I am discovering yellow

I am discovering yellow

Activities for babies and toddlers

Yellow is a bright and joyful color that babies and toddlers will love to explore.

AREA SETUP

Decorate

Print and laminate several yellow chicks, ducks, and bees. Display them on a wall or hang them from the ceiling. Type the name of each animal in the educatall club's search engine to find different sizes of adorable illustrations.

ROUTINES AND TRANSITIONS

Snacks and lunch

Serve as many yellow food items as possible to babies and toddlers. Depending on the ages of the children in your group, you may offer yellow apples, bananas, yellow peppers, small yellow plums, and pineapple chunks (around 12 months).

Diaper changes

Purchase a musical birthday card. Glue yellow illustrations (printed) inside the card. For example, you could glue pictures of yellow flowers, a banana, or a toy in the card. Laminate the card. Let babies and toddlers explore the card when you change their diaper.

SENSORY ACTIVITIES (sight)

Yellow magnifying glasses

To offer children the chance to see the world through yellow glasses, print large magnifying glasses (see model in educatall club). Cut out the centre of each magnifying glass. Cover the cut area with yellow cellophane paper. Laminate and cut around the contour of each magnifying glass and let children explore their yellow environment!

SENSORY ACTIVITIES (touch)

Soft yellow feathers

Present several yellow feathers. Among other things, children will enjoy tossing them in the air, using them to tickle their arm or their friends, and filling plastic containers. Let them explore the feathers as long as they are having fun. When they begin to lose interest in the activity, help them glue feathers on a square piece of adhesive paper. Cover it with another piece of adhesive paper and display the feathers in a window.

ARTS & CRAFTS

Big yellow sun (collective or individual project)

Use tiny circles to create individual suns or a large circle if you wish to make one large sun together as a group. Trace the circles on white paper (the paper should not be much bigger than the circles). Let babies and toddlers draw, paint, or glue yellow decorations on the circles once they are cut out. When they are done, glue the paper circles inside hula hoops and hang them from the ceiling (out of children's reach) using transparent string.

Surprise coat of paint

Pour a thin layer of yellow paint in a tray. Pour white paint on top of the yellow paint. Deposit the platter on a large piece of white paper. Let babies and toddlers press their fingers and hands in the paint to discover the yellow paint. If you wish, hide objects that can safely be manipulated by little ones in the paint. Visit the creative recipes section of the website to make your own paint.

MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Little yellow parade

Make hats for the children in your group using yellow crayons and arts & crafts materials. Simply let children decorate a strip of yellow construction paper that can be used to form a headband when they are done. If you have yellow scarves, have fun trying to attach them to different body parts (wrists, waist, neck, pants, etc.). March around the daycare or backyard with your group.

Yellow Day

Pick a day and ask parents to dress their child with as many yellow clothing items as possible.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Find the intruders

Hide several yellow objects in a large cereal bin. Also hide one or two objects of a different color (red for example) among the contents of the bin. Each time a child finds a yellow object, name the color. When a child finds an object of a different color, act surprised before naming the color.

Yellow fabric bin

To give children the chance to explore a variety of textures, fill a large container with different types of yellow fabric (felt, velvet, silk, sandpaper, etc.). Let them touch the fabric pieces.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

Cut bananas (fine motor skills)

Help toddlers peel a banana. Show them the proper technique. When they are done, offer plastic non-serrated knives and encourage them to cut their banana before eating it as a snack.

Balloons

Inflate several yellow balloons. Let children have fun tossing them in the air. If you wish, you can also provide small rackets (or paper plates). Children will enjoy using them to catch or tap the balloons.

Chantal Millette
Early childhood educator

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