Share your ideas too.  E-mail me at stormie@preschoolbystormie.com
 
COLORS: Review Of All Colors We've Learned
 
From Stormie:
Although I'm posting ideas below as often as I can, my very favorite color activities have been reserved for my "COLORS" booklet (see the "Stormie's Stuff for Teachers" section of my website).
 
Art Learning Center: May Bulletin Board Border:
In May, give the children large sticker dots in all colors to stick on their border strips.  Using fine-tipped pens, they then add legs, eyes, antennae, etc. for a "bug" border.

 
Letters (Language) and Colors Review Game: Cut out large circles in various colors then print color names on them.  For example, if the circle is red, print the word "Red" on it.  To play a game, have children tell you what the color is then ask them the name of the first letter of the color word -- if they're ready, ask what the other letters in the words are too.  A less difficult way to play is to ask, "Can you show me the color red?"  "Can you show me the letter R?"

Visual Perception: Sifting Sands: If you have bottles of different colors of sand that you've used throughout the school year, here's a neat thing to do with it outdoors as a way to review colors.  Hold a colander (or flat pizza pan with holes in it) high above the children but don't allow them to get so close that sand could get into their eyes.  Then, while trying to conceal the color of the sand, begin sifting it through the colander.  Let children see if they can spot various colors as the sand falls through.

Fine Motor/Pre-Math: Bead Patterns: Create pattern cards by drawing small circles of color in a row on index cards (try to make the circles the same size as your classroom set of colored stringing beads.  Place the cards with a basket of the beads for children to string according to the color patterns on the cards.
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Creative Art: Colors Galore: Put out every medium you've used throughout the year to create color (crayons, markers, paints, chalk, pencils, etc) and let the children "go for it" in creating their own colorful pictures.  You could extend the project for a week, varying it each day (put out only primary colors on one day, then put out only secondary colors the next day, then put out both primary and secondary colors, then maybe only black, white, and gray, and so on.
 
Easel Painting: Put only yellow paint at the easel and instruct children to paint "the big bright yellow sun!"
 
Colors Review/Creative Art (within the limits of a theme): Two-Day Project:
Day 1: Children group paint a big piece of butcher paper with various shades of blue paint.  (This is the ocean.)
Day 2: Put out all colors of construction paper and instruct children to cut out or tear out all kinds of fish/sea creatures and glue them into the ocean.
Variation: Paint the mural green and then have children fill the "field" with flowers.  (Provide lots of green paper strip stems but have them tear or cut out their own flowerheads and leaves.)
 
Have children sort all the colors of colored dry cereals.

Language/Music/Social Game: One of my simple "Color Review" songs:

I Love (name a color)
(Tune: First two lines of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star")

I love (color) things, yes I do
Let me show some (color) things to you

Provide individual pictures of items in the color mentioned in the song for children to hold up and name (example: red apple).
Alternative: Provide a large group-sized picture with lots of items of various colors.  Then, begin the song by singing it yourself and showing the group something in that color.  Then, have the first child in the group sing the song using another color of their own choosing and pointing out that color item in the large picture.  
This could also be done with shapes (example: I love squares, yes I do, let me show a square to you). 

Pam Bruns Works, from Topeka, Kansas:
A Favorite Book: Museum Colors [Museum of Fine Arts-Boston], By Gisela Voss: This richly photographed book that reviews colors is a favorite of mine.  It is a board book that has easy access to the colors children are interested in.  The pieces of art in this book are exceptional, and will invite children to ask questions pertaining to art.  It's one of a series of museum books (numbers, colors, alphabet, and shapes).  These books are winners of the 1993 Parent's Choice Awards and I can't recommend them enough!

From Beverly, in the Philippines, who says:
Gross Motor: Preschool Twister: A lot of work goes into the preparation of this game but it's worth it.  It's a modified version of "Twister."  It reviews shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle, and oval) and colors (blue, red, yellow, green, orange, purple, brown, and black).  Four children can play the game at one time.  On a paper mat (mine measured 5ft by 4 ft), paste 4 of each shape and in each color (4 blue circles, 4 red circles, 4 yellow circles, etc; 4 blue squares, 4 red squares, 4 yellow squares, etc).  That's 160 shapes!  I know it's alot, but this way, all 4 children will have a shape to touch.  Cover the mat with plastic for repeated use.  To play, tape the mat to the floor so it won't move.  Tell the children the rules of the game: You must not let go of one shape once it's called and you've touched it.  You are only allowed to let go when the game is finished.  Also, if you have children remove their shoes, remind them to be careful so as not to slip and fall.  Instruct them to stand just outside the mat and when you call out a color shape (like red square), they are to look for it and touch it with whatever part of their body they want.  It's really fun watching the kids figure out how to touch a shape without letting go of the ones they are already touching.  Have fun!
Special Notes:
1. Modifications can obviously be made to this game: not as many different shapes, in not as many colors, different sized mats, more than one mat, fewer children per mat, and so on.  
2. Be sure that when pasting the shapes onto the mat, you place them close enough to enable preschoolers to physically reach them when stretching for them.

