Preschool Homeschool Curriculum: Lesson Plans for Teaching Colors

Are you looking for a fun and interactive way to teach your preschooler about colors? I have been homeschooling my kids since 2014, starting preschool with each kiddo at age 3. I have found that using a combination of books, music, and hands-on activities makes learning exciting and engaging. I designed each color lesson plan to include a variety of resources, from fine and gross motor skills to crafts and songs, that help reinforce color recognition while fostering creativity. These activities are easy to do at home with accessible materials, whether you are making a cotton ball black sheep for black or mixing pink-colored cloud dough. If you are interested in any of the books or materials I mention, you can easily find everything on Amazon through my affiliate links.

Lesson Structure Summary

1. Objective: Each lesson focuses on learning about a particular color.
2. Books: A selection of children’s books related to each color is recommended, providing a great way to integrate literacy into the color exploration.
3. Music: Songs related to the color are used to reinforce the lesson through movement and rhythm, from nursery rhymes to popular hits.
4. Fine Motor Skills: Exercises from the resources Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, Grade P and Let’s Learn Colors and Shapes help kids with dexterity through activities like coloring and drawing.
5. Gross Motor Skills: Physical activities are aligned with the color theme to help children explore the color through movement and play.
6. Craft/Activity: Hands-on craft projects encourage creativity and reinforce the color lesson.

Color Red Lesson Plan

Objective

To learn about the color red

Red is a primary color

Books

Music

“Little Red Apple””” (The Complete Daily Curriculum for Early Childhood page 311)

A little red apple grew high in a tree. (Point up.)
I looked up at it. (Shade eyes and look up.)
It looked down at me. (Shade eyes and look down.)
“Come down, please,” I called. (Use hand to motion downward.)
And that little red apple fell right on my head. (Tap the top of your head.)

Fine Motor Skills

• Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, Grade P: page 10
• Let’s Learn Colors and Shapes: pages 4-5

Gross Motor Skills

Tossing red balls into various containers

Craft/Activity

Name Apple Picking (Inspired by Everything for Fall page 22)

Materials

• Cardboard
• Scissors
• Red paint
• Paintbrush
• Black marker

Directions

1. Cut the cardboard into the shape of apples.
2. Pour some red paint onto the scrap cardboard.
3. Allow your child to paint the cardboard apples red.
4. After the red paint dries, write familiar names on the apples with the black marker.
5. Ask your child to pick the apples by name. (Teaches your child to recognize familiar names).

Color Yellow Lesson Plan

Objective

To learn about the color yellow

Yellow is a primary color

Books

Music

“Falling Leaves” (The Complete Daily Curriculum for Early Childhood page 299)

Little leaves are falling down (Wiggle fingers downward)
Red and yellow, orange and brown (Count on fingers)
Whirling, twirling round and round (Twirl fingers)
Falling softly to the ground (Wiggle fingers downward to the ground)

Fine Motor Skills

• Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, Grade P: page 12
• Let’s Learn Colors and Shapes: pages 8-9

Gross Motor Skills

Dancing to “Yellow Submarine” by The Beatles

Craft/Activity

Fingerpaint Leaves (Everything for Fall page 24)

Materials

• Leaves
• Yellow paint
• Blank paper
• Scrap cardboard

Directions

1. Collect leaves from outside.
2. Pour some yellow paint on the cardboard.
3. Dip the leaves into the yellow paint.
4. Press the leaves onto the blank paper.

Color Blue Lesson Plan

Objective

To learn about the color blue

Blue is a primary color

Books

Music

“Blue (Da Ba Dee)” by Eiffel 65

I have a blue house with a blue window.
Blue is the color of all that I wear.
Blue are the streets and all the trees are too.
I have a girlfriend and she is so blue.
Blue are the people here that walk around,
Blue like my corvette, it’s in and outside.
Blue are the words I say and what I think.
Blue are the feelings that live inside me.

Fine Motor Skills

• Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, Grade P: page 14
• Let’s Learn Colors and Shapes: pages 12-13

Gross Motor Skills

Dancing to “Blue Suede Shoes”

Craft/Activity

Create a blue meal collage. Find and cut photos of blue foods out of old magazines. Glue the blue foods onto a paper plate. Optional: Make a blue collage of any blue objects.

