Here’s a fun fact: Toddlers learn best during fun and play! Teaching colors can also be fun and interactive. Toddlers are naturally attracted to bright colors and teaching them how to recognize these colors can be effortless. This article will serve as an easy guide on how you can help your little ones learn and identify basic colors and shapes.
According to the American Optometric Association, an infant’s vision can significantly improve during the first few months after birth. Babies can already see shades of black, white, and gray while color vision will start to develop at around 4 months.
Depth perception will start developing after 5 months where your baby can see more clearly and follow movements with their eyes.
At 2 years of age, your child’s in-depth perception and eye-hand coordination should already be well developed. Children at this age are always on the move. Their curious little minds make them highly interested in looking around and exploring their environment. This is one of the best times to let them start learning colors and basic shapes.
Issues Toddlers Encounter When Learning Colors
Some children identify colors faster than others and some can identify only one or two. The rate of how fast kids learn multiple colors varies on their developmental stage. Frequent exposures through fun activities and color games can help strengthen your child’s color recognition skills.
Though learning colors may not be bright and sunny at all times. Parents encounter a lot of issues that hinder their child’s ability to tell color differences. For example, by presenting the same objects for color reference the child would likely associate those objects with their color name. For a child to be able to develop the ability to discern colors from the same object will take time and patience.
Developmental Issues in Learning Colors
Most children get confused with the different color shades at first, that is normal, you can’t expect every child to get it right the first time.
But in cases like, when your child is having difficulty verbally communicating the color names even if they know it or having trouble recognizing the green ball from the red one, aside from other colors, then they might be experiencing some developmental issues.
There are a lot of developmental concerns that can delay a child’s pattern of development. Color blindness, for one, can prevent the child from learning certain colors. Autism is another factor that can cause a developmental delay in learning shapes and color
Different Facets of Learning Shapes and Colors
For your little ones to be able to grasp the basic concept of color and recognize a shape is a developmental milestone. It is an age-specific task that young children can accomplish at a certain age.
We are living in a world filled with different colors that our children can see every day. From the blue sky to the green grass and a red ball in the backyard, your kids should be able to distinguish which color is which.
Allowing your child to be aware of the colors in their surroundings is understanding how important it is for them to understand the different aspects of learning colors.
Tips on How to Teach Colors and Basic Shapes to Toddlers
A toddler’s brain is like a sponge, they are ready to absorb everything that is going on around them. For them, the world is a big classroom. It is the perfect time for them to master foundations for future skills.
There are a lot of different ways that you can come up with creative ideas to help your child enjoy while learning. From indoor to outdoor activities to fun and games, the sky’s the limit. Here are some tips on how you can help your child learn the simplest forms of learning shapes and colors:
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- Try to Engage Them Is Simple Activities Like Painting and Color Matching. Trying to match the colors, like putting the blue block beside the blue shirt is one of the simplest ways to learn color matching. Aside from practicing their fine motor skills, it enhances their ability to recognize colors.
- The idea of using colorful objects to help learn the primary colors is both fun and effective when dealing with toddlers.
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- Painting is another creative and fun activity to help kids learn colors and shapes. Painting helps a toddler explore color mixing. It can be a little messy, but using washable paints can give your child the freedom to discover new colors on their own by mixing paints.
- Same Color Games With Colorful Objects. Activities such as sorting red blocks from blue ones are also a fun way of encouraging the cognitive way of color sorting. You can also use flashcards or ask them to find objects around that house of the same color. Place down a colored paper on the table and let your child match it with the same colored block. These kinds of activities can stimulate and reinforce your child’s mind to know the differences between various colors and objects they are trying to match. Color learning can also be a great way for parent and child bonding. Learning perception is different between kids and adults. Kids mostly learn through association. Using colorful objects and associating them with different color names can be the best way to help them learn colors faster.
- Engage Them With Coloring Activities. Color activities such as coloring books and color words are fun ways to keep them busy and occupied. Plus, it helps with color learning.