Musical Social Game: Here's a great familiar way to review colors from Diane Flohr in Grand Rapids, Michigan:

Color Pokey
(Tune: Hokey Pokey)
Put your yellow ribbon in, take your yellow ribbon out
Put your yellow ribbon in and shake it all about
Do the Color Pokey and turn yourself around
That's what it's all about.

I bought colored hair scrunchies/ponytail holders (12 for $1.00 at a dollar store) and matching colored 1/4" satin ribbon (50¢ a bolt at a the fabric store).  Cut pieces of the ribbon into streamers and tie as many ot them as you want to the fabric ponytail holders.  These slip comfortably over little wrists.  I made enough for my entire class to wear one on each wrist.  When playing "Color Pokey," children wearing the color yellow (or other color) mentioned put there arms in, out, etc.
*Variation from Sam: Stormie, we play a sit-down "Finger Color Pokey": Tie a small piece of yarn on the fingers of one hand of all the children.  To play..........."Put your yellow finger in, take your yellow finger out, put your yellow finger in, and shake it all about........."  This is a fantastic fine motor game and the kids love it!  Not only that, but the game requires "listening" (a language skill) because the children must search for the proper color as we don't try to tie the same color yarn on the same fingers of all the children.
To increase the difficulty: Tie yarn rings on both of the children's hands.

From Louise in Indiana:
Science: Syrup Blobs: Give each child a large paper plate.  Place three small blobs of clear syrup on it, but not touching.  Add a couple drops of food coloring to the blobs (blue to one, red to another, and yellow to a third).  The children then pick up the plates and slowly move them about in a way that will cause the blobs to run together and make new colors.  Add more syrup and food coloring as needed to extend the fun.  
Optional: Near the end of the allotted time period, children could draw in the syrup with cotton swabs.

From Megan Schroeder in Newark, Delaware:
 Color Bingo: Divide 8 x 10" sheets of white paper into 8 equal squares (one sheet of paper per child).  Color each square a different color, creating a "Bingo" paper.  Then take index cards and color each one a color that you used on the Bingo papers.  Give each child 8 of something small to mark their colors when they are called (dinosaur or bear counters, for example).  Hold up one index card and have the children find that color on their Bingo papers and mark it.  The first child to fill his/her whole card yells "Color Bingo!"    
Variation: Snack Bingo: Cover each Bingo sheet with a sheet of Saran Wrap, then use M&Ms, marshmallows, or other small snack for markers.  The first child to fill his/her card eats their candy after yelling "Color Bingo!"

From Veronikah Peters, in Los Angeles, California:
Sun Catchers: Hi Stormie - This is one of my favorite and best received lessons on colors: Put a couple drops of a primary color of "Colorations Liquid Watercolor" (available through Discount School Supply) into clear squeeze glue bottles.  Once the paint and glue mix well, it's then up to the children!  Give them metal lids from frozen juice cans.  Have them squirt the mixture from a couple bottles onto the lids and then use q-tips to swirl or mix the colors, creating a secondary color.  Place the lids in a sunny area to dry.  When dry, peel the paint mixture off the lid and hang the designs in a sunny area.  Voila!  Sun catchers!

From Debbie Reynolds, in Missouri:
Color Review Song
(Tune: "Farmer in the Dell")
Who is wearing red today, red today, red today?
Who is wearing red today, please stand up!
The children wearing red stand up and tell what is red on their clothes.  Follow with all the other colors.  By playing this game often, they get really good at it after a short time and start talking about their colors before they even sit down for Circle Time.  It is a fun little song that doesn't waste time repeating lines.  There are endless ways to play this: Let children find something in the room that color to sing about, take turns picking the color, pick a color card from a basket, etc.


Suggested Books:

From Suzanne K from new Jersey:
White Rabbit's Color Book, by Alan Baker: I read this story to my students (about a rabbit who jumps into buckets of various colors of paint) and then we discuss how colors can combine to make different colors.  These ideas are listed on an easel/board (exposure to language).  At his/her seat each child is given 1/2 of a styrofoam egg carton and a pipette (dropper).  In each child's carton, fill all six egg cups with water (half full is fine).  Add red food coloring to one, blue food coloring to another, and yellow food coloring to a third.  Instruct the children to use the pipette to mix and try to "unmix" the colors.  This activity encourages color recognition, small motor skills and independence.
*Having newspaper or a paper towel underneath each experiment is a good idea.
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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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