Color Orange Lesson Plan

Objective

To learn about the color orange

Orange is a secondary color

Red and yellow make orange

Books

Music

“Five Little Pumpkins” (Everything for Fall page 98)

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate. (Hold up five fingers.)
The first one said, “Oh, my, it’s getting late!” (Hold up index finger.)
The second one said, “There are witches/leaves all in the air!” (Hold up two fingers.)
The third one said, “But we don’t care.” (Hold up three fingers.)
The fourth one said, “I’m ready for some fun!” (Hold up four fingers.)
The fifth one said, “Let’s run and run and run!” (Hold up all five fingers.)
Then whoosh went the wind. (Wave hand.)
And out went the light! (Clap hands.)
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight. (Rolls hands.)

Fine Motor Skills

• Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, Grade P: page 18
• Let’s Learn Colors and Shapes: pages 6-7

Gross Motor Skills

Hopping and jumping from and over orange object to orange object. Use orange towels, fabric scraps, paper, or any other flat orange objects. Have your child practice hopping and jumping from object to object and over the objects.

Craft/Activity

Paper Plate Pumpkins

Materials

• White paper plate
• Blank paper
• Red and yellow paint
• Green or brown paint
• Empty container
• Paintbrush
• Scrap cardboard
• Black permanent marker
• Glue

Directions

1. Pour some red paint and some yellow paint into the empty container.
2. Stir the paint with the paintbrush until mixed into the color orange. Add more of either color to change the hue of the orange.
3. Paint the white paper plate with the orange paint.
4. While the orange paint dries, draw a pumpkin stem onto the blank paper with the black marker.
5. Pour some green or brown paint onto the scrap cardboard.
6. Paint the stem green or brown.
7. After the green or brown paint dries, turn the paper over and cut out the stem following the marker outline.
8. Glue the stem onto the back of the orange plate.
9. Optional: Use black paper or black paint to create a Jack o’ lantern face on the paper plate pumpkin.

Color Green Lesson Plan

Objective

To learn about the color green

Green is a secondary color

Yellow and blue make green

Books

Music

“Five Little Speckled Frogs”

Five little speckled frogs (Hold up five fingers)
Sat on a speckled log (Place fingers next to opposite arm)
Eating the most delicious bugs, yum, yum
One jumped into the pool (Dive one finger over the opposite arm)
Where it was nice and cool
Now there are four green speckled frogs (Hold up four fingers)

Repeat verse while counting down to no green speckled frogs

Fine Motor Skills

• Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, Grade P: page 16
• Let’s Learn Colors and Shapes: pages 10-11

Gross Motor Skills

Lily Pad Leaping (The Complete Daily Curriculum for Early Childhood page 51). Use green towels, fabric scraps, paper, or any other flat green objects. Have your child practice leaping from object to object. Listen to “Green River” by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Craft/Activity

Leaf Sponge Painting (Everything for Fall page 104)

Materials

• Blue and yellow paint
• Plastic spoon
• Blank paper
• Empty container
• Sponge
• Scissors

Directions

1. Cut the sponge into leaf shapes with the scissors.
2. Pour some blue paint and some yellow paint into the empty container.
3. Stir the paint with the spoon until mixed into the color green. Add more of either color to change the hue of the green.
4. Dip the sponge leaves into the paint and then onto the paper.

Color Purple Lesson Plan

Objective

To learn about the color purple

Purple is a secondary color

Red and blue make purple

Books

Music

“Purple Is a Color”

(Tune: “I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad”)

Purple is the color for a bunch of grapes.
Purple is the color for grape juice too.
Purple is the color for a violet.
I like purple. Don’t you?

Fine Motor Skills

• Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, Grade P: page 22
• Let’s Learn Colors and Shapes: pages 16-17

Gross Motor Skills

Dancing to songs with purple in the title.

“Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix

“Purple Rain” by Prince

“The Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley

Craft/Activity

The Purple Cow (The Complete Daily Curriculum for Early Childhood page 315)

I never saw a purple cow.
I never hope to see one.
But I can tell you anyhow
I’d rather see than be one.

