Parents often wonder when they should begin working on different concepts with their children, like shapes and colors. Most children will be ready to start learning their shapes and colors when they are 18 months old. The most important advice I can provide parents is that every child is different, and some children may need until two years old to learn their shapes and colors.
The key to teaching your child shapes and colors is to start during play. When you are building with blocks or playdough, talk about the color. For example, “I will put the yellow block at the top” or “I like how you made the cat out of the pink playdough.” Then move into asking them what color or shape things are around the house and while you are out of the house.
Then you can look to start using printables like the one below. There are different ways you can use the printables after you have printed them.
- Lay them out and ask your child to pick any card they’d like to tell you what the color or shape is.
- Play goldfish
- Match the shape to the word of the shape
- Hide them around the house and tell your child if they find all the cards and tell you what they are when they find them then, they will earn a surprise!
To help the cards last longer, laminate the cards. The laminator I use at home can be found here.
