Learn colors with color-changing cars for toddlers! Color and shape are one of the first ways, a child observes and categorizes the world around them, that’s how learning starts. A short article about the importance of color for early childhood development can be found here.
This is one of our favorite activities with Aiden since it includes water, splashing, and cars.
Materials for the Activity
You need:
- Two big bowls, one filled with warm water, the other with icy water.
- Color-changing cars in different colors.
This activity can be done anytime during the day and will keep your toddler busy for almost an hour. To keep the splashing limited, use two deeper bowls and fill each with only one cup of water. This way the water will cover three cars and at the same time keep your floor dry.
How to Do It?
First, we ask Aiden what color is each car. He answers and we repeat the color. Then he puts the car in the warm water and he tells us how the color has changed. We repeat again the color. Then he puts the car in the icy water and does it over and over again.
All learning involves repetition and with this activity some splashing.
When we do it on the carpet in his playroom, we use a plastic cover to keep the water damage limited. It works pretty well.
We also use the DIY Car Play Mat for the activity.
Benefits from the Activity
The main benefits are:
- Establishes color recognition and cognitive development,
- Helps your toddler to develop descriptive language skills.
- Ensures clear communication
- Sensory Development – exploring hot & cold, wet & dry, splashing.
Moreover, some of the cars do not change their colors and we mix them with the color-changing cars, so he can feel the difference.
Happy Playing!
