) near a window and make sure to keep it/them moist (children can do the watering).  Soon, hair will start to grow on the "creature(s)."  Once it gets long enough, the children can give it a haircut (using children's scissors).
Notes:
1. If you have the children do their own creatures, a classroom assistant (parent?) would really come in handy, and they can also bring in an extra mug.
2. Instead of button eyes, it might be possible to simply lay large googly-eyes atop the creature(s), but try it first to make sure this option works.
 
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Reminder from Stormie: If you would like to begin collecting ALL my current classroom ideas (each on a 4 x 6" index card), as well as new ones that I create, you can do so by ordering my "Activity Cards."  Click here to check them out.

 
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