Car Capers
Match cars with their colours – A way to learn similarities and differences between objects.
How to Play: Have your child park a car on a piece of paper of the same colour.
Setup
0-2 minutes
Time required
10-15 minutes
Materials
Toy cars (or other favourite toys) and construction paper that is the same colour as some of the toys.
How to Play
Most young children enjoy naming different colours. Playing games where your child labels different colours helps them get better at identifying them. Find some paper that matches the colours of the trucks or cars in his toy collections. Call out the colour of the paper as you lay it on the floor. Park a car of the same colour on each piece of paper (for example, red car on red paper). Then mix it up and ask your child to drive the vehicles onto their correct, color-coded parking spots. If you don't have cars or your child prefers different toys, you can also use toys such as blocks, balls, or animals.
Some Tips
Successfully match colours helps train your child's eye to compare and contrast different objects. It also engages his/her mind by finding something in common (colour) in toys that are different (paper and cars). Saying the names of the colours out loud as he/she matches the colours car to the paper will also help them to learn and practice some new words.
Make it Easier
Start with two or three colours that are familiar.
Make it Harder
Add more and new colours (e.g., beige). You can also identify different shades of colours when your child is ready (e.g., light yellow and bright yellow).
Reference
Adapted from Masi, D., & Leiderman, D. (2005). The Parent's Guide to Play (1st ed. p. 280). Toronto, ON: Key Porter Book Limited
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