Your toddler points to a blue cup and shouts, “Blue!” Then, they point to a yellow cup and shout… “Blue!” 🙃
By 1 1/2, your toddler can probably tell the difference between yellow and blue. But it may be another year or two before they use color words correctly every time.
Color can be an especially tricky concept for a toddler because it’s both abstract and nuanced. For example, a fork functions the same way whether it’s green or orange. Colors also come in many different shades—navy and turquoise are both “blue” but don’t look the same.
A timeline of color understanding
12 to 18 months: start to notice that objects come in different colors. One-year-olds may show a preference for certain colors. For instance, your toddler may specifically choose a green ball from a basket full of colored balls.
18 to 24 months: begin to learn color words. When asked “What color is it?” your child may respond with a color term, though it may not be the correct one. For example, they may hold a yellow ball that and say “blue.” Even though your toddler probably can’t label a color correctly, their intuitive understanding of colors is developing. Try giving your child a green Felt Star and then offering them one green and one yellow Mosaic Button. Ask: “Which button goes with your star?” to see if they can match green with green.
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24 to 36 months: correctly identify a few colors. Children can show that they know the correct names for a few colors when asked. Your toddler may point to the right cup if asked, “Where is the red cup?”This shows they can understand color words (receptive language) before they can accurately come up with them on their own (productive language).
After 36 months: come to understand that color is a distinct quality. Children learn to separate the attribute of color from the object itself. Objects can have different colors, even if their function is the same. This is when children can name colors with more accuracy.
5 fun ways to help your toddler learn colors
As you do these activities, try saying the color name after the object name. Research shows this can be an effective way to help young children learn color words. For example, you can say, “The ball is purple” instead of “This is a purple ball.”
1. Create a color box
Take a small box or bin and fill it with objects that are all the same color, like yellow—for example, a lemon, a cup, a ball, and some playthings: the star and basket from the , the piece from the Chunky Wooden Puzzle, and a peg from the Wooden Peg Stand. Place the bin on the floor so your toddler can explore on their own at first. After a few minutes, talk to them about the objects and their colors: “This star is yellow. Will the star fit in the yellow cup?”
2. Taste a color
At snack time, provide a plate of foods that are all the same color: green kiwi, green edamame, green snap pea crisps, green cucumber. If your toddler enjoys their green snacks, try working your way through the rainbow with a different color snack each day.
3. Compare colors at the store
As you go about your daily routine, name objects and their colors. This is especially fun at a grocery store, where lots of different colors are on display: “This apple is red and that pepper is also red. Two foods that are red!”
4. Read a colorful book
Pick a book with realistic photos, like “Colorful Foods” (from The Babbler Play Kit Book Bundle). Point to the objects and name the colors as you read together: “That boy is eating a strawberry. The strawberry is red. The boy’s shirt is also red.”
5. Go on a color hunt
Take your toddler on an outdoor color scavenger hunt. As you explore nature, work together to find different colored objects. You can take the lead in discovering all the green objects at the park and pointing them out to your child.
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Learn more about the research
Kowalski, K., & Zimiles, H. (2006). The relation between children’s conceptual functioning with color and color term acquisition. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 94(4), 301-321.
O’Hanlon, C.G., and Roberson, D. (2006) Learning in context: Linguistic and attentional constraints on children’s color term learning. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 94(4): 275-300.
Ramscar, M., Yarlett, D., Dye, M., Denny, K., & Thorpe, K. (2010). The effects of feature label order and their implications for symbolic learning. Cognitive Science, 34(6), 909-957.
