We incorporate colors into most of our gross motor and active play ideas. We'd love to share our colorful ways to get kids moving as they learn!
Our toddler has a lot of energy and he is learning his colors. We combine the two to regularly to stay active and moving.
You can try these activities inside or outside with almost any materials that don't even need to cost anything. We use a variety of supplies to keep it fresh.
You can try these activities inside or outside with almost any materials that don't even need to cost anything. We use a variety of supplies to keep it fresh.
This post is part of our Gross Motor Activities from A to Z series!
"Being" the color
Games that require the children to become or represent an assigned color are very beneficial for listening skills. I've often made my entire kindergarten classroom quiet by asking them to complete a task such as lining up if they were wearing red (then naming other colors until the rest of the class was lined up as well).
Children need to listen to and remember what color they are holding that information in their minds as they also perform the gross motor tasks. It seems simple for adults but it is a challenging and thus very rewarding task for preschoolers!
Children need to listen to and remember what color they are holding that information in their minds as they also perform the gross motor tasks. It seems simple for adults but it is a challenging and thus very rewarding task for preschoolers!
Ways to assign a color to each child:
The easiest way by assign children a color is to use the color of their shirt or shoes to play these games anytime, anywhere! This can sometimes get a bit complicated (if someone is wearing a striped or tie dye shirt for example) so you can also assign colors by having children pick something out of a colorful set. You might have them pick with their eyes closed or open, with the items hidden in a bag or box or out so they may choose. We like to use colorful scarves, sensory balls, bean bags, or shapes cut from craft foam or construction paper!
Games to Play:
Games to Play:
When I think of children being assigned a color for an active game I immediately am reminded of Hap Palmers' Colors song! It was a favorite in our classroom and can be used anywhere as a quick way to get kids moving when you have several children together.
Children or an adult caller can shout out Simon Says type orders for colors such as, "If you are wearing blue, jump three times!" "Wave all the red scarves in the air!"
Find partners and explore color mixing! Assign kids primary colors then challenge them to find the partner they would need to make a secondary color like orange, purple, and green!
Children or an adult caller can shout out Simon Says type orders for colors such as, "If you are wearing blue, jump three times!" "Wave all the red scarves in the air!"
Find partners and explore color mixing! Assign kids primary colors then challenge them to find the partner they would need to make a secondary color like orange, purple, and green!
Finding the color
Challenge kids to find a color as they run, jump, and play! You can hide colorful objects such as spot markers, wiffle balls, or hula hoops around the house inside or outside or ask kids to find colors naturally in your home or classroom.
Games to Play:
Ask kids to go find and touch or bring back the color you name. They can run. jump, swim, skip, crawl, or dance to the color!
For a quieter, calmer game, children can find colors or colored items with a flashlight.
Challenge your child to jump into the ball pit and return with the color you request.
Games to Play:
Ask kids to go find and touch or bring back the color you name. They can run. jump, swim, skip, crawl, or dance to the color!
For a quieter, calmer game, children can find colors or colored items with a flashlight.
Challenge your child to jump into the ball pit and return with the color you request.
For an additional challenge, ask your child to find and bring the colors to you in rainbow order!
Performing an action on the color
An extension of finding the color can be to perform a gross motor movement on the color!
Games to Play:
Practice prepositions or position words by asking your child to jump in the red hula hoop or to hold the blue ball above his or her head.
Play a memory type game by stomping on the colors (drawn with chalk or again with the spot markers or mats) in a certain order. "Can you jump on red, blue? Now red. blue, green! Red, blue, green, green?"
Practice prepositions or position words by asking your child to jump in the red hula hoop or to hold the blue ball above his or her head.
Play a memory type game by stomping on the colors (drawn with chalk or again with the spot markers or mats) in a certain order. "Can you jump on red, blue? Now red. blue, green! Red, blue, green, green?"
For 25 more active play activities for each letter of the alphabet, please check out the entire Active Play from A to Z series!
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Thanks for sharing all these great ideas! I've also played a game with preschoolers where you dump out a big bag of the balls on your picture (ball pit balls) and you call out a color. Have the children go and grab balls of that color and bring them to you. You can be holding a big bucket or something to collect them in. The kids love it and it helps with color identification. So simple yet so effective!
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