Sing the different "If you're happy and you know it" versions, and ask the children to guess the storytime theme.
Ask the children if they have a favourite colour.
Talk about the different colours you can see around you.
Talk about rainbows.Stories:
1. Patrick paints a picture ; by Saviour Pirotta ; illustrated by Linzi West; c. 2007Patrick and his Aunt Emily decide to paint a picture of a field of yellow corn. They talk about what colours they might need, as different animals pop out of the corn stalks. A great book for teaching about colour, and how to paint what you see.
2. Mouse paint ; by Ellen Stoll Walsh ; c. 1989
Three white mice discover three pots of paint: red, yellow and blue. They have great fun mixing the colours, and discovering the new colours. Excellent for teaching colours and colour mixing.
3. Yellow dress day ; by Michelle Worthington ; illustrated by Sophie Norsa; c. 2012Ava has a rainbow of colourful dresses, and wears certain colours on certain types of days. One windy day is a yellow dress day, but yesterday was also a yellow dress day, so what will she do? A lovely look at weather, colours, and how to cope with the unexpected.
4. Cave Baby ; by Julia Donaldson ; illustrated by Emily Gravett; c. 2010
Cave Baby gets in trouble for painting bright colours over his mother's cave paintings. A woolly mammoth kidnaps Cave Baby (is he taking him to the Big Brown Bear?) with surprising results. Lovely bright illustrations, this is a fun look at creativity.
5. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see? ; by Bill Martin Jr ; illustrated by Eric Carle ; c. 1995Brown Bear sees many different animals, in many different colours. This book is great for animal recognition, colour recognition, and is very engaging because of some of the more bizarre colour/animal combinations.
Also recommended:
1. Where is the green sheep? ; by Mem Fox ; illustrated by Judy Horacek ; c. 2004
2. Elfrida ; by Klara Fall ; illustrated by Heide Stöllinger; c. 2005
3. I ain't gonna paint no more! ; by Karen Beaumont ; illustrated by David Catrow ; c. 2005
4. Lemons are not red ; by Laura Vaccaro Seeger ; c. 2006
5. Elmer ; by David McKee ; c. 1989 (originally published in 1968)
6. A color of his own ; by Leo Lionni ; c. 1975
8. Winne the witch ; by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul ; c. 1998
Finger rhymes:
Pink
Author unknown
My favourite colour is pink, I think (shrug shoulders)
But red is pretty too. (nod)
It's one or the other (hold out one hand then other)
Unless I discover
I'm suddenly partial to blue! (go to someone or something blue and admire)
Four Little Leaves
Author unknown
Author unknown
Four little leaves hanging from a tree, (hold up four fingers, or dangle them)
Looking as lovely as can be.
Whoosh went the wind (turn in a circle) and one leaf said, (hold up one finger)
“I’ll meet you on the ground. I’m the colour RED.”
Looking as lovely as can be.
Whoosh went the wind (turn in a circle) and one leaf said, (hold up one finger)
“I’ll meet you on the ground. I’m the colour RED.”
Looking as lovely as can be.
Whoosh went the wind (turn in a circle) and another fell down. (wave one finger back and forth, and down)
This little leaf was the colour BROWN.
Two little leaves hanging from a tree, (two fingers)
Looking as lovely as can be.
Whoosh went the wind (turn in a circle). Oh my, it was cold! (brr!)
Another leaf fell (wave finger back and forth, and down). It was the colour GOLD.
One little leaf hanging from a tree, (one finger)
Looking as lovely as can be.
Whoosh went the wind (turn in a circle) and the leaf started to sway, (sway)
But it was still GREEN, so it had to stay !
Ten Red Apples
Author unknown
Ten red apples growing on a tree, (hold hands high with fingers extended)
Five for you and five for me. (wave one hand, then the other)
Help me shake the tree just so, (shake body)
And ten red apples fall down below. (lower hands with fingers extended)
One, two, three, four, five, (count fingers on one hand)
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten. (count fingers on other hand)
A Rainbow Fair
Author unknown
When the rain falls from the sky, (sprinkle fingers down)
Don’t forget to look up high. (look up)
If the sun is shining there, (make circle with arms above head)
You may see a rainbow fair: (make rainbow shape with hands)
Red, orange, yellow, green, and blue, (show colour ribbon, or count on fingers)
And you’ll see there’s purple too.
