How to teach colour matching to Nursery children

Put a red crayon on the table. Hold up a blue crayon and another red one. Ask, “Which one is the same colour?” If your child points to the red crayon, they’ve matched the colour even if they can’t yet say its name. Use that as your starting point.

Start with two clear choices

Use two crayons of the same shape and size so colour is the main difference. Try red and blue first. Swap the crayons left to right between turns. If your child always chooses the item on the right, show the matching pair side by side, name the colour, then offer the choice again.

Once that feels easy, use two different objects that share a colour, such as a yellow crayon and a yellow cup. Show both and say, “They are both yellow.” Then offer a red cup and a yellow cup to match to the crayon. This checks whether the child can match the colour when the objects look different.

Try a colour sort with things you already have

Set out one red sheet of paper and one blue sheet. Ask the child to place a matching crayon or a piece of fabric on each sheet. When both objects have a home, ask for one more match. For a small-group activity, give each child one item so everyone gets a turn.

If two shades look similar, use clearer examples and look at them together in daylight. Keep the practice short. Two or three attentive turns are enough for one round.

Use a printable to check the same skill

Draw one sample swatch on the left and two choices on the right. Ask your child to point to the match. Move the correct choice between turns. For more activities with everyday objects, try the daily Nursery Science worksheet.