I made nature color packets today! I gained inspiration for this idea this from Deborah's Forest Treasure Box at Teach Preschool. I really liked this idea; but just wanted to use the items we find while we're outside, rather than making up a box. I also didn't want to have to go around our outdoor area picking up small paint chip cards all over the place! :)
Here was my solution: I started by finding paint chip cards in many different shades of browns, yellows, oranges, greens and whites, sorted them into color packets (I did combine the yellows and oranges since there were fewer) and sequenced them from darkest to lightest. I then punched holes in each at the bottom and used a brad (paper fastener) to attach each group of cards so we can fan them out and see all the shades and seperate colors!
I think I will just pop these in our outdoor backpack to take outside with us! This way I can just use them informally with the children while we are outside and while they are interested. I think these will be a good way to introduce the children to looking more closely at natural items they find while outside! We can use these to find the color of a rock, the color of the grass they are sitting on or the color of the tree trunk.
This will also be a good way to begin to introduce the idea of shades of color. Most natural items may fall somewhere in between the colors on the paint chips. Mentioning that an item is a bit darker or lighter is a way to introduce the children to the concept that natural items are generally not simply..."yellow" or "brown"...they may be dark brown or light brown or somewhere in between!
I'm also excited to introduce the children to the wonderful names of some of the colors on the cards! I think it's much more exciting to call the color of a tree trunk "Toasted Sesame"...or "Afternoon Tea" rather than...brown!
**On a side note: I have no idea why I thought of using paint chip cards for this idea...and when I was making my color matching file folder game....I DIDN'T think of using them! Check out Debbie's comment on my color matching file folder game. She's absolutely right! Use paint chips rather than your color printer ink!
Here was my solution: I started by finding paint chip cards in many different shades of browns, yellows, oranges, greens and whites, sorted them into color packets (I did combine the yellows and oranges since there were fewer) and sequenced them from darkest to lightest. I then punched holes in each at the bottom and used a brad (paper fastener) to attach each group of cards so we can fan them out and see all the shades and seperate colors!
I think I will just pop these in our outdoor backpack to take outside with us! This way I can just use them informally with the children while we are outside and while they are interested. I think these will be a good way to introduce the children to looking more closely at natural items they find while outside! We can use these to find the color of a rock, the color of the grass they are sitting on or the color of the tree trunk.
This will also be a good way to begin to introduce the idea of shades of color. Most natural items may fall somewhere in between the colors on the paint chips. Mentioning that an item is a bit darker or lighter is a way to introduce the children to the concept that natural items are generally not simply..."yellow" or "brown"...they may be dark brown or light brown or somewhere in between!
I'm also excited to introduce the children to the wonderful names of some of the colors on the cards! I think it's much more exciting to call the color of a tree trunk "Toasted Sesame"...or "Afternoon Tea" rather than...brown!
**On a side note: I have no idea why I thought of using paint chip cards for this idea...and when I was making my color matching file folder game....I DIDN'T think of using them! Check out Debbie's comment on my color matching file folder game. She's absolutely right! Use paint chips rather than your color printer ink!
Haha - in other words, you didn't really want to use the forest box idea at all! LOL! You are cracking me up! I probably would have printed out the squares on the other game too - I still don't think to use the paint chips all that much.
ReplyDeleteHey! Wait- I loved the idea of the forest box! This is just the LAZY forest box!! No box...No forest...Just paint chips and random natural items that we see outside! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this with the Carnival of Outdoor Play. It's a very clever and fun way to introduce the idea of shades and that not everything outside is just 'green'.
ReplyDelete@Cathy- :) -always love to link up...and find other ideas!
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