We often take it for granted that every child can name colours with ease. But this ability is actually a complex learning process for all children. To do so, each child has to learn to match the word and its sound to a hue that he or she sees.
Read on to understand how vision develops and how you can help your children learn to make colour recognition a part of their life.
How your child’s vision develops
During the first month, babies will generally ignore people and the surroundings, even with their eyes open.
In the second month, infants will focus on things that are 8 to 12 inches away from their eyes. Your baby will be fascinated by faces brought close to him or her. At this stage, your child is most attracted to bright, contrasting colours.
In the baby’s third and fourth months, your little one will gaze further and see her little hands.
During the fifth month, your baby’s vision grows to include his or her little feet.
In the sixth month, baby can turn her head and move her eyes in all directions.
At two and a half years, your precious little one should be able to name one colour.
At age three, your child will know two colours.
When your child turns four, he or she should name three colours with confidence.
At five years of age, most children are able to recognize four basic colours.
How colourful toys can help
Brilliant colours make life exciting for children. So fill up your child’s environment with lovely hues.
During your child’s first two months, the best toys for your toddler will be ideally in black, white or brightly coloured.
At age two, start talking about the colours that surround your little one. Describe a colour you see and ask your toddler to identify it over and over again on different objects.
Start with the primary colours: red, blue and yellow. Add these bright colours to bedroom walls and pick toys in these hues. Then, introduce secondary colours such as violet, orange and green to your kid.
Once your child has got a grasp of basic colours, add on complex shades such as magenta, brown or shades of blue and green to your child’s room.
Educational games you can play together
After your little one turns five, try more of such creative games and activities to help broaden your child’s colour vocabulary.
Start by sorting objects by colour. Offer your child toy blocks in a variety of colours and ask your child to pick up a red block or a green one.
Praise your little one when your child gets it right. If your child does get it wrong, show your little one the right colour. Play this game with your child frequently and over time, your child will be able to pick up the blocks by colour with ease.
You can also teach your child about colours by naming the seven hues on a rainbow. Use the opportunity to teach your child about these seven colours when you spot a rainbow in the sky.
Playing with colour pencils, crayons and paints can help – let your child doodle, scribble, colour or paint with them. These colouring tools can help children to learn how to express their feelings and thoughts.
Vegetable art is another fun learning activity to try. Use sliced vegetables as stamps, by smearing child-friendly paints on the produce. Of course, moms and dads will have to slice the vegetables beforehand – keep sharp objects away from your little one.