Materials

• Cow printable
• Plastic sheeting
• Red and blue food coloring
• Water
• Empty container
• Paintbrush

Directions

1. Print the cow printable on blank paper.
2. Cover a workspace with the plastic sheeting.
3. Fill the container with some water.
4. Add some red and some blue food coloring to the water.
5. Stir the colored with the paintbrush until mixed into the color purple. Add more of either color to change the hue of the purple.
6. Paint the cow printable with the purple-colored water. Do not over saturate the paper.
7. Allow the colored water to dry completely.

Color Black Lesson Plan

Objective

To learn about the color black

Books

Music

“Baa, Baa, Black Sheep”

Baa, baa, black sleep
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full
One for my master
And one for my dame
And one for the little boy/girl that lives down the lane

Fine Motor Skills

• Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, Grade P: page 26
• Let’s Learn Colors and Shapes: pages 24-25

Gross Motor Skills

Move to songs with black in the title while sitting in the dark. Explore movement in absence of the sense of sight.

“Back in Black” by AC/DC

“Black Magic Woman” by Santana

“Black or White” by Michael Jackson

“Blackbird” by The Beatles

“Men in Black” by Will Smith

Craft/Activity

Cotton Ball Black Sheep

Materials

• Sheep printable
• Cotton balls
• Plastic sheeting
• Black water-based paint
• Water
• Empty container
• Plastic spoon

Directions

1. Print the sheep printable on blank paper.
2. Cover a workspace with the plastic sheeting.
3. Fill the container with some black paint.
4. Thin the paint slightly by adding a little water.
5. Stir the water and paint together thoroughly.
6. Dunk a cotton ball into the thinned down black paint.
7. Stick the dyed cotton ball onto the sheep.
8. Repeat until the sheet is covered with black cotton balls.
9. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly.

Color White Lesson Plan

Objective

To learn about the color white

Books

Music

“Find the Color”

(Tune: “Do You Know the Muffin Man?”)

Can you find the color white?
The color white, the color white?
Can you find the color white?
Somewhere in this room?

Yes, I see the color white.
The color white, the color white.
Yes, I see the color white.
The _ is in this room. (Name something white in the room.)

Fine Motor Skills

• Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, Grade P: page 28
• Let’s Learn Colors and Shapes: pages 26-27

Gross Motor Skills

Toss cotton balls into a bowl. Listen to songs with white in the title.

“White Room” by Cream

“White Christmas” by Bing Crosby

“White Wedding” by Billy Idol

“Little White Church” by Little Big Town

“White Cliffs of Dover” by Vera Lynn

Craft/Activity

Cotton Swab and Cotton Ball Snowflakes

Materials

• Blank blue paper
• Cotton swabs
• Cotton balls
• Glue
• Scrap cardboard

Directions

1. Pour some glue on the cardboard.
2. Create snowflakes by gluing the cotton swabs and cotton balls to the blue paper.
3. Optional: Print or draw the outline of a snowflake onto the paper for your child to cover.

Color Pink Lesson Plan

Objective

To learn about the color pink

Pink is a tint of red

Red and white make pink

Books

Music

“One Pink Piglet” (The Complete Daily Curriculum for Early Childhood 325)

One pink piglet went out to play (Wiggle one finger)
Out in the barnyard mud one day.
He had such messy muddy fun
That he called for another pink pig to come.

Two pink piglets went out to play… (Wiggle two fingers)

Continue through five pink piglets.

Fine Motor Skills

• Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, Grade P: page 20
• Let’s Learn Colors and Shapes: pages 18-19

Gross Motor Skills

Dancing to songs with pink in the title.

“Pink” by Aerosmith

“Geek in the Pink” by Jason Mraz

“Pink Houses” by John Mellencamp

Craft/Activity

Mixing Pink Cloud Dough

Materials

• 1/2 cup of thick hair conditioner
• 1 cup of cornstarch
• Red food coloring

Directions

1. Combine the conditioner and cornstarch in a bowl until well mixed.
2. Divide the cloud dough in half.
3. Add red food coloring to one half to create bright red dough.
4. Combine the red and white cloud dough to create pink dough.
5. Store the cloud dough in an airtight container.
6. Optional: Add peppermint extract to the dough to create scented cloud dough.