Colour
Author unknown
Blue is the lake, (point to the floor)
Yellow is the sun, (circle arms around head for sun)
Silver are the stars,
When the day is done, (wiggle fingers in the air)
Red is the apple, (make circle with hands)
Green is the tree, (raise arms over head like branches)
Brown’s a chocolate cookie,
For you and me! (point out, point toward self)
Action songs:
If You're Wearing Yellow
If You're Wearing Yellow
(Tune: If you’re happy and you know it)
Author Unknown
If you are wearing yellow, wave hello
If you are wearing yellow, wave hello
If you are wearing yellow,
Then please do wave hello
If you are wearing yellow, wave hello
If you are wearing red, shake your head…
If you are wearing blue, touch your shoe…
If you are wearing black, pat your back…
If you are wearing green, bow like a queen…
If you are wearing brown, turn around…
If you are wearing pink, give us a wink…
If Your Clothes Have Any Red
(Tune: If you’re happy and you know it)
Author unknown
If your clothes have any red, any red
If your clothes have any red, any red
If you clothes have any red
Put your finger on your head
If your clothes have any red, any red
If your clothes have any red, any red
If your clothes have any red, any red
If you clothes have any red
Put your finger on your head
If your clothes have any red, any red
If your clothes have any blue, put your finger on your shoe
If your clothes have any green, wave your hand so you are seen
If your clothes have any yellow, smile like a happy fellow
If your clothes have any brown, turn your smile into a frown
If your clothes have any black, put your hands behind your back
If your clothes have any white, clap your hands (or: stomp your feet) with all your might
The Colour Song
(Tune: This Old Man)
Author Unknown
Red, red, red, touch your head.
Blue, blue, blue, tie your shoe.
Brown, brown, brown, touch the ground.
White, white, white, take a bite.
Black, black, black, touch your back.
Purple, purple, purple, draw a circle.
Pink, pink, pink, give a wink.
Gray, gray, gray, shout hurray!
Make A Rainbow
Tune: Skip to my Lou (Also works well as a chant)
Author unknown
Take some cherries; put them in a pot (do actions)
Stir them, stir them, stir them a lot!
Pour it out now; what will it be?
The prettiest RED - you ever did see!!
Take an orange; put it in a pot
Stir it, stir it, stir it a lot!
Pour it out now; what will it be?
The prettiest ORANGE
Take a lemon; put it in a pot
Stir it, stir it, stir it a lot!
Pour it out now; what will it be?
The prettiest YELLOW - you ever did see!!
Take some limes; put them in a pot
Stir them, stir them, stir them a lot!
Pour it out now; what will it be?
The prettiest GREEN - you ever did see!!
Take some blueberries; put them in a pot
Stir them, stir them, stir them a lot!
Pour it out now; what will it be?
The prettiest BLUE - you ever did see!!
Take some grapes; put them in a pot
Stir them, stir them, stir them a lot!
Pour it out now; what will it be?
The prettiest PURPLE - you ever did see!!
Red and orange, yellow and green-
Blue and purple colours are seen!
Put them together; what will it be?
The prettiest rainbow you ever did see!!
Find the Colour
(Tune: The muffin man)
Author unknown
Have the children point to the colour you sing
Oh, can you find the colour______,
The colour _____, the colour _____?
Oh, can you find the colour _____,
Somewhere in this room?
Games:
I’m Thinking of a Colour
Author unknown
I am thinking of a colour that is the colour of the sky.
What colour am I? (Blue).
I am thinking of a colour that is the colour of the sun.
What colour am I? (Yellow).
I am thinking of a colour that is the colour of grass.
What colour am I? (Green).
I am thinking of a colour that is the colour of milk.
What colour am I? (White).
I am thinking of a colour that is the colour of a lemon
What colour am I? (Yellow).
I am thinking of a colour that is the colour of a lime
What colour am I? (Green).
I am thinking of a colour that is the colour of an orange
What colour am I? (Orange
Traffic Lights
Traffic Lights
Author unknown
Green says, “GO!” (hold up the colour green)
Go! Go! Go! (march in place)
Yellow says, “Slow!” (hold up the colour yellow)
Slow…sloooow…slooooow (march slowly)
And red says, “Stop!” (hold up the colour red)
(freeze)
(Hold up Green) Go! Go! Go!
(Hold up Yellow) Slow…sloooow…slooooow
(Hold up Red) STOP!
(everybody freeze!)
Go! Go! Go! (march in place)
Yellow says, “Slow!” (hold up the colour yellow)
Slow…sloooow…slooooow (march slowly)
And red says, “Stop!” (hold up the colour red)
(freeze)
(Hold up Green) Go! Go! Go!
(Hold up Yellow) Slow…sloooow…slooooow
(Hold up Red) STOP!
(everybody freeze!)
Early literacy notes:
Great for colour recognition, association, and colour mixing ideas.
Craft
Colour wheelRequirements:
Colour wheel picture
Lots of different coloured things eg stickers, feathers, fabric scraps, patty pans, paper scraps
Glue
Steps:
Match the coloured things to the colours on the colour wheel and stick down.
Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.