These types of activities can stimulate their creativity and also be an exciting way to introduce colors. Coloring materials can also foster their awareness of the different colors that they can use to color the whole image.
Allowing your child to take part in such activities can also strengthen their ability to focus, coordinate and cultivate their hidden creative talents. Letting them complete their coloring tasks can boost their self-esteem and sense of accomplishment.
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The Best Time Teach Shapes for Most Children
Most toddlers begin identifying primary colors at the age of 2 years old. But, naming shapes is a type of skill that might take a little longer to develop for some kids. Generally, at the age of 3, many children can already identify some of the more advanced shapes.
Common shapes such as squares, rectangles, triangles, and circles should already be recognized by toddlers aged 2 years old and above. It can be easily reinforced by pointing out objects inside the home that are shaped the same.
The Best Age for Toddlers to Learn the Alphabet
Learning the alphabet is another educational milestone that will prepare them in learning how to write and read in the future. Usually, young children should be able to recognize the alphabet at the age of three.
Though some will need more time to learn it, you can always help your child gain competency by teaching and encouraging them to sing the alphabet song daily. Colorful alphabet books and other visual aids can also make your child’s learning experience with letters fun and interactive.
Best Time for Toddlers to Start Learning Numbers
Introducing number recognition to toddlers is important to help them understand the concept of counting. Some children start counting from one to ten at the age of two. Though they can’t understand the concept, they can learn it through repetition.
Letting them count common objects that they can see around them is a great activity to exercise their mind. Kids learn faster if the topic interests them and using fascinating objects can keep them more engrossed with the learning activity. Though we all know that children learn and develop at different rates, learning numbers can happen in their own time.
Best Time for Toddlers to Learn Nursery Rhymes
Nursery rhymes can benefit toddlers through language and cognitive development. It is where they can learn new words, practice memorization, and easily recall. Nursery rhymes are also a great way to teach toddlers how to count and say the alphabet. But when is the best time to let your toddler memorize nursery rhymes?
Most children who are exposed to nursery rhymes at a very young age can memorize and sing the tune at 2 years of age. By the time they are four, they can sing the tune with the lyrics. One of the best moments of being a parent is to watch your child sing along with their favorite nursery rhyme. It is both delightful and entertaining.
Best Time for Toddlers to Learn Sensory Skills
Toddlers use their sensory skills to explore the things around them. Sensory play and activities help promote a child’s sensory development. This can build up their ability to accomplish more complex tasks and support other skills such as language development, social interaction, problem-solving skills, and cognitive growth.
The best time for your toddlers to learn sensory skills is during the time when your child starts to react to different sensory experiences. Providing your children with more opportunities to actively explore their senses is crucial for their brain development.
Newborns from 0-to 12 months will already start using their sensory skills as an observer. They take in new sensations such as sound, smell, taste, and texture as an active participant.
By the age of 12 months, they will start grabbing and putting things in their mouth. When they reach the toddler stage it is easier to introduce the different senses through sensory activities. At this rate, they are slowly trying to get a grip of what their senses are for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should a 2 Year Old Learn Colors?
A two-year-old may not be able to understand the concept of colors completely but they should be able to identify at least one color at this age. By this time, the child should learn how to name colors and identify basic shapes and numbers. Allowing them to participate in fun activities can effectively help them learn primary and secondary colors faster.
What Age Should Toddlers Identify Colors?
Most children can identify at least 2 colors when they are 3 years old. It is also the best time to play a matching game using the different objects that can be seen around them. There are a lot of ways that you can help your toddler learn colors more quickly. You just have to be more patient and supportive when teaching them.
Final Thoughts
You can make learning fun and stimulating for toddlers to help them accomplish their developmental milestones. Some of the kids will develop their skills sooner than others but allowing them to learn at their own pace can help them enhance their ability to accomplish more complex tasks in the future.
