Easy Ways to Help Kids Learn Colours and Shapes Better
A Child can be taught about colours and shapes from the age of 18 months. Although, each child is different. Some learn it early on and some take time to learn. But by the time the child is three, he or she can identify different shapes and colours with regular re-enforcement. They are not able to identify basic shapes as triangle, circle, square etc. but by doing so also enhances their critical thinking abilities. They are able to recognize similar objects around them and develop a better understanding of their surroundings.
Children can learn different shapes and colours, their differences by describing them aloud and through sorting different objects of similar kind. One can also use the below mentioned items:
- Toys: Children are fascinated by toys. One can ask the child to bring a toy in a particular colour. If they pick and get the correct one appreciate them and if they make a mistake, explain them the difference.
- Educational books and teaching aids: Educational books and teaching aids can be used to teach a child different types of shapes and colours.
- Natural surroundings: When out in a play area, the child can be shown sky, different flowers, birds, animals etc. God’s creation is so very beautiful, each one has a colour specific to its personality. Thus children can be taught using a broader spectrum, out in the open.
- Fun-way: Children can be asked to pick fruits, vegetables or objects in different colour during a time-span of one minute. This may be played in a group. Each one of them can be made to count how many each one of them have got. The one with the maximum objects collected wins.
- Simple shapes: The child may be taught simple shapes like square, rectangle, circle and triangle first. Once they are able to recognize these shapes, they can go on to learn more complex ones like oval, pentagon, hexagon etc.
- Dimensions: Once the child learns the basic shapes, dimensions- 2D and 3D, height, length and breadth can be taught with examples.
- Shapes in day to day life: By asking child to identify different shapes in the vicinity, various objects at home shapes can explored at length.
- Mix n Match: One may club different colours and shapes together and ask the child to fetch the object accordingly.
- Building blocks and Legos: Building blocks and Legos have choices galore, the children can create N number of objects buildings, toys using them. While the child is engrossed creating different objects, they can be asked the shape of the object they are creating.
