Learning Colors and Counting Game

I made this game because my 3yr old is proving to be a bit more diffficult to teach colors and counting to than my first child was (now 5yr). So I have decided to have a "color of the week" on the wall, so that every morning we come down stairs and look over our color of the week (it is next to our letter of the week). We say the name of the color, and think about what things are that color. Then we can each take one of the smaller cards from the envelope and walk around the playroom and see what things are that color, and what things are not that color- believe it or not, that is important too(that is the 'beginning stage' of thg game). Then occasionally throughout the day (when i actually think about it) we talk about it again. The more you talk about it the more it'll be on their mind right?

After my son started to understand what we were doing, and what i was talking about when i would talk about the word 'color' and once he started to actually guess what color it was (even if he was wrong) we went to the 'second stage of the game'.

In the second stage I would color dots on the laminated smaller sheets with a wet erase marker. Then we have to count how many dots each sheet had, and they take their card with them and have to bring me that many items that are that color. So if they get a red card with 3 dots on it, they have to bring me 3 red items. If an item they bring me has more than just red on it, they have to tell where red is on the toy, just to be sure they are not just bringing me stuff and not understanding the consept.

Each kid gets their own smaller card, with a different amount of dots than another kid. Learning to count works better if they all watch each other count how many dots they have, so that they are hearing the correct counting order as often as possible. With that in mind, after a kid brings me a toy, i cross off one of the dots, and we have to count again how many dots are left, then they hear how to count several times in a game. This works well for my older son too, because he is learning subtraction. I'd cross off one, we'd count how many are left, and then i say thats right, because 4 minus 1 is 3, so there are 3 left. or 4 minus 2 is 2, there are 2 left. etc. NOTE: I'd say that is a more advanced part of the game that was an afterthought once i started playing this game. I do not to that part of the game with my 3yr old.

Another aspect of this game being good for my older son is that each color sheet has the written name of the color at the bottom of the page so my 5yr old and I can sound out the letters and see how each color is spelled and sounds of the letters to make it a word. That way every morning he also gets to be involved in this game. In the beginning I didn't do this (because we had not gotten to letter sounds and how putting letters together are what words are made up of) and he would often say the color when i was asking my 3yr old, even though he knew this game was for his brother, because he wanted to be a part of it too, and he was feeling left out, and wanted to show he knew it, and get mommy's 'proud attention' (or so that is what i assumed. lol).

(To read more on how I made it, and my trials and errors click the 'Read more >>' button below)





Now for the how i made it: To make the colors pages i simply tore out one of each color in my construction paper pad. (basically free, caz i already had the construction paper for crafting). I wrote the color name in and I put tape (strong packing tape) over the top center of each color, and about one inch down on each side, and punched a hole in it so it could strongly hold onto the push pin on the wall. I made the holes so i can easily take off the stack and cycle through the colors. Dont get discouraged if you go a whole week and your young one still does not know that color, it may take a couple times, and that is okay.

To make the smaller hand held color pages i simply cut another construction paper sheet into quarters.

As you can see, initally I tried to "laminate" by using packing tape to try to keep cost down. I decided it looked horrible, and would probably be distracting for my little ones caz they'd be inspecting why it was not smooth, and eventually pick at it. So I took all the color squares (4 of each color, so 44 pieces) so my local office supply store that does laminating and had them laminated. It was CRAZY EXPENSIVE. I didn't shop around, and honestly, i forgot to ask how much it would be before i committed to the sale, and i was appalled at the price when i picked it up, but it was already done, so there was nothing i could do. After i got home my friend had told me that you can buy a press and seal type of laminating sheets at WalMart, and it would have been WAY cheaper. But again, it was too late.

So now i had the laminated squares, and needed a way to hold them on the wall by the colors, because otherwise, me and my skatterbrained mind would misplace them all the time if they did not have a 'designated space'. So I made an envelope from another piece of paper. I also put packing tape and punched a hole in the top of the envelope for another push pin hole. I made the envelope by folding a 8x10 piece of paper, corner to side so it was all lined up... not sure if I'm explaining that well, so here is a pic of what I mean.

I did this on two corners and cut off the excess. after you cut off the excess, because of your fold marks, you know where the center is.

Then I folded the corners to the center mark. Then I taped up where the sides come together.

 Dont forget to put tape on the inside too if you have a little bit of space between the pieces that come together so that the papers inside dont stick to the tape. So there you go, that is my Color Learning and Counting Practice Game.

As far as I know this is an origional idea, so I do not have any referances to refer back to. I hope you like my idea, and I hope you have lots of learning fun with your little ones.