Help children gain color recognition and develop their fine motor skills by having them make color collages. Set out magazines, circulars and construction paper in different shades of a particular color. After discussing a particular color -- blue, for example -- encourage children to cut the construction paper and look through the magazines and circulars for pictures of blue items. Instruct them to glue the items they cut out to another piece of paper, creating abstract color collages.
Send children on a hunt to find different colored items. Discuss a particular color with children and instruct them to search for an item that features the color. For example, if you are talking about the color red, children may find a red crayon, a red fire truck or a red ball. After finding an item, have children meet and discuss the items that they have found. Alternatively, you could have children find something in each color that they have learned. After finding an object for each color, they can share the items they have found and tell what colors the items are.
This activity will not only help children develop color recognition, but it will also help them learn the pre-math skill of sorting. Set out objects in different colors, such as candies, crayons, beads or craft gemstones. Lay out pieces of construction paper for each color represented in the items you have chosen to use. For example, if there are red, yellow and blue items, set out red, yellow and blue construction paper. Encourage children to sort through the items you have provided them with and place them onto the piece of paper that matches the colors of the objects so that blue items would go on blue paper, red items on red paper and yellow items on yellow paper.
Teach your students about primary and secondary colors with finger paint. Fill bowls with red, yellow and blue finger paint and provide children with pieces of white paper. Encourage children to paint one-half of a piece of paper one primary color and the other half of the paper another primary color. Encourage students to blend the colors in the middle of the paper and talk about what happens. For instance, if children color one-half of the paper red and the other half blue, the blend will create the color purple. Talk about how all colors start as red, yellow and blue and that these colors are combined to make other (secondary) colors.