Color Run

What pleases us most is seeing the differences in the objects the children choose. One child, who was enthralled with nature, ran to touch the budding leaf of a flower for the color green. Another child, who prefers social interaction, ran after the first child because he was wearing a green jacket.

D I R E C T I O N S

When you and the children are outside, call out a color and have everyone scatter and run to something that is that color. For example, yell out “Yellow” and see who goes where to find what. Join in the fun and run, too.

Consider it your workout for the day and a good excuse to avoid the treadmill at the gym. Repeat the same color many times, as in “What else is yellow?” and let the children run and explore until they find, for example, that small buttercup hidden in the grass.

VA R I AT I O N S

Take a “Purple Walk.” As you walk down the street, look for anything that is purple. Next time, choose a different color to look for.

If no one is in the mood to move, play the color game of I Spy. One player says, “I spy the color ____,” naming the color of something he sees outside or in the room. Then all the players try to guess which object was spied. When the object is identified, another player takes a turn at spying a color.

For very little ones who don’t know their colors yet, show an example of the color first. “See the blue color in your shirt? Find something else that is like that blue color.”