Exploring Shapes & Colors Through Play

We're back from our Thanksgiving weekend family vacation and ready for more school! With a few days left of this month before both the Jewish month of Kislev and the month of December begin, we're focusing this week on the themes of families, kosher foods, and on some catch up from things we didn't quite get to yet over the last few weeks. In addition to the Jewish and secular themes I plan for us, I also try to incorporate learning about letters in Hebrew and English, shapes, colors, and numbers. A lot of this learning can be done through the lens of topics we're already exploring and a lot more happens through exposure and play.
Teaching about shapes and colors can be daunting when we focus on what we feel a preschooler "should" know. Awareness of shapes and colors happens for different children at different times. It is something that they are inherently exposed to in their environment whether we teach it intentionally or not. My strong feeling is that fostering a love of learning and exploring as well as confidence in this process is more important than being able to rattle off names of shapes and colors as well as letters and numbers by a certain age. For children who do love worksheets and classic/traditional activities, these are fabulous! For those who are more reluctant, a measure of creativity and playfulness is due. Using shape and color names to describe every day items and experiences is a great way to incorporate this concept (not to mention a great way to distract from other challenges at meal/snack times or when getting dressed). Color or shape scavenger hunts can make an every day visit to the park or grocery store a little more fun. Even very little ones can be exposed to colors and shapes by using discovery baskets prepared with toys/materials infants can manipulate and explore all in one color or all in one shape. Toy aisles are stocked with puzzles, sorters and manipulatives that encourage development of shape and color awareness. Library and bookstore shelves are loaded with great books on these topics and early readers often love these as they can "read" the words based on recognition of familiar colors and shapes.  Here's a peek at some of the ways we learn and play about shapes and colors here:

I've pointed out in previous posts how we make use of all of our somewhat limited space here. This is an invitation to create set up on our deep freezer with Magnetile triangles. The same activity can be done with any type of magnetic shapes on a refrigerator, magnetic door, cookie sheet or using felt shapes on a felt board. For a great process art activity, use scrap paper to cut out a particular shape and create a collage. Older children can practice cutting skills and even tracing a stencil to prepare. Want to mix it up again? Using a variety of shapes, create an invitation to create shape creatures!

We love our journals here! While some schools of thought might shy away from teaching both colors and shapes at the same time, I mainly aim to teach my toddler through continued and varied exposure. Each month I give a journal prompt with one color and one shape. I provide coloring materials in that color (often in a variety of shades and mediums) and stickers or pre-cut foam/paper in that shape and color to glue on. I particularly like adding an element to glue or stick on so my little one can manipulate the shape in a more 3-dimensional form to get tactile recognition as well as visual. Blocks, magnets and puzzle pieces also provide this opportunity.

 Cookie cutters with playdough or paint, rubber stamps and ink and sponges cut in different shapes with paint are also great ways to play with, explore and manipulate shapes while simultaneously introducing colors. Older children can also manipulate hole punches in different shapes and practice with stencils and tracing.

You can also play and prepare some fun games right at home to encourage shape and color recognition. Here are a couple of our favorites:

Color Scavenger Hunt
You will need:

• a box, container or bag in your color of choice (I'll use blue as an example). If you don't have one, you can use a brown paper bag and color/paint it ahead of time.
• a magnifying glass (optional but fun!)
• household items and/or toys either already set in "hiding places" or in their usual spots for your junior detective to scout out

Let your junior detective know you are going on a Blue Hunt today. You need to find as many blue things to fill up your blue box/bucket/bag. You may want to have a few blue items already set out to demonstrate and perhaps even a few that are NOT blue to give an example of an incorrect response. Have fun walking around the house to search for things that are blue--you might be surprised at your little one's keen eye! For an added element of fun, put on some playful music and encourage your little one(s) to find as many things in blue as they can before the music stops.

Shape Monster, Shape Monster

Shape Monster, Shape Monster

Munch, Munch, Munch

Feed me a ______ [shape name] for my lunch!

We love this rhyme/game! To play, you will need a "Shape Monster" puppet and a collection of shapes to feed it. You can either use a puppet you already have as your Shape Monster or you can have fun making one from a brown paper bag, a sock or felt. To prepare your own set of durable shapes for feeding your hungry Shape Monster, you can laminate a set cut from construction paper, or use craft foam, felt or even just use blocks/toys. For a fine motor element, you can create a DIY toy using a recycled baby wipes container and have your little one(s) feed the desired shape through the top slot!

Have fun and happy playing!