Sometimes all you need are a few dollar store supplies to prepare an engaging activity for your toddler. This fun colour matching game is not only perfect for your child to learn colours in French, but it is also excellent to practice hand-eye coordination, pinching, and grasping.
What you will need
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| Popsicle sticks | des bâtons de glace |
| Wooden clothespins | des épingles à linge en bois des pinces à linge en bois |
I used coloured popsicle sticks and wooden clothespins but you can also paint plain ones.
Setup
I love the Montessori philosophy of placing items neatly on a learning tray for the child to discover. It is not only visually appealing, but it also keeps everything contained. And since my daughter is used to this type of setup, she gets very excited about “her work”.
Colours in French
Here are the colours that we used.
Purple – violet
Orange – orange
Green – vert
Yellow – jaune
Red – rouge
Blue – bleu
Related: Mixing colours in French
Instructions
I demonstrated the activity to my child, but you can also give verbal instructions as you show them the steps that are involved.
Step 1: Selecting a clothespin and identifying its colour
Here’s an orange clothespin.
Voici une épingle à linge orange.
Step 2: Finding the corresponding popsicle stick
Where is the orange popsicle stick? Here it is!
Où est le bâton de glace orange? Le voici!
Step 3: Using the thumb and index finger, open and close the clothespin onto the popsicle stick
Related: Learning the names of the fingers in French: fingerplay
I can open and close the clothespin with my thumb and index finger.
Je peux ouvrir et fermer la pince à linge avec mon pouce et mon index.
Then invite them to try it out!
Once your child has completed this activity at home, you can easily pack this colour recognition and identification kit in your diaper bag and pull it out when you’re out at a restaurant or café.
Extension
Set up a small clothesline for your child and show them how to use the clothespins to hang the popsicle sticks. Depending on their age, it may take some practice for them to get it right as it involves holding the stick at just the right height with one of their hands while opening and closing the pin at just the right place with the other hand. It was a fun challenge!
What resources have you used to help your child learn colours in French?
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