Cian (16 months) really enjoyed his colour matching caterpillar jigsaw the other day, so I decided he was ready to have a go at some larger scale colour sorting. All three boys have loved this activity as toddlers.

Resources

  • Coloured bases (I used circus scarves but coloured paper or card works just as well)
  • Coloured toys and household objects

Method

We walked round the house with a big basket and Cian filled it with random toys and household objects. I then lay some circus scarves out on the floor and modelled putting an object on the correct scarf.

Cian would pick an object out of the basket, then examine it to work out which colour to match it with. As he put the item down on the scarf, I named the colour and object to reinforce his learning, e.g. “You’ve got a green ball.”

DfES Outcomes for EYFS (2013)

Communication and language

Listening and attention (16 to 26 months)

  • Selects familiar objects by name and will go and find objects when asked, or identify objects from a group.
  • Understands simple sentences (e.g. ‘Throw the ball’.)

Mathematics

Numbers (16 to 26 months)

  • Beginning to organise and categorise objects, e.g. putting all the teddy bears together or teddies and cars in separate piles.