Color Gray Lesson Plan

Objective

To learn about the color gray

Gray is a tint of black

Black and white make gray

Books

Music

“Old Gray Mare”

The old gray mare
She ain’t what she used to be
She ain’t what she used to be
She ain’t what she used to be
The old gray mare
She ain’t what she used to be
Many long years ago
Many long years ago
Many long years ago
The old gray mare
She ain’t what she used to be
Many long years ago

Fine Motor Skills

• Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, Grade P: page 30
• Let’s Learn Colors and Shapes: pages 20-21

Gross Motor Skills

“Gray Squirrel”

Gray squirrel, gray squirrel (Place hands on bent knees)
Swish your bushy tail (Wiggle bum)
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel (Place hands on bent knees)
Swish your bushy tail (Wiggle bum)
Wrinkle up your funny nose (Wrinkle nose)
Hold an acorn in your toes (Pinch index finger and thumb together on both hands)
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel (Place hands on bent knees)
Swish your bushy tail (Wiggle bum)

Craft/Activity

Stormy Skies Sponge Painting

Materials

• Black and white paint
• Plastic spoon
• Blank paper
• Empty container
• Scrap cardboard
• Sponge
• Scissors

Directions

1. Cut the sponge into cloud shapes with the scissors.
2. Pour some black paint and some white paint into the empty container.
3. Stir the paint with the spoon until mixed into the color gray. Add more of either color to change the hue of the gray.
4. Dip the sponge clouds into the paint and then onto the paper.
5. Optional: Continue adding black or white paint to the mixture to change the darkness of the gray. Layer the different colors of clouds on the paper.

Color Brown Lesson Plan

Objective

To learn about the color brown

Red, yellow, and blue make brown

Books

Music

“Brown Bear”

Brown bear, brown bear
Turn around
Brown bear, brown bear
Touch the ground
Brown bear, brown bear
Reach up high
Brown bear, brown bear
Touch the sky
Brown bear, brown bear
Bend down low
Brown bear, brown bear
Touch your toe

Fine Motor Skills

• Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, Grade P: page 24
• Let’s Learn Colors and Shapes: pages 22-23

Gross Motor Skills

“Little Brown Leaf” by Jean Warren

Little brown leaf, falling to the ground (Wave hands back and forth towards the floor)
Little brown leaf, twirling around (Spin around)
Little brown leaf, landing in a pile (Fall to the floor)
Little brown leaf, with a great big smile (Jump up and smile)

Craft/Activity

Bark Rubbings

Use brown crayons and blank paper to make bark rubbings of different trees. Explore the texture of the bark as well as the shades of brown.

Colors Review Lesson Plan

Objective

To review the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, black, brown, white, and gray

To review mixing primary colors to create secondary colors

Books

Music

“If You’re Happy and You Know It” (The Complete Daily Curriculum for Early Childhood page 64)

If you’re happy and you know it
Point to color
If you’re happy and you know it
Point to color
If you’re happy and you know it
Then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it
Point to color

Repeat with each color

“I Can Sing a Rainbow”

Red and yellow and pink and green
Purple and orange and blue
I can sing a rainbow
Sing a rainbow
Sing a rainbow too

Listen with your eyes
Listen with your eyes
And sing everything you see
Now you can sing a rainbow
Sing a rainbow
Sing a rainbow too

Fine Motor Skills

• Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, Grade P: page 32-47
• Let’s Learn Colors and Shapes: pages 14-15, 28-33

Gross Motor Skills

Dancing to songs about colors.

Craft/Activity

My Color Book

Materials

• Blank paper
• My Color Book Template
• Rainbow paint chips
• Glue
• Scissors
• Markers or crayons
• Plastic sheet protectors
• Clear packing tape
• Yarn

Directions

1. Print the My Color Book Template on the blank paper.
2. Color the color words with markers or crayons.
3. Cut the paint chips into individual colors.
4. Glue the individual paint chips onto each corresponding page.
5. After the glue dries, insert the pages into plastic sheet protectors.
6. Tape the sheet protectors closed.
7. Bind the pages together with yarn.
8. Read My Color Book.

Rainbow Collage

Materials

• Old magazines with colorful photos
• Scissors
• Blank paper
• Glue stick

Directions

1. Find smaller photos that consist of each color in the magazines.
2. Cut the photos out.
3. Line up the photos of each color into rows to form a rainbow.
4. Glue the rows of photos onto the blank paper.
5. Display the rainbow collage.

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